No Musiala magic, Gladbach’s lack of pace, and more | Three things we learned as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Mönchengladbach | OneFootball

Bayern Munich began the new year in a professional fashion, defeating a stubborn Borussia Mönchengladbach side 1-0 at Borussia-Park.

However, if anyone thought that this clash would have been as exciting as that seen at the Westfalenstadion on Friday evening, then they would have been sorely mistaken.

The first half saw Bayern dominate proceedings with 76% of the ball, but an inspired Moritz Nicolas stood in the way of Der Rekordmeister, preventing a total of 1.53 xG as per Fotmob.

After the interval, the game would finally open up, with the hosts looking to be more aggressive in and out of possession.

With chances coming and going for both sides, it would ultimately be a clumsy piece of defending from Luca Netz that would allow Harry Kane to find the game’s all-important goal to secure all three points for Vincent Kompany’s side.

Victory for the record champions ensures they remain four points clear of Bayer Leverkusen in the title race, while Gladbach will rue missed chances in a game where they could have certainly earned a valuable point in the race for Europe.

Bayern Munich missed Jamal Musiala

Despite dominating the majority of their clash with Die Fohlen, Bayern were faced with the possibility of walking away with just one point from Borussia-Park.

Prior to Harry Kane’s well-executed penalty, Vincent Kompany’s side appeared to be missing the spark that would eventually break the Gladbach resolve.

Michael Olise looked bright on the right-hand side, with four chances created as per Fotmob, but with the hosts often sitting back and absorbing the Bayern pressure, there was a cry for the twinkling toes and magic feet of Musiala.

With 2.8 dribbles per 90 minutes, as per WhoScored, no player in the Bayern side comes close to the German international’s brilliance with the ball at his feet.

As well as this, while only Kane can boast a better return in front of goal this season than the 21-year-old, the Englishman often requires support in order to find the back of the net, and without the creation of Musiala, a penalty always appeared as Kane’s likely route to goal.

With Musiala’s contract extension taking centre stage in the news, this clash more than anything will highlight why Der Rekordmeister cannot afford to lose the 21-year-old.

Borussia Mönchengladbach lack speed in the attack

From the first whistle, it became clear to see that the hosts were looking to frustrate the Bundesliga league leaders and absorb as much pressure as they could before hitting on the counter attack.

However, in order for this to be a successful way of defeating the record champions, speed and directness are critical, especially when coming up against Alphonso Davies and Kim Min-jae.

Unfortunately for Gladbach, with Tim Kleindienst and Alassane Pléa making up two-thirds of the Foals’ frontline, counter attacking Bayern always appeared an uphill battle.

Failing to register a shot in the first half highlighted this issue, and in the second half, the introductions of Kevin Stöger and Tomáš Čvančara did little to change that fact.

At times, Pléa and Kleindienst did receive the ball with space ahead to run into, but time and time again they were quickly halted in their tracks, allowing the Bayern backline to recuperate.

Chances did come, but they also went, and without the injured Nathan N’Goumou and Franck Honorat, Die Fohlen looked too slow to play how they would have hoped.

Are Bayern clear title favourites?

A 1-0 victory away at Borussia-Park is not always a given for Der Rekordmeister, who usually stumble when they face their old foes in Die Fohlen.

However, it could have been a very different story.

Despite not threatening in the first half, Gladbach took the game to Bayern in the second half, and once again, Bayern’s instability at the back threatened to be exposed.

Injuries have certainly not helped Der Rekordmeister, and it is clear that it will take more time to adjust to the way Kompany wants them to play in and out of possession.

Nevertheless, it is evident that they remain vulnerable at the back, with space often arising in their defensive unit when the ball is turned over.

Should other sides prove to be more direct and offer more speed on the counter, then Bayern will certainly lose further points this season, allowing Bayer Leverkusen the chance to make up further ground in the title race.

GGFN | Will Shopland