Four observations from Bayern Munich’s 3-1 win over SC Freiburg

An injured Bayern Munich team traveled to the Black Forest to face a formidable SC Freiburg.

The orchestra masterled by Aaron Danks in the absence of Vincent Kompany, remained in control for the vast majority of the match but survived a late setback to emerge 3-1 winners!

Here are the main takeaways from the game.

Bayern Munich has a strange depth problem

The water is wet, the sky is blue and Bayern are in the midst of another injury and absence crisis. Season after season, Bayern suffers the same fate, but at least the team is stronger this season, right? Yes, but there is a strange problem.

Make no mistake, the players here today did a fantastic job filling in for those who were absent. But The orchestra master are an injury to Kane, Olise or Upamecano that isn’t a nightmare – a real possibility given the trio’s increased workload.

Even though Bayern have a replacement in almost every position, the problem is that the replacements are not identical. I’m not saying Luis Díaz should have an equal quality backup; I say Díaz should have a replacement whose best position is left wing. No disrespect to Serge Gnabry, who did a great job scoring a goal from that position, but he’s just not at his best on the wing. The same goes for Lennart Karl on the right and Ismael Saibari on the top. They can all play those positions, but they’re not their best positions.

I appreciate Bayern’s value on players who can play multiple positions, but at some point you need players who can maintain the level in the position they are supposed to play. In this way, Bayern still misses.

Jonas Urbig IS Neuer’s heir

Two weeks ago, German goalkeeping legends Jens Lehmann and Oliver Kahn expressed doubts over Jonas Urbig’s ability to replace Manuel Neuer as Bayern’s number one. I wonder what they are thinking after this match?

Urbig’s ability with the ball is fantastic, but tonight it was his shot that earned Bayern three points.

Towards the end of the match, Freiburg threatened the 23-year-old goalkeeper’s goal, but Urbig pulled off some world-class saves to prevent Julian Schuster’s side from equalizing.

It wasn’t just the quality of the saves; that was the context. Despite criticism from Lehmann and Kahn, Urbig ignored it and stepped in when Bayern needed him most.

Tonight, Urbig not only proved he had the ability, he proved he had the mentality.

Vincent Kompany’s team is in good hands

Bayern approached their Bundesliga match against Freiburg without the cornerstone of their success over the past two seasons: Vincent Kompany. But despite the absence of the Belgian manager, one of his most important philosophies shines through.

Bayern’s quality is the result of teamwork. Nothing works alone. From senior management to technical staff, from players to goalkeepers, Bayern is a unit.

Even without the coach tasked with instilling that mentality and a notable list of absentees, Aaron Danks and the rest of Kompany’s coaching staff stepped up, as did the players.

Rest easy, Vinnie. Your team is in good hands!

But can you do it on a rainy night against The orchestra master?

Excuse the cliché, but behind every expression lies an underlying truth.

Freiburg has had a good start to the season, but after losing consecutive games to two Bundesliga heavyweights, we are reminded why the Breisgau-Brasilianer are still themselves deprived of such status. Ultimately, they simply struggle to replicate their best form against the best teams in the league.

Their defeat against Bayern is a good example of this. The Bavarians were vulnerable at the start of the match, offering a rare opportunity to Julian Schuster’s men. But some lapses in concentration in the first half cost Friborg the match. Last week’s defeat to a Leverkusen side who were not at their best presented a similar scenario.

If Freiburg wants to be regularly recognized among the best in the Bundesliga, they need to show up in the big moments.

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