by Jersey swap: Maurice Krattenmacher
Does it count if Krattenmacher is actually a player for FC Bayern Munich?
The 19-year-old Bayern youth player only returned to the club this summer and was immediately loaned to SSV Ulm, who had not yet been drawn as Bayern’s opponents for the first round of the DFB Cup. Krattenmacher’s “dream draw”, as he called it, almost got off to a dream start, as after just five minutes he had a clear view of Manuel Neuer’s goal.
He had another of Ulm’s best chances in the second half, collecting his own deflected ball and firing a cross in front of goal that found teammate Dennis Chesa, who had outwitted Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano. The latter’s contact was too weak to surprise Neuer, but a goal at that point could have changed the game. A promising performance from the Bayern loanee.
The Emperor: Kim Min-jae
The monster is back. Kim fell out of favour under Thomas Tuchel in the second half of last season, but earned a starting place in the first competitive match of the Vincent Kompany era. The Korean international had an active evening, battling for balls all over the pitch – at one point in the second half he stormed close to the halfway line just to make a save – and made it hard for any opponent to get past him.
And of course there is the passing game. Kim’s arcing pass found Serge Gnabry, who stormed behind the Ulm lines just two minutes after Thomas Müller had scored the first goal – which promptly led to a brace from Müller and the game was about to be decided early.
Hats off to Raphaël Guerreiro, who started at left-back ahead of Alphonso Davies. While rumours about Davies’ future continue to swirl, Guerreiro put in an impressive performance, frequently pushing forward and moving into midfield. If this is any preview of the season, we’ll be hard-pressed to decide which category to put the Portuguese star in for the awards ceremony.
Football God: Joshua Kimmich
Joshua “I am a number six” Kimmich is also back. After a successful season at EURO 2024 as a right-back, in which he played the previous Second halfKimmich has returned to his preferred role in central midfield. Thanks to the physical but balanced play of Aleksandar Pavlović, Kimmich seems to have found his comfort zone again.
Kimmich wasn’t always the only midfielder to drop back, but ventured out onto the field confidently and with sufficient cover behind him. The majority of his touches were in the opposition half and he was successful with his trademark lobbed passes. Bayern’s number 6 also played a nice corner or two and generally chose the right moments to think about the ball or take the play forward. At the moment, his future in a Bayern shirt looks bright.
The Bomber: Serge Gnabry
If we are so back is the talk of the day, with Gnabry completing the hat-trick. The German international missed EURO 2024 after an injury-plagued 2023/24 season, leaving many wondering where his place is in the Bayern team. But the speedy winger put in an impressive 77-minute shift today and was by far Bayern’s most solid attacker not named Thomas Müller. Gnabry locked up and down his wing, and his threat to get deep was too great for Ulm. And unlike his teammates Jamal Musiala and Mathys Tel that day, he found his opportunity to feed a teammate and coolly took the chance to score.
Credit goes to Kingsley Coman, who shook up Ulm’s right flank immediately after coming on; Michael Olise, whose first touch on his first possession led to a beautiful pass for Coman; and Harry Kane, who scored his first DFB-Pokal goal, which was, amazingly, his first DFB-Pokal appearance. But let’s not talk about last season.
Master of the game: Thomas Müller
Thomas Müller? He’s never gone.
What a game that was for the Space interpreter. Typical Müller, yet so tantalisingly new. The veteran gave Bayern fans more than just a taste of what to expect in his final season, putting in a convincing performance that easily earned him the Man of the Match award.
If Müller’s legs give out, that hasn’t happened yet. stillThe soon-to-be 35-year-old covered almost every blade of grass today – and that despite starting as a striker instead of Harry Kane! Yes, he was his trademark: an unpredictable goal machine who hits everything straight away, just like Tommy on the spot – his two tap-in goals in the 12th and 14th minutes were game-deciding for Bayern.
But he was also the definition of a tireless worker, getting into tackles, crossing and doing defensive work whether at left-back or right-wing. Müller never looked quite right in the No.9 position at club or country under coaches as diverse as Hansi Flick, Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel… but perhaps Vincent Kompany has found just the right structure.
As with all performances on the day, qualifications are needed. Yes, it’s only the season opener. And it was only Ulm. But it was a good performance for Bayern and Kompany.
Are you looking for further thoughts and analysis on FC Bayern Munich’s dominant 4-0 win over SSV Ulm in the DFB Cup? Well, then we have just the thing for you: our Bavarian Podcast Works – Postgame Show. In it, we analyze the starting eleven, the list of goalscorers and substitutes, who stood out and who didn’t, the situation surrounding Leon Goretzka and much more. Listen to the podcast on Patreon, Spotify or below:
