FC Bayern returned to winning ways with their 5-0 victory over VfL Bochum in the Bundesliga on matchday eight, following their incredibly disappointing performance in the UEFA Champions League against FC Barcelona. After the 4-1 loss, Bayern managed to channel their frustration into ambition to defeat a very weak Bochum.
A beautiful 16th minute free-kick goal by Michael Olise set the scene for Bayern’s impressive goal display, followed by Jamal Musiala’s stunning header in the 26th minute after Joshua Kimmich perfectly placed his free kick for him to nod it in. While Musiala has impressed throughout all competitions, it has been challenging for him to be one of the few players with consistently good performances, as winning important games requires more than just his efforts alone.
VfL Bochum, on the other hand, struggled from the second the game began and could not find any way past Bayern’s defence. Only in the 9th minute, Bochum’s Moritz Broschinski had a significant chance to score for the lead as he maneuvered past the defence and keeper Manuel Neuer, but Min-Jae Kim managed to clear the ball off the line. Realistically, that should have been the lead for Bochum considering it only got worse for them from that point onward.
Bochum had no chance but to try to defend, which did not hold for long. They have not won any of their last 12 Bundesliga fixtures in which they conceded first, so after Olise’s and Musiala’s goals, they knew it would be a tough match in front of their home crowd.
Despite Bochum putting in a good effort for the remainder of the first half, Bayern’s lead was deserved, and it is safe to say that it seemed like a completely different team dynamic compared to the clash against Barcelona earlier in the week.
The second half began with a shock for Bayern as defender Kim went down with an injury in the 50th minute, but after some brief treatment, the South Korean was able to continue.
Bochum pushed hard for a goal at the start of the second half, just when Harry Kane crushed their dreams of a comeback in the 57th minute with a goal beautifully set up by Musiala. The youngster made it look easy as he dribbled past Bochum’s midfield, finding the perfect gap to pass the ball to Kane, who confidently scored.
With a pass accuracy of 90%, a goal, and an assist, Musiala deservedly earned Man of the Match despite being substituted in the 61st minute for Thomas Müller. After the game, coach Kompany highlighted the youngster’s importance for the team: “Every time Jamal is in the team, we have that something extra […] Jamal has unique, special qualities. We all see that.”
A failed Bochum comeback and a motivated Bayern ultimately led to two more goals for the Bavarians. Substitute Leroy Sané scored a stunning goal from outside the box to make it 4-0 in the 65th minute and Kingsley Coman’s wonder strike in the 71st minute sealed the game.
Despite Bochum’s efforts in the first half and the start of the second, they offered nothing that could have threatened Bayern in any form or way. They should have taken the lead through Broschinski in the opening period but, in fact, did not – and for that, they received a harsh punishment.
In the Bundesliga, Munich have done an amazing job so far, leading the table since matchday one and they have proven their quality once again against Bochum. Although Bochum obviously did not enter the game as favourites, Bayern’s inconsistency over the past few weeks has raised concerns within the club and among their fans. With five beautiful goals scored and none conceded, Bayern found back to winning ways and it currently seems like only RB Leipzig could ruin another Bavarian Meisterfeier after Leverkusen stole the title from the record-champions last season.
Bayern continue to score freely and Vincent Kompany’s team has now scored 29 goals in the first eight league games, which is the most goals ever scored by a team managed by someone in their first Bundesliga season.
Regardless, the Bavarians have lost their last two consecutive Champions League fixtures and need to improve their international performances if they want to be successful outside the German league this year. While their 1-0 loss against English side Aston Villa was a close game and can perceived as an unlucky day for Bayern, Barça made sure to make Kompany’s 11 look like fools.
Ironically, Bayern have reversed their performance from last year. While they did well in the Champions League up until the quarterfinals, Bayern struggled in the Bundesliga and did not win the title for the first time in 11 years.
Bochum, on the other hand, seem to struggle every year and do not need to worry about any international competitions in the near future because, with their performance this season so far, they are going nowhere but to the Bundesliga 2. With only one point in eight fixtures, they currently sit deservedly last in the league, and it will take a lot of work or a miracle for the Unabsteigbaren not to finish the season at the bottom without a win.
One glimmer of hope Bochum fans can take from this is the fact that the club is currently in their fourth consecutive Bundesliga season after winning the Bundesliga 2 in 2021, and they have always finished in the bottom third of the table. So, one thing Bochum excels at is finding ways to survive.
Nonetheless, looking ahead, it is not getting easier for Bochum anytime soon, as their next opponents will be Frankfurt and Leverkusen, both of whom have had a decent start to the season.
The Bavarians also do not have time to rest in the coming week. Although their upcoming Bundesliga fixtures should not be too challenging against Union Berlin and St. Pauli, matchday four of the Champions League is soon approaching and Bayern really need that win to remain internationally competitive.