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Bayern Munich – Mario Götze Shows He’s Worth the Wait
To say Mario Götze hasn’t really shown anything in Bayern Munich uniform so far would be an understatement, but there’s just too much talent between the young German’s feet to hide for much longer, and now that the injures have wore off, suddenly the European champions find themselves with a player who doesn’t need more than a second to set up the likes of Arjen Robben, Thomas Muller and Mario Mandzukic with easy scoring opportunities.
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FC Barcelona – Lionel Messi Makes Everyone Better
The Zlatan Ibrahimovic autobiography keeps creating shock waves, including taking obvious personal shots at Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi. While the manager has his Bayern Munich bosses to defend him, it seems the Barcelona star has Xavi doing his protection services.
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Bayern Munich – Making Manchester City Look Like They Don’t Belong
Another school for pressing and midfield domination was presented by Bayern Munich to an English club, this time Manchester City. Pep Guardiola might not have used a striker, instead giving Thomas Muller the most forward role, but the absolutely wonderful performance from Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos meant that there was really no need for a true number 9 to get what they set out to accomplish.
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Bayern Munich – Bastian Schweinsteiger Makes the Pep Guardiola System Work
It was simply impossible for a Bayern Munich team so talented no to start putting in impressive performances at some point. Apparently, the return of Bastain Schweinsteiger to full health and form is the difference between Pep Guardiola being misunderstood and berated than the same manager talked about as a tactical genius.
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FC Barcelona – Lionel Messi Between Great and Villanous
On the bright side of the unimportant things that happened to Lionel Messi this week, he was endorsed by an all-time great as the best footballer in the world today. But bad “news” also came, as allegations of him being a dictator in the Barcelona dressing room came up again.
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Bayern Munich – Franck Ribery & Arjen Robben Solid Among All the Changes
While Pep Guardiola might be trying too hard to change things that worked perfectly well at Bayern Munich, some things remain the same: The reliance on Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben to be the difference when things don’t work out too well for the champions, especially with their endless list of injured midfielders.
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Bayern Munich – Mario Mandzukic Proves This Team Does Need a Striker
Very few are actually pleased with what Pep Guardiola is doing at the moment with Bayern Munich, but so far, the streak of winning and remaining undefeated lives on, as Mario Mandzukic, with so many questions about his new role in a possible ‘no-striker’ formation proved his value with the goal and being the offensive pivot for a team still trying to sort its way through a new identity.
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Bayern Munich – Franck Ribery Ready For His Big Moment
Things haven’t gone the usual way for Franck Ribery. He wasn’t some child prodigy all of Europe was slobbering over. No one has ever called him the “best”. He’s just been very good, sometimes even excellent, for Bayern Munich over the years, finally winning the Champions League last season, and maybe getting recognized for it eventually with a major individual award.
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Bayern Munich – Pep Guardiola Trying to Change Too Much & Coming Off as Arrogant
Before playing one league match, it seems that Pep Guardiola isn’t enjoying a honeymoon or grace period with the German press, criticizing him already for losing one title for Bayern Munich and trying to change too much from something that worked close to perfectly last season.
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Bayern Munich – Arjen Robben is the Only Thing Pep Guardiola Didn’t Change
After conquering Europe last season, opening the next one with a loss in the German Supercup was less than ideal, as the changes both forced and unforced on Pep Guardiola seemed to take a lot out of the Bayern Munich we got to know last season, while Arjen Robben, one of the few players without a positional or role change, seemed to be the only one finding life comfortable under the new manager.