Bayern Munich Far from Convincing in Champions League Win over Manchester City

Bayern Munich kicked off their Champions League campaign with a large slice of luck when Manchester City went down fighting in the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night by one goal to nil in the opening tie of Group E.

Pep Guardiola's side had always anticipated a tight affair against the English champions, yet few would have predicted the manner in which the Bundesliga side would have crept through with all three points.

The Bavarian club has had a bumpy start to the new season, with Guardiola's new 3-4-3 formation taking some time to get used to for fans and players alike.

It was this new system that Bayern showcased in the warm glow of Europe's bright lights Wednesday and ultimately the reason they looked so unconvincing.

That's not to say the German champions didn't deserve to take something from the game.

At times we saw the raw physicality and pace of David Alaba burst from deep within Bayern's defence, to join the chorus of attacking players that tended to litter the City half throughout the game. Whether through intention or simple ingenuity between the two players, Xabi Alonso often tucked into the back line, keeping the team's shape despite the gung-ho runs.

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Guardiola's new system looks to take advantage of the whole pitch, and that was evident in the manner in which Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze tended either to drift out wide or cut inside in partnership with their corresponding wide midfielders.

Whenever Gotze stepped inside to play off his former Borussia Dortmund teammate, Robert Lewandowski, we saw Juan Bernat dash down the line and offer an option out wide.

Similarly, Muller—an irregular player who's made a career out of unlikely late runs into the box from a wide spot—complemented Rafinha's desire to bomb down Bayern's right whenever possible.

The Bavarian side's opening chance came just seconds into the first half when both Gotze and Muller ran off Lewandowski in an impromptu attacking move. The towering German forward struggled to finish the play, after rounding Joe Hart in goal, yet it wasn't the last time we saw the front three cause so much trouble for Manuel Pellegrini's back line.

In fact, before half-time we would see Muller come close with a late run and header straight at the English 'keeper before Alaba—the centre-half— found his close-range shot once again saved by the Premier League goalkeeper.

Both sides went in on a level pegging at half-time, but it was Bayern and Guardiola's new formation that were enjoying most of the success.

Yet it was a more resilient City side that we saw in the second half, and once they had the wind in their sails, it looked as though there simply wasn't enough within this Bayern team to push on for the win.

Again, we saw Gotze shine so bright at times early on in the match only to withdraw within himself whenever the stakes rose or the pressure of chasing a game finally took its toll.

The young German prodigy may still be living out on his World Cup-winning goal, but football fans are a fickle bunch, and even the most understanding of the Allianz Arena faithful have began voicing their concerns.

A similar story was most notable for the side's lone striker, Lewandowski, who again looked far from the striker who made his name as one of Europe's best at Borussia Dortmund not so long ago. Such a victory over City now puts the Polish striker on just one goal in his opening five competitive games for Bayern.

That tally simply is not good enough for him or any striker hoping to keep a first-team place at this famous German club.

It was only once Guardiola introduced a member of the old guard, Arjen Robben, that Bayern finally looked to kick back into gear.

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

The Dutchman's humorous dive in their opponents' box, moments after coming on, will have irritated neutral fans to no end, but it was a rare sign of precision, direct running and overall intent that had escaped Bayern throughout the evening.

Robben was quoted by UEFA.com as saying:

"

We didn't play as well as we can, and we still need to find our rhythm, but we're on the right track. We’re working on certain things, and the only way is up.

Sometimes chances go in, sometimes they don't. Not everyone who gets a chance is going to score. But there were plenty of positives; we created a lot of good opportunities.

"

Bayern fans will wonder what could have been if they only had a few more experienced heads on the park that night—most notably Bastian Schweinsteiger and Franck Ribery—but such an excuse only goes so far at a club the size of this one. Guardiola has perfectly capable replacements; they just didn't seem up to the task.

In the end it was a fantastic volley on the stroke of full-time from Jerome Boateng—the former Manchester City full-back who had a fantastic game in his own right—which proved decisive in breaking the deadlock between these two heavyweights of European football.

Pellegrini's side will be lambasting an unfortunate late goal to rob them of a point, while Guardiola will certainly be perfectly grateful with all three. Bayern go joint top of Group E for the moment, but few would argue that they certainly deserve it.

The German champions now travel to Hamburg on Saturday to face a troubled side at the bottom of the Bundesliga table. Here, Guardiola's team will likely recover their composure and get on with the season ahead. 

@Sbienkowski