Bayerns Keys to Winning.

2020’s FIFA Club World Cup was the 17th edition of the tournament. This year’s competition was contested by the recent treble-winning German club Bayern Munich, (FC Bayern München). Their opponent was UANL Tigres of Liga MX, Mexico. The annual competition features clubs that have won their respective FIFA continental Confederations Champions league or similar competition. After introducing the teams participating, we will begin to dissect Bayern Munich club world cup tactical analysis and keys to winning.

Road to the final

The Club World Cup format means that both UEFA (United European Football Association) Champions League winners and CONMEBOL (Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol) Libertadores winners don’t begin until the semi-final stage.

• CONMEBOL Libertadores winners – SE Palmeiras of Brazil
• UEFA Champions League winners – FC Bayern Munich of Germany
• CAF Champions League winners – Al Ahly SC of Egypt
• Host country: Qatar Stars League (QSL) champion – Al Duhail SC of Qatar
• CONCACAF Champions League winners – Tigres UANL of Mexico
• AFC Champions League winners – Ulsan Hyundai FC of Korea Republic

Reaching the final, Bayern defeated Al Ahly SC 2-0, While UANL Tigres overcome SE Palmeiras 1-0. This marked Tigres’ debut in the club world cup final and Bayerns second (Morrocco 2013 being their first). Bayern is on course to win their sixth trophy of a record-setting season. Tigres, in fact, are the only CONCACAF team to ever reach the Club World Cup finals.

Venue and COVID-19 Protocols

The final originally scheduled for December 2020, was later rescheduled to February 11, 2021, amid COVID19 concerns. Coronavirus protocols required attendance to not exceed 30% of stadium attendance capacity per game. The Education City Stadium of Al Rayyan, also a 2022 world cup venue, was used for both 3rd place and final matches.

The Players

Bundesliga side Bayern Munich far from full strength was missing three key players. Thomas Mueller, Leon Goretzka and Javi Martínez to Coronavirus issues. Another key player, Jérôme Boateng, flew back home due to personal reasons.

Teams:

Hansi Flicks Bayern (58-5-5 record in 68 games), captained by Manuel Neuer played a 4-2-3-1 in possession.

• #1 Manual Neuer
• #4 Niklas Süle
• #5 Benjamin Pavard
• #6 Joshua Kimmich
• #7 Serge Gnabry
• #9 Robert Lewandoski
• #10 Leroy Sané
• #19 Alphonso Davies
• #21 Lucas Hernández
• #27 David Alaba
• #29 Kingsley Coman

Tigres Head Coach Ricardo Ferretti utilized the 4-4-2 system of play with a double #6 led by captain, Guido Pizarro.

• #1 Nahuel Guzmán
• #3 Carlos Salcedo
• #5 Rafael Carioca
• #10 André-Pierre Gignac
• #13 Diego Reyes
• #19 Guido Pizarro
• #20 Javier Aquino
• #23 Luis Quiñones
• #28 Luis Rodríguez
• #29 Jesús Dueñas
• #32 Carlos González

Substitutes

FC Bayern Munich: Lukas Schneller, Ron-Thorben Hoffmann, Bouna Sarr, Marc Roca, Corentin Tolisso, Tiago Dantas, Jamal Musiala, Douglas Costa and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.

UANL Tigres: Juan Pablo Chávez, Arturo Delgado, Hugo Ayala, Juan Sánchez, Aldo Cruz, Francisco Meza, Érick Ávalos, Jordan Sierra, Leonardo Fernández, Raymundo Fulgencio, Julián Quiñones and Patrick Ogama.

The Match

FC Bayern started brightly with much of the possession. and seemingly scored in the 18th minute. A powerful strike by Joshua Kimmich just outside the area beat Guzman. However, the ever-increasing VAR debate ruled the goal out. Robert Lewandowski was judged to have obstructed Nahuel Guzman view while in an offside position.

In the 58th minute, Parvard broke the deadlock with a half-volley shot into Guzman’s empty net. VAR was required to overturn the referee’s original decision of no-goal. Bayern’s Lewandowski was judged to be offside as Pavard struck the ball.

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Bayern could have comfortably won by more. Leroy Sane’s thunderous shot ricocheted off the upper 90, while Tolisso’s shot was tipped past the post by Guzman. During the second half, Lewandowski saw a header called offside, regardless, Guzman saved it anyway.

Analysis

Tigre’s gave up possession to defend in a mid-block defensive shape. The game plan was to limit the behind, space that Bayern likes to look for.

Süle and his center-back partner, Hernandez, were allowed ample possession by Tigre’s. Bayern’s dominance with the ball in the Developing phase allowed for rotation in wide areas. Alaba, Davies, and Coman would rotate with Coman occupying half-spaces, Davies advancing positive movement and Alaba slotting into the full-back area.

Finishing Phase

These rotations would create overloads in key spaces to penetrate space and unbalance Tigre’s shape by drawing pressure in deeper areas. This was notable in various phases. Quinones being enticed into pressing Alaba in his full backspace, this pressing action created passing lanes with the left channel was Munich’s preferred choice. Various balls delivered into the box had the Tigre’s defense recovering into emergency defending positions frequently.

Gnabry playing in the number 10 role would combine in and around the half-space to create overloads centrally. Forwards eager to make creative mobile runs into space behind the Tigre’s defense offered further opportunities for positive penetration. There were times of being guilty of the carelessness of delivering the final product. Too many times Bayern’s balls into the spaces would lack quality and lose possession too cheaply.

Tactically on point from head coach Flick, but technically poor from the attacking players during the finishing and creative phases of the game.

Tigre’s when out of possession were certainly aware of Lewandowskis ability to change the game. Maintaining compactness to restrict space and passing lanes into the striker was the number one priority.

By maintaining a mid-block and denying central spaces they allowed Bayern to have possession in wide areas. Bayern did create overloads in those wide areas. When Bayern’s players did turn inside to the half-spaces, Tigre’s were successful in restricting forward penetrating passes.

Tigre’s forwards tried to make play more predictable, through pressing and directing Bayern’s center backs. Trigger points for the forward to the press were when Bayern was looking into recycling the ball. The pressing was to reduce the opportunity for Bayern to switch the point of attack.

Joshua Kimmich’s dominance

Once again, Kimmich was the major influence during possession and transition through winning the second ball successfully.

The German midfielder played a crucial part in Bayern’s success in the treble-winning season. A versatile player he has been invaluable for Bayern collecting their haul of silverware.

Kimmich occupied key areas to aid the recycling of the ball. By maintaining possession or through pulling Tigre’s players into an unbalanced shape, he would open up key spaces for penetrating positive balls.

Furthermore, he would take up areas to provide crosses in deeper positions and assist counter-pressing. His influence in these key positions was undoubtedly valuable.

Bayern out of possession

Bayern’s defensive high press was employed to force Tigre’s into losing possession closer to goal. Sane would press the Tigre’s defenders to their outside shoulder forcing defenders to play inside. Those defenders would now play out of the back in more central areas. The defender moving infield was the trigger for Gnabry and Lewandowski to take up midfield central areas. When possession was lost, both players were in great positions to recover possession and then attack at speed centrally towards goal.

Davies and Pavard took up areas to eliminate passing lanes in Sane and Coman mistimed pressure or were not in position quick enough.

Due to the aforementioned pressure, Tigre’s now looked to build through more direct passing options. On Bayern’s press triggers, Tigre’s looked to play wide high balls with the full-backs in support. This direct style put overloads on Bayern’s full-backs and tested their touch. Pavard countered by reading the triggers and covering the space or intercepting the intended pass.

As this option was countered, Tigre’s wide players would occupy the half spaces allowing for overlapping wide runs from the full-backs. The half-space players would maintain depth to the attack for cutbacks or defended clearances from Bayern.

Conclusion

Europe’s Bayern Munich showed more quality in their playing staff and was better in executing their game plan. Even with an understrength lineup, Bayern had 55% of overall possession compared to Tigre’s 45%. possession differences of 10% may seem insignificant but Bayern was more economical with the ball. However, in Bayern’s finishing phase they were guilty of being wasteful. Certainly an area of their game that needs improving. Bayern’s shots to target ratio were 18/8, Tigre’s managed their 45% of possession shot ratio of 3/1. of the 8 on-target shots, one was a goal, giving a target to goal ratio of 1 in 8.

Bayern Munich penetrated into the finishing phase 19 times to Tigre’s 5. Newley favored game data value currently analyzed is xG (Expected Goals). The xG for the Bundesliga side was 1.4 with the Liga MX side at 0.14.

Hansi Flick can surely be happy with his team’s overall performance. Especially as the team was required to break from their domestic fixtures. Six trophies in nine months are historic, can it be beaten?