Seven changes, 28 shots and a scare: FC Bayern München's bench fixes it at SV Elversberg, and Kane gets his first league goal of the season.
The numbers
| FC Bayern München | SV Elversberg | |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 72% | 28% |
| Shots | 28 | 5 |
| On target | 7 | 1 |
| xG | 2.83 | 0.94 |
| Touches in opp. box | 67 | 9 |
| Corners | 9 | 3 |
Result the chances deserved: FC Bayern München 76% / 14% / SV Elversberg 10% (Poisson).
Starting line-ups
FC Bayern München (4-2-3-1): Urbig, Stanišić, Upamecano, Kim, Brown, Pavlović, Bischof, Karl, Olise, Saibari, Kane.
SV Elversberg (4-2-3-1): Kristof, Gyamerah, Pinckert, Rohr, Günther, Keidel, Poręba, Petkov, Onyeka, Campbell, Mokwa.
SV Elversberg subs: Darvich (11', Onyeka, booked at 7'), Krattenmacher (46', Campbell), Condé (73'), Futkeu (74', Mokwa), Schnellbacher (83', Petkov). Yellow cards: Onyeka 7', Keidel 63'.
Kim Min-jae: 90 minutes at left centre-back. Get German Football News gave him 7, the best mark of any Bayern player.
Numbers: possession, shots, xG and box touches from FotMob; shots on target and corners from Bundesliga.com. The two differ on possession (72% v 62%) and xG (FotMob 2.83–0.94, Bundesliga.com 3.67–0.65). Goal times follow FotMob and Bundesliga.com (26', 61', 72'); Flashscore has 29' and 60' for the first two.
Key moments, move by move
- FC Bayern München work the ball down the left to Saibari.
- His low cross flashes across the six-yard box, past everyone.
- Karl arrives at the back post and steers it in from close range.
- Darvich finds Krattenmacher outside the FC Bayern München box.
- Nobody closes him down quickly enough.
- He curls it into the top corner, out of Urbig's reach.
- Musiala and Olise combine around the edge of the box.
- Pavlović slips the ball in to Kane on the right side of the area.
- Kane works a yard of space in a crowded box and finishes from a tight angle past Kristof.
A rotated XI keeps SV Elversberg pinned in, but the bench wins it
- Seven changes. After the 5–0 against FK Bodø/Glimt, Kompany brought in Urbig, Stanišić, Kim Min-jae, Nathaniel Brown, Bischof, Karl and Saibari, with Olise moving into the number 10 role. Kane was the only regular in attack.
- Pressure without a second goal. FC Bayern München had 28 shots and 67 touches in the box (FotMob), but only seven shots on target (Bundesliga.com). Rohr blocked Kane at 25' and made 13 defensive actions in total (Get German Football News), and Olise hit the bar from outside the box at 70'.
- SV Elversberg's route back. Darvich came on after 11 minutes, and had their first chance (19'). A Campbell goal was ruled out by VAR for offside in the build-up (39'), and Krattenmacher, on at half-time, curled in the equaliser from Darvich's pass. Their 0.94 xG is the second-highest any opponent has had against FC Bayern München this season.
- Four changes at 65'. Musiala, Díaz, Kimmich and Davies came on together, and seven minutes later Pavlović set up Kane for the winner. The rotated XI kept control of the ball. The first-choice players decided the game.
Recreate it in FM26
Kompany's rotation 4-2-3-1 with Olise at 10
| Pos | Player | In Possession | Out of Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Urbig | Sweeper Keeper | Sweeper Keeper |
| RB | Stanišić | Inside Full-Back | Full-Back |
| RCB | Upamecano | Ball-Playing Centre-Back | Stopping Centre-Back |
| LCB | Kim | Ball-Playing Centre-Back | Stopping Centre-Back |
| LB | Brown | Full-Back | Pressing Full-Back |
| RDM | Pavlović | Deep-Lying Playmaker | Screening Defensive Midfielder |
| LDM | Bischof | Box-to-Box Playmaker | Pressing Defensive Midfielder |
| RW | Karl | Inside Forward | Winger |
| AM | Olise | Advanced Playmaker | Attacking Midfielder |
| LW | Saibari | Winger | Tracking Winger |
| ST | Kane | Centre Forward | Centre Forward |
Team instructions
In Possession
- Passing DirectnessShorter
- Attacking TransitionPatient Build-Up
- Crossing StyleLow Crosses
- PatienceWork Ball Into Box
Out of Possession
- Line of EngagementHigh Press
- Defensive LineHigher
- Defensive TransitionCounter-Press
- Trigger PressMore Often
The idea: Pin the opponent in and look for low crosses to the back post. You need a left winger who delivers low, a right winger who attacks the far post, and a playmaker at 10 who shoots from the edge.
What FM26 can't copy: FM26 can't capture the effect of swapping in four first-choice players at once, which is what won this match.
Our reading of this match in FM26 terms, not an exported tactic file. Role names as in FM26.
What if? Replay it with a different plan
Our best alternative plan: Formation 4-3-3, Musiala on at 46' not 65' (for Saibari), Kimmich on at 46' not 65' (for Bischof). Fewer changes to begin with: a third midfielder to cover the edge of the box, then Musiala and Kimmich at half-time instead of 65'. It probably kills the game before Krattenmacher's goal. It moves FC Bayern München's win chance from 76% to 84% (xG 2.83–0.94 becomes 3.03–0.69). Try your own changes to formation, pressing, approach and substitutions.
The game-changer FC Bayern München needed
Jamal Musiala
FC Bayern München had plenty of the ball but only one goal to show for it. Musiala was part of the move for the winner seven minutes after coming on. Starting him, or bringing him on at half-time, gives Olise a partner in the pockets and Bayern a second creator against a packed box.
Declan Rice
SV Elversberg's goal came from a shot outside the box that nobody closed down, and Bischof and Pavlović were both rated 5 by Get German Football News. Rice covers the edge of the box and wins the ball back quickly, and he also gets forward into the box himself.
What the analysts said
Rotation kept the ball, but it took the stars to win the game.
This was the price of a squad rotated in between Champions League games. The changed XI did most things right: 72% of the ball (FotMob), 28 shots, and a goal from a well-worked low cross. But it only led 1–0, and SV Elversberg stayed in the game. Their 0.94 xG was the most FC Bayern München had allowed since Borussia Dortmund in the Supercup, and they also had a goal disallowed for offside.
Kompany's answer at 65' was to bring on four first-choice players at once, and the winner came seven minutes later. That says two things. FC Bayern München's bench is strong enough to rescue games like this. It also shows how much of Bayern's quality still depends on Musiala, Kimmich and Kane. Seven changes in one go is a lot, and it made the first hour harder than it needed to be.
For Korean readers, Kim Min-jae's 90 minutes were one of the positives. He started at left centre-back next to Upamecano, and Get German Football News gave him the best rating of any FC Bayern München player. SV Elversberg's goal came from a long-range shot rather than a run in behind, and the offside flag caught their other attempt. That kind of game will keep him in the rotation.