Keeping an eye on the ball at FC Bayern.
Bayern Munich has long been the kind of team that dominates possession, and that has not changed under second-year head coach Vincent Kompany. However, do not mistake that for dogma — at Kompany’s Bayern, possession is a means, and not the end goal.
Still, it is a pretty effective way of getting results.
“We usually have between 60 and 75 percent possession,” Kompany explained in his recent interview for club magazine Säbener 51 (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “The players actually want the ball, they didn’t start playing football to chase after it.
“It’s crucial that we are active in possession, that we create space and constantly threaten to score — as has often been the case in recent months. We don’t voluntarily give up the ball and space. And if we have to defend deep, the opponents have to earn it — and then we have to enjoy defending.
“But otherwise, I want us to be ready at every moment, with every pass, to always have an idea, to always be dangerous.”
In the Bundesliga, Bayern is probably always going to enjoy the lion’s share of control. But the Champions League knockouts phase will be a test for Bayern and Kompany’s tactical flexibility. There may well be teams and game states that call on the Bavarians to employ the very tactics they would decry — to ‘not play football’, so to speak. To win the hardware, Bayern may just have to show they can love playing without the ball, too.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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Category: General Sports
