Robert Lewandowski, the No. 9 who broke so many Bayern Munich and Bundesliga goal-scoring information all through his eight-year profession on the Allianz Enviornment, left for Barcelona final month. His departure marks the tip of an period for the membership.

With the Bavarians with out their prime scorer of the previous eight seasons, an enormous query has been raised: How is supervisor Julian Nagelsmann going to organise his group in 2022-23 with out their celebrity striker? Now that we have had the German Tremendous Cup (a 5-3 win over RB Leipzig) and witnessed Bayern’s 6-1 win towards Eintracht Frankfurt, we are able to analyse what is perhaps to come back.

Lewandowski’s function all through the years

It is necessary to recognise that the way in which Lewandowski was used underneath Nagelsmann was completely different in comparison with the years prior.

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Since Bayern introduced Lewandowski in from rivals Borussia Dortmund in 2014, managers from Pep Guardiola to Hansi Flick have most popular to play a one-striker-system with him as the focus of their Assault. Within the majority of those video games all through eight seasons, Lewandowski’s principal positioning was primarily based in central areas on the pitch, not solely the centre of the ultimate third.

One among his duties was to occupy the area of each centre-backs, forcing these defenders to cowl him (also called pinning again), making it tougher to defend in keeping with the remainder of the defence. From there, Lewandowski may drop in between the strains to participate in Bayern’s link-up play or assault the area behind the defenders. This activity was perfect for him as a result of he began in central areas, which made it a nightmare for these defenders as he may use each route and angle potential. He had extra choices to assault than his opposition may cowl.

Contemplating there are not any limitations on the place Lewandowski may go from the centre of the pitch, he may assault areas in entrance of 1 defender or behind, in to the area past their field of regard. This, paired with the striker’s world-class technical capacity, defiant dribbling and steadiness of abilities each ahead wants, explains why he is been capable of break a number of of Bayern legend Gerd Muller’s information.

In the end, by being the star man, Lewandowski was additionally helped by the politics of Bayern Munich. Star gamers are usually saved proud of no actual challenges for his or her place. This allowed him to be entrance and centre, along with his backup, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, comfortable sufficient to tag alongside.

Naglesmann implements change

When Nagelsmann was appointed Bayern head coach final summer season, it did not change Lewandowski’s function or space of motion in possession, however the supervisor elevated the variety of attackers within the penalty space, that means the Poland worldwide nonetheless wasn’t restricted by his place on the pitch, however was as an alternative disrupted by his personal gamers. We all know this as a result of his anticipated objectives per shot was the very same as within the 2020-21 season underneath Flick, however Lewandowski scored fewer objectives. We’ve loads of examples of Bayern overcrowding the opposing penalty space, most just lately of their loss to Villarreal within the quarterfinals of final season’s Champions League.

It was Nagelsmann’s concept that having extra gamers arriving within the field would generate extra attacking menace, and subsequently goal-scoring alternatives, as there can be a numerical benefit for Bayern gamers to choose up second balls or defections. It did not matter who arrived so long as certainly one of them did.

But there was additionally change to his function out of possession. Earlier than Nagelsmann, Lewandowski would lead the press ranging from a central place, forcing the opponents extensive and blocking their passing routes into the centre of pitch. With Nagelsmann as head coach, that modified as he used extra gamers up entrance to press their opponents. So, as an alternative of Lewandowski ranging from the centre, he was pushed extra in direction of the aspect. If Bayern gained the ball, he was in a worse place to steer a counterattack.

Mane marks the start of a brand new period

With the signing of Sadio Mane from Liverpool earlier in the summertime, I predicted he was more likely to be performed up entrance fairly than on the wing, until Serge Gnabry was considering of departing however he ultimately signed a brand new contract. Now that we have seen the German Tremendous Cup and their opener at Frankfurt, we all know that is true, nevertheless it isn’t an out-and-out alternative as I initially thought — and it is also modified Gnabry’s function together with it.

Towards RB Leipzig and Frankfurt, Nagelsmann performed each up entrance in a 4-box-2 formation, with Jamal Musiala and Thomas Muller as half-wingers (not as extensive as a typical winger, but not as central as a No. 10) behind them. This offers Bayern an unbelievable quantity of flexibility with Musiala and Muller chopping inside, occupying central areas in between their opponents’ strains, which frees up Mane and Gnabry to drop onto the wings or assault the area behind their rivals’ final line of defense.

Two objectives for Bayern’s @JamalMusiala final night time. Spoke to him with @arnefriedrich + @1_LPfannenstiel final night time on @ESPNFC.

This is him speaking about his place, the communication concerned with Bayern’s rotating assault and the way he honed his dribbling. pic.twitter.com/e51KbDvBrC

— Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1) August 6, 2022

This setup permits the attackers to ceaselessly rotate positions, disrupting the opposing group’s capacity to remain organised whereas monitoring Bayern. This has labored completely due to the person profiles of every participant: Mane’s mixture of pace and ending permits him to assault the areas in behind the defence continually; Gnabry’s technical capacity and tempo helps him to steadiness Mane’s runs in behind whereas dropping in between the strains.

In the meantime, Musiala’s finesse in dribbling in tight areas and Muller’s capacity to seek out area supplies the proper steadiness for the strikers to go away their positions, as Muller and Musiala are capable of reduce inside (detailed above). As quickly as one participant occupies a brand new space, a unique participant picks up his outdated place and so forth, which is why it’s so tough to defend towards.

With Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman, each extra conventional wingers who like to stay wider than within the half-spaces, Nagelsmann can be ready so as to add extra pace, directness and — if wanted — width to their sport.

Nagelsmann nonetheless depends on the identical build-up mechanics as final season. This contains Benjamin Pavard staying deeper, serving to his group’s centre-backs of their build-up play, and Alphonso Davies pushing greater up. The double pivot consists of 1 pivot participant (often Joshua Kimmich) staying simply forward of the centre-backs and one greater to assist on this part of play (often Leon Goretzka, however to date it has been Marcel Sabitzer).

With Bayern combining their strengths (ball development and fluidity inside their entrance 4), they’ve made an enormous step to redefine their assault. As an alternative of counting on a single participant, they’re now able to distributing the attacking menace throughout their entrance 4, resulting in them scoring 10 objectives towards RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt.

It has been an awesome begin to life with out Lewandowski, and we’re nonetheless but to see how gamers similar to Sane, Coman, Ryan Gravenberch or the younger Mathys Tel will complement Bayern’s new-look assault over the course of the season.