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FC Bayern pulled out a Champions League victory.

Die Folgen: Bayern’s 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich won 2-0 over Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League, but it was not pretty.

The Bavarians were lackluster in the victory, often looking out of synch offensively, and sloppy defensively. The game frustrated fans, but also left them relieved by the end of the match.

As always, let’s begin with a look at the start XI:

🔴 𝗨𝗖𝗟 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 🔴

Here’s how we lineup for #FCBUSG tonight ©️ pic.twitter.com/DmzgAXPppq
— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) January 21, 2026

Dayot Upamecano was absent with an illness, so Kim Min-jae stepped in for him. Meanwhile, Kompany continued to think outside the box as he start Joshua Kimmich in the central midfield, Tom Bischof at left-back, and Raphaël Guerreiro at right-back — robbing fans of seeing the midfield duo of Bischof and Aleksandar Pavlović. Yes, a minor inconvenience, but it is hard to argue with just about anything Kompany does (aside of starting Bischof at right-back like he did against RB Leipzig last weekend).
Michael Olise was doing some dazzling dribbling early, but always held on just a bit too long.
Kim picked up a yellow card in the 18th minute, which could have changed Kompany’s plan for later in the match.
Bayern Munich was completely dominant, but not exactly going “balls to the wall” to score, which was a little odd. It was as if the squad was waiting for the perfect chance.
Kimmich did not have a strong start to the match, but got better.
Meanwhile, Aleksandar Pavlović was a passing machine (and even set a record).
Bischof should get more minutes in the central midfield (broken record).
In the 29th minute, Promise David beat the Tah and Guerreiro for a great header attempt, but Manuel Neuer was saved by his positioning. Otherwise, Bayern Munich would have been down 1-0.
In general, Bayern Munich looked uninspired in the final third through 35 minutes. It did not get better for the rest of the half.
Guerreiro swept in front of Kane to steal a header attempt and the Englishman did not appear to be thrilled with his teammate.
There seemed to be a lack of chemistry between the wings and the outside-backs in this game.
Karl was not effective.
It was a Triple-U first half: Unmotivated, Uninspired, Unwatchable.
It is not often we have seen Bayern Munich in a malaise under Kompany, but that is pretty much the best way to describe the first half of the match.
Finally, in the 52nd minute, Olise hit an in-swinging corner from the right-side that was directly to the head of Kane, who put it home (Guerreiro was not there to jump in his way this time) for 1-0 lead.
In the 53rd minute, Bayern Munich was awarded a penalty and Kane calmly hit it in for a 2-0 lead.
Remember that yellow card that Kim received, well, it went full red in the 63rd minute after grabbing the arm of USG’s Raul Florucz. For Kim detractors, this was a combination of his worst traits — poor positioning, bad decisions, and being too aggressive (this time with his hands).
You could really argue that USG’s David should have been assessed a red card for a foul on Michael Olise a few minutes later, but he was only given a yellow.
To compensate for Kim’s absence, Alphonso Davies checked in for Guerreiro and Hiroki Itō stepped in for Karl in the 67th minute.
Bayern Munich would be awarded another penalty in the 79th minute for a handball. Kane stepped to the spot and proceeded to hit the crossbar. It was just that kind of game.
In the 83rd minute, Diaz sent Olise a perfect ball across the box and from point-blank range, Olise went #FullComan (or #FullSané if you prefer) and sent his shot 20 rows deep. The Frenchman almost had to intentionally hit it so poorly.
Overall, this was not a banner effort for a Bayern Munich group that was, well, due for a stinker. Better now than in the latter stages of this competition, eh? In the end, Bayern Munich got the victory, though it surely was not anything to write home about. Onward and upward!

If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:

BVB growing confident with Schlotterbeck (Bild)

Dayot Upamecano has not signed his new deal with Bayern Munich yet, so there could still potentially be a hold to fill on the roster for the Bavarians next season. Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck might not be available to fill it as BVB has grown more confident in its ability to retain the center-back:

Borussia Dortmund is increasingly optimistic about persuading Nico Schlotterbeck (26) to extend his contract, which expires in 2027. A summit meeting between the player’s representatives and Dortmund’s management took place last week.
BILD has learned that Borussia Dortmund has devised a new, concrete plan to keep Schlotterbeck. This involves unusual salary arrangements and a break with their own principles. Here’s the fascinating background information!

The rest of the details reside behind the Bild paywall, but the specifics of the deal include the following:

A release clause worth €60 million that could be triggered starting in 2027.
A salary package of €14 million per season.

Barca to make move for Alvarez? (GiveMeSport’s Ben Jacobs)

FC Barcelona could be looking at Julián Alvarez to spice up its attack after the season:

Several top European clubs keeping an eye on Julian Alvarez’s situation in 2026. Understand Barcelona are one of them. Deco met with the player’s camp this month for an initial meeting with a view to a potential summer move.

Koch shows appreciation for Toppmöller (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Eintracht Frankfurt defender Robin Koch took time from his Champions League press conference duties to express his admiration for recently-sacked head coach Dino Toppmöller.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Dino on behalf of the team for our shared and successful time together. We had a lot of fun on the pitch and always a great atmosphere. I’ve already spoken to him personally, but I’d like to emphasize that again here. That’s how it goes in football sometimes – for us now, it’s about looking forward,” Koch said.

It is clear that Eintracht Frankfurt’s problems this season go way deeper than Toppmöller (check out their result from the Champions League on Wednesday). The club’s selling mentality and willingness to offload key players would hamper any coach’s ability to make a consistent impact. If a roster develops a mercenary-like mentality or worse, transient mentality, it makes a coach’s job extremely difficult.

Has Inter found its Sommer successor? (ESPN)

Inter Milan could be looking at Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to succeed former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Yann Sommer:

Internazionale are interested in Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, reports Sky Sports. The Nerazzurri are reportedly exploring a summer move for the 33-year-old, having identified him as a potential replacement for current starter Yann Sommer if he would be prepared to accept a salary reduction. Martinez, whose contract at Villa Park isn’t set to expire until 2029, has made 18 Premier League appearances this season, while he also remains the No. 1 choice for Argentina.

I mean, he has a point (CBS Sports Golazo)

Thierry Henry did not mince words when asked why Harry Kane is producing more now:

Eberl thinks Kane will retire with Bayern (Bild via @iMiaSanMia)

In an interview with Bild that contained a “True or False?” segment, Bayern Munich board member for sport Max Eberl, was asked if Harry Kane would retire with the Bavarians. Eberl’s response might surprise you:

Harry Kane to end his career at FC Bayern..
Eberl: “I’d say true, without knowing how things will go and how long Harry wants to play or if he has other plans after FC Bayern. But we at FC Bayern can very well imagine that”

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…