Post-Match Analysis: Union Berlin 2 – 3 Bayern Munich (DFB Pokal Round of 16)
The final whistle at Union Berlin’s Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Wednesday night was a sound of immense relief, not triumph, for Bayern Munich. Vincent Kompany’s side staggered into the DFB Pokal quarter-finals with a 3-2 victory, but the chaotic nature of the win has everyone questioning the stability of this team.
This wasn’t a show of force; it was a desperate battle for survival.
Bayern’s Weakness: Where Was the Control?
The scoreline looks like a typical high-scoring cup thriller, but the key struggle for Bayern was the total lack of open-play creativity. All three of their goals came from dead-ball situations or Union’s own mistakes:
Own Goal 1: A Union player (Ansah) accidentally deflected a corner into his own net.
Harry Kane Goal: A brilliant header from a corner.
Own Goal 2: Another Union player (Leite) deflected a free-kick into his own goal.
Union midfielder Rani Khedira highlighted the issue perfectly after the match, saying Bayern “hardly threatened from open play.” This is the mighty Bayern, relying on luck and set pieces—the very thing Union usually thrives on!
The Second-Half Collapse
Bayern’s control completely vanished in the second half, exposing their deepest weakness: defensive discipline and midfield stability.
Loss of Midfield: The team looked rattled and tired, especially after the injury to young Aleksandar Pavlovic. The passing was sloppy, and Union took over the midfield battle.
The Penalty Chaos: Conceding two penalties in the second half—one for a harsh handball from Jonathan Tah, and one for a clumsy elbow from Harry Kane—shows panic. When your star striker is getting booked for fouls in his own box, you know the team is struggling to hold it together.
Union’s Siege: Union pushed hard, and Bayern were forced to hang on, with their players visibly exhausted. Union’s captain said Bayern started “wasting time” late in the game, a sign of respect—or fear—that a team of Bayern’s stature should never show.
Harry Kane: Hero and Villain
The narrative around Harry Kane is usually simple: he scores goals. Here, it was complicated. He delivered his crucial goal from the corner, providing the single moment of genuine attacking quality. But the fact that he was the one conceding a penalty in a desperate situation highlights how much the pressure was affecting everyone. Even the great striker was reduced to a last-ditch defender, and he failed.
Konrad Laimer: The Dip in Form
Midfielder Konrad Laimer, known for his endless energy, also struggled. Playing in that chaotic, physical environment, Laimer’s all-action style—which normally works—didn’t provide the necessary calm or technical control. He got caught in the frantic duels, and as the game wore on, he couldn’t stop the flow of Union’s attacks, showing a dip in his ability to impact games when the team loses tactical shape.
Lennart Karl: The Ironic MOTM
The ultimate irony of the night is that Karl was the Man of the Match, even though his side won the game through set pieces and own goals—the two least technical ways to score.
This tells you everything: while the rest of the team was sucked into the frantic, physical scrap, Karl must have been the single calm pivot in the midfield. He provided the press resistance, the clever turns, and the crucial forward passes that prevented the whole Bayern system from collapsing earlier than it did. For him to win MOTM on a night defined by long balls and brutal tackles is a huge testament to his technical skill and composure under fire. He delivered the quality that the rest of the team failed to produce.
Conclusion: Survival is Not Sustainability
Bayern is through to the DFB Pokal quarter-finals, and after recent early exits, that’s a massive relief. As Kompany said, “The goal is to go to Berlin [for the final],” and they are one step closer.
However, this was an ugly win that confirmed every negative suspicion. You cannot rely on set-piece luck and hope to survive against top European teams. The defensive weaknesses, the lack of creativity from open play, and the second-half collapses are serious issues.
Bayern needs to rediscover their composure and control quickly, or their cup survival will be short-lived.
It was the most stressful ninety minutes of the season. After that chaos, I was in no condition to deal with anything else—you can see exactly what I mean here 💁🏽
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