Champions League 2019-20: Bayern Munich 2-0 Olympiacos - 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis
Bayern Munich edged past Olympiacos in the Champions League at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday. The victory meant that the German outfit confirmed their qualification after just four games while the visitors were left with a point after the same number of matches.
The hosts started the better of the two sides and instantly put the Greek side to the sword. However, they had to wait until the 69th minute to get the breakthrough.
Robert Lewandowski proved to be the Bavarians’ Guardian Angel again as the Poland international prodded home Kingsley Coman’s cross from the right wing.
Thereafter, Olympiacos pushed for the equaliser but those efforts went in vain. In turn, the gaps at the back were exploited at the back as Ivan Perisic rounded off the win with a routine finish at the back post.
Here is a look at the talking points from the game.
#5 Bayern fail to score in a dominant first half
At the weekend, Bayern Munich were annihilated by Eintracht Frankfurt as the Bavarians lost 5-1. Consequently, Niko Kovac’s services were dispensed with as the Bundesliga champions represented a side in turmoil.
Thus, plenty expected them to start their Champions League fixture against Olympiacos shakily. However, contrary to those expectations, the Bavarians began the game strongly and immediately imposed their identity.
The hosts enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in the opening period and pinged passes all across the pitch. In the process, the Greek side were reduced to chasing shadows for large parts. Yet, despite the territorial advantage the home side had, they failed to make the net ripple.
Though Jose Sa pulled off a couple of smart saves, Bayern’s indecisiveness in the final third contributed majorly to a goalless first half.
On countless occasions, the hosts got into promising positions. However, they failed to churn out an end product as they either overcooked or under-hit their passes. Moreover, they were guilty of complicating things a tad, especially when it would’ve been easier to choose the simpler option.
Unsurprisingly, the aforementioned facets enabled Olympiacos to ride out the first half storm and ensure that they entered the tunnel with both sides on level terms.
Also check out: UCL schedule Champions League table Bundesliga schedule