After Mixed Pre-Season, Bayern Munich Are Finding Their Stride at the Right Time

Bayern Munich ended their preseason campaign on a high note on Wednesday as they beat Real Madrid 1-0 to claim the Audi Cup. Following a comfortable, 3-0 win over Milan the previous day, the Bavarians pipped Los Blancos to the title as Robert Lewandowski poked home a cross in the 88th minute.

It took nearly all of regular time for Bayern to take the lead, but by the time they did, it was well deserved. They were dominant, if inefficient, throughout the first half, with Philipp Lahm missing a golden opportunity early and Douglas Costa and Mario Gotze being denied near the goal line. Thomas Muller, who'd put a shot narrowly wide minutes earlier, would have deserved his luck had his 38th-minute effort—which took a wicked deflection before clanging off the post—found its way into the net.

More of the same came after the break, but the big difference in deciding the match would prove to be the addition of Lewandowski at half-time. The only main striker in the Bavarians' squad, Lewandowski was always the most likely to open the scoring and sure enough did just that shortly before full-time.

Bayern defeated a Real side that played without its famous "BBC" (Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo) combination, and in which some other key starters in midfield (namely Luka Modric and James Rodriguez) were absent for most of the match. But at the same time, they deserve full credit for beating the side they came up against and gathering some form as their DFB-Pokal and Bundesliga openers await this weekend and the following weekend, respectively.

Overall, the preseason had its ups and downs for Bayern, with Pep Guardiola's men winning just four of their seven warm-up matches. Half of those came in the last two days, though, propelling the club to an overall winning record and a nice run as things seemed to come together.

Bayern played flexible football, with players adapting to a variety of roles. Philipp Lahm played on the right wing for much of Tuesday's win against Milan before dropping into midfield against Real, for example. And Thomas Muller played in roles both wide and central.

Douglas Costa continued to make the currently injured Franck Ribery look to be a distant memory, another very positive point in Bayern's game. The new signing's raw pace and clever tricks on the ball make him a nightmare to mark; as soon as the ball reaches him, he often is off and running past his marker.

Critically, Bayern rarely showed the defensive fragility that plagued them for much of the preseason, with a high defensive line being exposed by quick, technical opposition. Real had few chances, particularly in counterattacking situations, which is encouraging from a Bayern perspective given their previous struggles in that regard.

At the same time, the endemic lack of precision in finishing that has been a theme of Bayern's preseason continued on Wednesday. And it's clear that the German giants will have to improve in that regard if they are to reach their season targets. Having only one natural center forward in their full squad is asking for trouble, with an injury to or suspension for Lewandowski perhaps being all it might take for Bayern's attack to be rendered impotent. This squad deficiency ought to be addressed before the transfer window closes.

Finishing aside, though, Bayern were in full control throughout the Real match and took their chance to put their best foot forward as the 2015-16 season approaches. A week ago, Guardiola's men weren't quite ready. But, following two strong performances in the Audi Cup, it's clear they now are.

@Mr_Bundesliga