FC Bayern vs. Manchester City: 4 Things We Learnt from the Champions League Game

It's often difficult to mask a Champions League group game from being anything other than a formality. A European superpower going head to head with an often unheard of side from the farthest corners of the continent very rarely cause a stir in the predictability of an autumn Champions League game.

However, the tie between Bayern Munich and Manchester City brought with it an air of excitement. A European giant in the traditional sense facing off against a modern-day financial giant laden with superstars desperate to mark their position among Europe’s elite.

The English media could hardly contain their excitement—and rightfully so. There was genuine reason to believe the English could once again go to Munich and put five past the Germans.

But on this occasion, a few old traits reared their ugly heads and Manchester City received a reminder that they are no longer battling the minnows of English football, but rather a four-time European Cup winner who was not prepared to let a lesser club run riot in their home.

Roberto Mancini Got It Tactically Wrong

Roberto Mancini might have been praised prior to kickoff with the starting XI of Manchester City showing that the Italian manager was willing to drop his defensive formation of three central midfielders and instead opt for a more free-flowing 4-4-2.

Sergio Aguero partnered Eden Dzeko in attack for City, flanked by the creative options in Samir Nasri and David Silva, it seemed like Mancini was going to go all out to pick up the much needed three points.

But as the game wore on, City became increasingly unsure of themselves and how they were instructed to play.

Micah Richards exposed huge gaps for Franck Ribery on the left hand side of Bayern Munich’s attack, and the two-man midfield struggled to make any kind of impact going forward.

The height of Mancini’s deficiencies as Man City manager came to the fore when he substituted three attacking players for three defensive options. At 2-0 down, the introduction of James Milner, Nigel De Jong and Alexander Kolarov can only be described with one word—bizarre.

From then one it was game over. City did little to move the ball forward and an XI congested with defensive players seemed content to pass the ball between midfield and defence.

Bayern Munich Continue to Lack a Presence in the Heart of Defence

With the arrival of Jerome Boateng during the summer, it was expected that Bayern Munich had given up their pursuit of a defender to command the back four. In the former Manchester City man they got a player who was adept at a number of positions across the back line but lacked the leadership qualities needed to shore up the defence.

For much of the first half Bayern struggled with the movement of Eden Dzeko, with the striker peeling away to find space and, on occasion, simply waltzing through the heart of the defence.

Samir Nasri, David Silva and Micah Richards also managed to find their way into the Bayern penalty area, with Silva having a strong shout for a penalty midway through the first half.

Luckily, the lack of a threat City posed over the course of the game found Bayern in good stead, and their defenders seemed to find an extra yard of pace over the opposition to make up for a lack of presence.

Bayern Munich’s Experience Saw Them Through

Apart from a few scares early on in the game, Bayern seemed fairly assured of themselves over the course of the 90 minutes. The Champions League veterans were patient in their build up, allowing Franck Ribery to find openings and pick his runs into the box.

The calm and decisive nature of the Bayern attack eventually became the difference between the two sides. City seemed far too eager to attack from the outset and expose themselves in their defensive third, rather than doing what Bayern did so well in retaining possession.

The lack of anyone taking a responsibility for the English side also saw a number of stray passes which left them hugely outnumbered against a Bayern counterattack.

More importantly, Joe Hart received very little support from his defenders. There was a real lack of urgency for both the Bayern goals as Hart made a number of great first ditch saves but was unable to stop the rebounds.

Once more, it was Bayern’s ability to see out the game and take their chances as and when they came which made the difference.

Manchester City seemed too caught up in the occasion to get the job done, and their lack of Champions League experience meant they paid dearly.

Gareth Barry Was a Big Weakness

Despite Gareth Barry’s regular appearance in the starting XI, he has often been found wanting during important phases of games.

Barry was often sloppy in his possession, giving the ball away far too casually and making it easy for the Bayern players to draw free kicks against him.

He was at fault for Mario Gomez’ second goal through ball watching and not picking up his marker, and as the game wore on he did little to close down any threat from the Munich players as they closed in on the City goal.