CL QF: Porto - FC Bayern

Well of course this win was despite Pep, not because of him, because the team coached themselves and... Just kidding. This match was great.

IMHO Pep got it exactly right with the way the team was lined up in a very stable 4-3-3 with a narrow attack, the fullbacks providing the width, with the help of Thiago and Lahm, and once they were past Portos wingers, they took advantage of the inexperience of learned CBs playing as FBs, and had Götze and Müller run at the defence diagonally, cutting in between the FBs and CBs, often finding spaces to penetrate the penalty box pretty centrally, with Thiago and Lahm taking over the flanks, going down to the touch line and providing crosses.

This is what I wanted after the first match, an opportunity for Müller and Götze to play more directly, and Pep provided exactly that.

So tip of my hat to Pep, good game, and his tactics were spot on.

That being said, I also have to take another potshot at the people defending Pep, and Bayern, for their shit performance in the first leg - I have to reiterate my point that this "B-Team" is f*cking awesome. I know Robbery are sorely missed, but surely you can look at this team with Müller and Götze flanking Lewandowski and imagine vividly how that team might start a CL final, and win. Only weak links imho are Rafinha and Alonso, and neither of them put a foot wrong today.

And this is completely offtopic, but let's all take 30 seconds to appreciate how great it is that Badstuber is back.

I expected a 3-0 for Bayern...maybe even 4 but this goddamn.

Spoiler:

Great. I didn't feel well and thought "Okay, let's sleep a moment until the match starts" and then I woke up just when the post-match interviews were through. Luckily I was clever enough to record the match just in case, so that I can watch it now...

I expected Bayern to overturn the defecit and qualify to the semis, but I didn't expect it to be in such emphatic fashion.

Talk about an ass whooping.

my expectation was too high from a minnows like porto... i am back to the complain of bayern getting a easy route

Some really beautiful goals today. BTW, if you have a stomach flu, then watching a recorded match is very practical as you can nicely stop it while having to run to bathroom and you don't miss anything.  

VivaStPauli wrote:Well of course this win was despite Pep, not because of him, because the team coached themselves and... Just kidding. This match was great.

IMHO Pep got it exactly right with the way the team was lined up in a very stable 4-3-3 with a narrow attack, the fullbacks providing the width, with the help of Thiago and Lahm, and once they were past Portos wingers, they took advantage of the inexperience of learned CBs playing as FBs, and had Götze and Müller run at the defence diagonally, cutting in between the FBs and CBs, often finding spaces to penetrate the penalty box pretty centrally, with Thiago and Lahm taking over the flanks, going down to the touch line and providing crosses.

This is what I wanted after the first match, an opportunity for Müller and Götze to play more directly, and Pep provided exactly that.

So tip of my hat to Pep, good game, and his tactics were spot on.

That being said, I also have to take another potshot at the people defending Pep, and Bayern, for their shit performance in the first leg - I have to reiterate my point that this "B-Team" is f*cking awesome. I know Robbery are sorely missed, but surely you can look at this team with Müller and Götze flanking Lewandowski and imagine vividly how that team might start a CL final, and win. Only weak links imho are Rafinha and Alonso, and neither of them put a foot wrong today.

And this is completely offtopic, but let's all take 30 seconds to appreciate how great it is that Badstuber is back.

We played the almost same line-up and exact same tactics. We actually played higher up the pitch and attacked more, things you shouldn't like more.

Goetze has never been played as a Conventional Winger by Pep but more as an inside forward, but in the last 2-3 months he has continuously had a free role and has roamed around almost as a CAM with Bernat giving width. Muller has also been played as a 2nd ST mostly and even he plays RW he plays as 2nd mostly. The width comes from Rafinha or even Weiser hugging the touchline.

So it is ironical that the same team with exactly same tactics produced this kind of a result.

Alonso was also very good in this match, dominated the match, scored a good GK. However I also blame for the goal conceded and I think him & Bastian are currently too slow for top CHL matches.

IMO the worst player for us was Lahm and even then he was passable. Goetze was also average upfront.

Another of Pep's picks put in MOM level performances. Bernat gave his best performance but Thiago absolutely ruled the game with a crucial game once again but more importantly dazzled with his skill in the centre of the park. Definite MOM and he is becoming as important in midfield to Bayern as Robben is in attack. It will be difficult henceforth to function at an optimal level without Thiago.

let's also take a few seconds to reflect on how terrible Porto's keeper was...

agree with footyfan

footyfan, we're also discussing Bayern in the Barca section in this thread if you haven't seen it, maybe you'd like to chime in sometimes
http://www.goallegacy.net/t36274p288-rest-of-the-football-world-thread#1408235

The tactics were similar, but not the same imho, whether that's because they sucked in the first leg, or got different instructions, only Pep knows.
But yesterday there was far more width provided by the fullbacks and the forwards cut inside a lot more, giving Müller and Götze far more opportunities to move into dangerous areas;
it might just be that they played better, though.

Either way, I am forced to admit that Pep might not be a total moron. On the other hand, a lot of people should probably reconsider their insistence on the impact of injuries on Bayerns performance. Yes, injuries are bad.
And over the long run of the season it will hurt them a lot to not be able to rotate because of injuries.

But let me reiterate: the team that played yesterday, even though they came together in this formation due to injuries, might play anyway due to rotation. They still are that good, even if some of them have to be considered the 2nd string.

I just can't believe the whiners who insist that Bayern "need" Robben or Ribéry. They're great players and can improve any team. But if you adjust the tactics, Götze and Müller aren't any worse, they're just different.

Schweinsteiger is, in my eyes the one player that makes Bayern click, makes them balanced. And of course Pep is trying to move away from that, because of Piggys age, and injuries. And you guys know I blame the board, not Pep, for Kroos' move away. It kind of has to be Thiago now, I just don't think he's as useful without the ball as Piggy was. He can probably learn, though, Kroos improved as well.

I am oblivious as to what makes Pep see Lahm as the fulcrum in midfield. I love Lahm, and he's one of the best players in the world, but I don't see any merit in tying him down as the connection between defense and offense. Schweinsteiger does it better, and you waste less by not having Lahm roam free.

Need is a matter of perspective.... to win the CL i'd argue they need them but to beat the likes of Porto obviously not.

I have said this many times that for Pep's idea of this Bayern to work, Thiago has to play as he's the only one who can translate midfield to attack quickly due to his close control.

Piggy, Alonso and so on are brilliant but their size means that they sometimes have struggles when pressure in tight spaces, i think Pep initally saw Kroos, Thiago and Gotze as a midfield to build from and probably is the most fluent set up and most likely to give him success.

Obviously Kroos has gone now and with Schweignsteiger's fitness issues have made it difficult combined with everything else. I sense the midfield will be a big point of emphasis this summer for Bayern, Thiago is constantly injured and the other important players apart from Gotze are old so it will be something that will have to be remodeled and a plan for when injuries occur.

Doc wrote:

Don't call me James wrote:OMG PLEASE DO IT PORTO

http://www.goallegacy.net/t36287-lewandowski-will-win-bayern-the-cl

The Doc remembers.

Anyway, Porto doesn't actually have the finest away record in the UCL but at the same time, what exactly is gonna change within a week for Bayern?

Hans probably doesn't hold any hope of progression so I shall do it for him.

Seems my hope paid off handsomely. Was not even sure what Porto hoped to accomplished with such a suicide high backline but kudos to Bayern. They did exactly what I thought might have happened.

Porto is a Brazilian team and Munich is a German team

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:Need is a matter of perspective.... to win the CL i'd argue they need them but to beat the likes of Porto obviously not.

Yes in the sense that you need a deep bench to win the CL, but that team of yesterday could probably win a CL final.

I have said this many times that for Pep's idea of this Bayern to work, Thiago has to play as he's the only one who can translate midfield to attack quickly due to his close control.

Well nowadays he is, with a fit Schweinsteiger and an available Kroos, things were different. Also Pep seems to think Lahm can fill the role, though I tend to disagree.

Piggy, Alonso and so on are brilliant but their size means that they sometimes have struggles when pressure in tight spaces, i think Pep initally saw Kroos, Thiago and Gotze as a midfield to build from and probably is the most fluent set up and most likely to give him success.

Agree on the whole, disagree on the detail of Schweinsteiger, he's shown time and again that he can, when fit, maneuver in very tight spaces without giving away the ball, despite not being a midget. He's at an age, and a level of regularity with his injuries, that Pep shouldn't really plan with him anymore, though, sadly. F*cking legend, that guy.

I sense the midfield will be a big point of emphasis this summer for Bayern, Thiago is constantly injured and the other important players apart from Gotze are old so it will be something that will have to be remodeled and a plan for when injuries occur.

Who is there, though? Gündogan hasn't extended yet, though I hope he doesn't come to Bayern. There's lots of exciting young midfielders out there, but not too many that really get transitions. Gündogan does, so did Kroos depsite being slow. Thiago kind of does, but they'll want a second option.

Who is there, really? Genuine question, I remember thinking recently of some French kid that I really like, but drawing a blank now that I try to remember. Certainly wasn't Pogba, who I love to death, but he doesn't offer that. Would be a great asset to any team though.

I don't know that because i don't pay close enough attention, but i just feel a more reliable "DM" when Schweignsteiger isn't there will be a priority and someone who can take over Thiago's role when he goes down again.

The attack is fine and a stronger midfield will mean a stronger defense, at least that's what i expect from them but they could go for something completely different. Teams like Bayern can very unpredictable lol.

You're both picking your brains too much. Don't pick your pretty little brains so much.

Bottom line is, we need to play well to win. If we play shit, we likely lose.

VivaStPauli wrote:
Who is there, though? Gündogan hasn't extended yet, though I hope he doesn't come to Bayern. There's lots of exciting young midfielders out there, but not too many that really get transitions. Gündogan does, so did Kroos depsite being slow. Thiago kind of does, but they'll want a second option.

Who is there, really? Genuine question

Easy answer.

Gaudinho^TM

Hapless_Hans wrote:You're both picking your brains too much. Don't pick your pretty little brains so much.

Bottom line is, we need to play well to win. If we play shit, we likely lose.

Never heard of winning ugly? Watch Barça once in a while

I would so watch Newcastle instead, but we just play ugly and don't win so it doesn't really apply