Local Lads Philipp Lahm and Thomas Muller Star as Bayern Munich Trounce Valencia

Bayern Munich began their Asian tour on a positive note on Saturday as they beat Valencia 4-1 at the National Stadium in Beijing.

A first-half brace by Thomas Muller, scored on either side of a Rodrigo goal for the Spaniards, put the Bundesliga champions on course for victory. Thiago Alcantara and Robert Lewandowski each found the net in the second half to round off the win.

The match was a good step forward for the German giants after they finished fourth out of four teams in the Telekom Cup last weekend, their first test of the preseason. With another week of training and a more complete squad, they looked much more themselves against Los Che.

The factor that put Bayern in the driver's seat was the partnership of Muller and Philipp Lahm, who combined to produce both first-half goals. Muller's opener came following a good cutback from the captain, who had broken into the right side of the penalty area in a way that conjured memories of his time as a right-back.

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Stunning Muller. Simply superb!!! http://t.co/AqV3bV5JrO

— soccerhub365 (@SoccerHub365) July 18, 2015"

Bayern's local lads combined again after the equalizer, with Lahm skipping toward the center before playing a through pass to his unmarked compatriot. In a team that is becoming increasingly international in character, the only two native Bavarians in Pep Guardiola's starting lineup proved the difference-makers.

Notably, although Lahm did not line up in his natural position as a full-back, he played in a rather forward-minded role on the right wing that allowed him to showcase his quality in wide areas.

The former Germany international is highly regarded for his defensive skills, but in 2012-13 he also assisted 19 goals. It's an aspect of his game that has been missing in two years in midfield under Guardiola, and although he certainly will not play in attack upon Arjen Robben's return to fitness, Saturday's match gave fans hope that he'll stay wide either in attack or defense when the competitive season begins.

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#Dailymotion Thomas Muller 2nd Goal Bayern Munchen 2-1 Valencia 18.07.2015 http://t.co/yyh2IXMDvR

— Lithuania Video Feed (@LithuaniaVideo) July 18, 2015"

On the other hand, Guardiola showed a touch of tactical naivety in his defensive selection, and it cost his side a goal. David Alaba started at center back, leaving the Germans with a very undersized back line. Mehdi Benatia aside, Bayern had the 1.80-meter (and not notably stocky) Alaba, 1.72 meter-Juan Bernat and 1.71-meter Rafinha in defense.

There was a distinct vulnerability from aerial attacks, and surely enough, Valencia equalized against the run of play with a rather simple goal as Rodrigo nodded home a cross. Alaba's attacking abilities were wasted in defense, and it's difficult to see what the Austrian added to the back line.

Valencia were able to put together precious little in midfield, however, and rarely managed to get forward to exploit their opponents' defense.

Muller's second goal restored the Germans' confidence. After the break, Douglas Costa's persistence paid off as his low cross found Thiago unmarked in the center of the penalty box, the Spaniard making it 3-1. And Robert Lewandowski, who came on for Muller, took little time to score a classic striker's goal with a precise finish inside the far post.

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GOAL!! Rodrigo equalises with a nice header. Bayern 1-1 Valencia. https://t.co/oFpthXmwy1

— Footy Vines (@FutbollVines) July 18, 2015"

After scoring just once in the Telekom Cup, Bayern can take encouragement from putting four past a strong Valencia team despite being without Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery. Their great challenge this season will be in developing a viable solution to reduce their aging stars' minutes with an eye to the long-term future in their absence. And although just one friendly, Saturday was a good first step.

There are still some issues to be resolved, such as the formation and about half of the starters in Guardiola's lineup once he has a full, match-fit squad. Some, notably Muller, Lahm and Thiago, made a good appeal for playing time on Saturday. There are still a few more tests, though, the next being on Tuesday against Inter.

@Mr_Bundesliga