Bayern Munich vs Manchester United, Champions League: Stage set for tactical showdown of Ten Hag and Tuchel

Manchester United goes up against German giant Bayern Munich, away from home, in the UEFA Champions League, after a stuttering start in the Premier League, where it lost three of its first five games, for the first time.

Ten Hag’s (left) Man United has been caught in a whirlwind of issues on and off the field while Bayern, under Tuchel (right), has begun its league campaign without much fuss, only dropping points in a frantic 2-2 draw against title-challengers Bayer Leverkusen. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Much like last season, Manchester United has painted itself into a corner quite early, needing a big win against a big fish to shock its campaign start.

Last year, after losing its opening two matches, United managed to secure a season-reviving win against Liverpool and would go on to have a decent outing, finishing third in the league and winning the League Cup.

Now, it goes up against German giant Bayern Munich, away from home, in the UEFA Champions League, after a stuttering start in the Premier League, where it lost three of its first five games, for the first time.

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United has been caught in a whirlwind of issues - injuries have chipped away an already out-of-balance squad, while off-field shenanigans (Antony’s domestic violence allegations and Jadon Sancho’s ‘indiscipline’ have compounded manager Erik Ten Hag’s worry lines.

Bayern, on the other hand, has begun its league campaign without much fuss, only dropping points in a frantic 2-2 draw against title-challengers Bayer Leverkusen.

Record-signing Harry Kane has merged as one with the German outfit, hitting the ground running with four goals and an assist in four Bundesliga games.

Bayern’s Mathys Tel, second from left, celebrates with Harry Kane, left, and Dayot Upamecano after scoring his side’s second goal during the German Bundesliga match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayern Munich. | Photo Credit: Martin Meissner

“With his [Kane] personality and the way he plays, we have exactly the player we need. We’re trying to get him more involved in our game. We know it’ll be an absolute success story,” said Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel about Kane.

Defensive woes aplenty for Red Devils

A major reason for United’s woeful start has been its defensive frailty. In its opening five league games, it has conceded 10 goals, the joint-second worst in the league, from an expected goal against (xGA) tally of 9.1.

Injuries to first-choice defenders like Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissakka have contributed to this poor showing. United’s defensive performance has also been dragged down by some uncharacteristically porous performance from defensive midfielder Casemiro.

Kane, who was heavily linked to join the Red Devils before he joined Bayern, will look to feast on the situation and improve his numbers against the Premier League side, having scored only five goals in 18 appearances against them.

Bayern, on the other hand, has let in just four goals in four games with an xGA of 3.6, highlighting a stabler defensive core. The absence of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has been shored up by Thomas Tuchel’s side, with new signing Kim Min Jae easing into the centre of the defence.

The chink in the armour for Bayern

Bayern’s although has a major chink, which fits perfectly well with United’s primary point of strength.

The Bavarians are yet to sort out their right-back issue, with the German side forced to use three different options there so far this season, including midfielder Konrad Laimer.

Marcus Rashford of Manchester United runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion. | Photo Credit: Lewis Storey

United’s primary attacking source is the searing pace of Marcus Rashford down the left. The English winger had a field day against Brighton, despite his side losing 1-3. The only thing which held him back was his decision-making in the final third.

Ten Hag will be hoping for a much more refined performance from Rashford, with his budding partnership with newly acquired striker Rasmus Hojlund offering promise to the Dutch manager.

Variance in buildup

Bayern is a side which likes to assert itself on the ball. No team has had more possession of the ball in Bundesliga than Bayern (62.3%).

Bayern’s attacking sequence contains an average of 4.72 passes (again league highest), with the side having the joint-most build-up attacks (shot ending sequence which consists of 10 passes or more) in the league.

Meanwhile, United is a side aiming to be as direct as possible. Before the season began, Ten Hag had proclaimed that he wants United to be the best transition team in the world.

“We want to play dynamic [football], we want to play with speed and we want to play aggressive out of a very good team spirit. So that is United.”

United’s numbers are also hinting towards the manager’s ambitions. United is the third-fastest team in the Premier League for speed of attack. It also has the second-most direct attacks (16) in the league, only behind Aston Villa.

Ten Hag’s decision to set his team in such a way is not just because he has players like Rashford and Bruno Fernandes, who are some of the best in the world in playing piercingly direct football. But, it is also down to his side’s lack of ability to build play from the back with patience, despite signing goalkeeper Andre Onana specifically for it.

The Red Devils have enjoyed just 50.2% of the possession in the league so far, with the side often having to rely on Onana’s long-range distribution to move the ball forward.

Against Tuchel’s Bayern, which presses high and intensely, United will be again forced to rely on long balls over the top or wait for counter-attacking opportunities, using the pace of Rashford and Hojlund.

Mulling over Muller

Only one man remains from the last time these two sides met in a competitive game - Thomas Muller.

The 34-year-old, who scored in Bayern’s win back in the 2013/14 UCL quarterfinal, continues to be a prominent attacking threat for his side.

But, Muller, unlike in the past, is no longer an assured starter for Bayern. But his big-game experience will make him an exciting pick for Tuchel against United.

Muller has historically struck up incredibly fruitful partnerships with predatory strikers – Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gomez in Bayern and Miroslav Klose with Germany. Add to that his deft off-the-ball movement and his penchant for scoring against big-name opponents.