Bayern are turning Lewandowski’s departure to their advantage. Will it work in the Champions League too?

Two games, eleven goals. And Robert Lewandowski is no longer in the team? Apparently, Bayern Munich doesn’t mind. On the contrary. They seem to be turning the departure of the Polish star to their advantage.

On Friday, the Bundesliga kicked off and Bayern Munich played their second competitive match of the season. It had already managed the first one a week earlier, when it played in the German Super Cup.

There was a lot of talk about how the Bavarian giant might fare with the departure of star Robert Lewandowski. Whatever happened, the Polish sharpshooter was a guarantee of goals. In the last three seasons, he has accounted for more than a third of Bayern’s goals.

But so far, his departure doesn’t seem to bother anyone. On the contrary. He scored five goals against Leipzig and six against Frankfurt. In both matches, five players scored in the same way.

Basically, it can be said that coach Julian Nagelsmann can finally play Bayern the way he really wants to. Of course, Bayern didn’t want to lose their biggest star, but with the arrival of Sadio Mané, the talented coach can take advantage of many opportunities.

Bayern’s play already seemed much more variable in the first two games. The offensive players can change positions frequently. Moreover, Mané is faster than Lewandowski, he is another player who will be actively involved in the attack and will do more work than the Polish goal scorer.

“We had to change a few things after Lewa left. Mainly not to use so many centres. It’s not easy for the opponent when they have to defend 4 or 5 charging players,” Nagelsmannexpressed after the Frankfurt game.

After the short time Mané has been with the team and Lewandowski on the other hand is not, the Bavarians are doing superbly. Understandably, the whole game will improve with time.

But will it be enough for the Champions League? Pep Guardiola, for example, has relied on variation in attack and playing without the typical nine for a long time, only to fail in the millionaire competition with Manchester City.

So Guardiola has brought in Erling Haaland to score goals in these crucial games, when the combination play is tied to the effectiveness of otherwise complementary players.

Source: Bayern Munich, Bayern & Germany