Bayern Munich Take No Prisoners in Preparation for Bundesliga Return

Bayern Munich may be in the midst of a glamorous tour of the middle east, visiting some of the region's most exotic venues, yet it was business as usual for Pep Guardiola's squad when they ran out comfortable winners in a 4-1 win over Al-Hilal. 

The current German champions have been on a winter break since the Bundesliga retired for the turn of the year on December 21, yet where other teams have enjoyed their time off, the current league-leaders have gone back to the drawing board and continued improving on their game. 

This was evident in Saturday evening's game, when Guardiola opted for a near enough full-strength side to face a Saudi Arabian opposition who had in fact done the very opposite. 

With a total of eight first-team players missing due to the Asian Cup (seven for Saudi Arabia and defender Kwak Tae-Hwi for South Korea), the hosts were in turn forced to play a relatively weakened team against the former European champions. 

Yet that didn't discourage Guardiola or his side from competing at their very highest level. 

It didn't take long for the Bavarians to break through a stubborn Al-Hilal defence. Despite a relatively bright start from the home side, throwing players forward in wave after wave in an attempt to overcome Dante's troubling pace, it was the central defender himself who opened the scoring from a headed cross on the ninth minute. 

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Jerome Boateng, his partner in crime at the centre of defense, knocked in a left-footed cross—another example of the player's growing stature as an excellent ball-playing defender—and found the Brazilian lurking unopposed at the back post.  

Two minutes later, it was Bastian Schweinsteiger who doubled Bayern's lead when a Thomas Muller deflection looped over the helpless Al-Hilal defence and found the German international, again, at the back post.  

Robert Lewandowski would grab a third just before half-time with a stunning header thanks to a well-crafted pass from Arjen Robben, but by that point, the game had descended into no more than a show of skill and a flexing of the muscles. Bayern went into the break comfortably in the lead with another excellent performance. 

The second half saw the addition of more high-class players from Bayern's star-studded side in the form of David Alaba, Claudio Pizarro and others, with the Peruvian striker bagging a goal for himself in the 61st minute. The hosts managed to pull one back through Abdullaziz Al Dosari but in the end it proved no more than a consolation. 

No unknown kids, no unsure signings, these were tactical moves that we've seen from Guardiola time and time again this season and he was doing it against an under-strength Saudi team in the winter break. 

The Spanish coach clearly had little time for the prospect of days off or bounce games with little use but fitness training, as he knows just how well-prepared his team will have to be if they want to maintain their unbeaten run in the German top division so far this season.

Add to that a Champions League tournament that restarts the following month with a two-legged affair against Shakhtar Donetsk, as well as the DFB Cup in March, and it looks as though the next three or four months will require near-perfection if Guardiola is pick up everything that's still on offer come May.

Jumping, smiling and damning the game from one play to the next, Guardiola's perfectionist persona was clear for all to see in what should have been a low-key mid-season friendly. Yet as fans of the Munich side will know fine well, there's no such thing as a pointless match under this manager. 

Bayern will return to Germany in the next few days and travel across the country to face the 2.Bundesliga side Bochum next Friday, before turning their attention to Wolfsburg at the end of the month.

There, Bayern will restart their campaign with high hopes of all three points and some extra space between themselves and their second-placed opponents. Showing a clear sign of their intentions in the second half of this season, this team are serious and will be taking no prisoners when the competitive football restarts in two weeks' time.