The Champions League round of 16 second leg against Atalanta was more a test of character for Bayern. Having won the first leg 6-1 in Bergamo, they had to regroup and refocus for the return game at the Allianz Arena, ensuring they didn’t let up or lose their rhythm in a season that promises to be so special. They succeeded and in some style, producing a 4-1 win that left the Italian side barely a sniff of a chance of a historic comeback. On top of the manner of the victory, there were two senior debuts, a milestone goal and an all-round entertaining night of European football in Munich.
“When you go into a match like this with a lead like we did, there’s sometimes a risk of becoming a bit complacent,” said Harry Kane after the final whistle. “But we said before the game that we wanted to approach this match and win it in exactly the same way as the first leg. So huge credit to the guys and their motivation.” When it comes to the quarter-finals in early April, however, Bayern will face a completely different calibre of opposition in the form of record Champions League winners Real Madrid.
Bayern remain focused in test of character
Vincent Kompany answered one of the key questions of this second leg with his team sheet. After an unprecedented run of injury misfortune in the goalkeeping department, Jonas Urbig had recovered in time from the concussion he sustained in the first leg, meaning the number two could take his place between the posts. With Michael Olise and Joshua Kimmich suspended, Lennart Karlstarted up front and Leon Goretzka, making his 300th competitive appearance for Bayern, played in midfield. Kompany also kept Dayot Upamecano and Konrad Laimer, both a yellow card away from a suspension of their own, on the bench for the full 90 minutes. Minjae Kim and Tom Bischof took their places. And given the magnitude of the result in Italy eight days earlier, thoughts were naturally already turning towards a quarter-final against Real Madrid, who had beaten Manchester City the night before.
However, Bayern still needed to ensure they didn’t leave themselves exposed against Atalanta. The visitors had learnt from their defeat in the first leg and, as was evident from the very first whistle, were no longer running into a trap this time. Instead of the aggressive, high-intensity and courageous man-to-man pressing across the whole pitch seen in the first leg, Raffaele Palladino’s side opted this time for a defensive approach. Sitting deep in their own half, La Dea attempted to close down the spaces with a defensive back five, with four defensive midfielders lining up in front of them. It seemed the main plan was simply not to let themselves be overrun again, and above all not to concede any early goals. Because that was exactly what Bayern were out to do once more. “The coach made it clear to us that we had to go full gas, and I think we showed that on the pitch,” Bischof revealed.
Bayern push against Atalanta rearguard
Whilst the visitors’ attacking approach had proved their undoing in the first leg, their defensive tactics soon threatened to become a problem in the return fixture. Bayern dictated the play at will and created chance after chance. After just 15 minutes, the hosts had already played 130 more passes than Atalanta, had five shots on goal and, with almost 80 percent possession, were completely in control of the game. “As a team, we managed to pin the opposition back for another 90 minutes, create chances and play dominantly,” said Urbig. It soon became evident to the visiting fans in the upper tier, who had travelled with the team and were singing bravely, that it was only a matter of time before the favourites would strike again. And strike they did, from the penalty spot.
