Bayern on auto-pilot again, 3:1 against Hamburg

FC Bayern finally confirms its “winter champion” title with a 3:1 win against Hamburg, but complacency makes an ugly return to the pitch, making the game tight in the second half and the scoreline flattering.

First half: timid

The reds settled and took control quickly, but had problems breaking Hamburg’s Chelsea-like bus near the area. HSV kept breaking plays with defensive headers in the final third.

Thankfully, it is Philipp Lahm who handled the defensive midfield, making us better defensively although still a bit shaky on the counter. It didn’t help that Diego Contento gave the ball away and failed to pull back for defensive coverage on multiple occasions.

FCB held the ball and tried to attack, but a few crosses were not accurate. Low shots were wasted by Kroos and Götze, not really threatening Drobny, who made easy saves.

The team clearly missed Robbery on the wings, relying on big passes towards of the middle instead of dribbling/playmaking to mix things up. Look at the following screenshot from FourFourTwo. Almost no take-ons on the wings.

The best chances of the half were produced by Müller and Mandzukic. The first was offside and the second’s header on a free kick from the left by Kroos just went wide.

Kudos to Toni Kroos in this half. His ball distribution was nearly perfect. Rafinha also deserves some credit. His passing was pretty good, but it was hard to thread the needle in a crowded area.

Second half: complacent

The boys fell asleep on auto-pilot again after taking the 2:0 lead, Lasogga instantly producing a good scoring chance and our opponents earning a free kick in a dangerous position. Lasogga later came in with another hard shot that went wide.

The complacency ultimately was punished by Lasogga, who evaded his coverage once again to score a late goal. Thankfully, Xherdan Shaqiri added a third goal to seal the win.

The spin

When taking charge, FC Bayern looks unbeatable. The only problem is that the team has a tendency to be complacent in the second half, especially when leading. The defence has to be tinkered with, since it still doesn’t hold up when challenged. It’s a win and three points, but not a satisfying one.

Goals

1:0 Mandzukic heads it in, taking a high volley cross by Rafinha from the right, who was himself served a great curling pass by Kroos (42')

2:0 Götze one-times a pass by Thiago and the laser goes in, low on the left (52')

2:1 An uncovered Lasogga receives a cutback pass and shoots past Neuer (87')

3:1 Shaqiri takes a pass by Hojbjerg on a quick attack, evades all coverage and sends a low shot rolling on the right, past Drobny (90')

Key reactions

Pep Talk: “We had second half problems because we had too many turnovers. We must correct that. Players already had [the Club World Cup] in their heads. I will try to convince the players that we still have a lot of work to do. But after Champions League games, it is always difficult.”

Philipp Lahm: “We are not finished yet. In the Club World Cup we will do our best. We want to be successful in the next year.”

Lineups