Bayern Munich’s traditional visit to the Octoberfest for years has been a reliable test regarding the club’s internal mood.
Serious or not, some take the happenings around the beer-tent festival as an indicator that affects the entire season. Starting with the Bavarian view of the upcoming encounter on home soil against champions Bayer Leverkusen, things can’t go terribly wrong.
Vincent Kompany’s team seems to ride the wave, having scored 16 goals in four league games and harvesting 29 goals in six competitive encounters including the German Cup (four) and the Champions League (nine).
“It’s not only the goals we score, but also the way we dominate the games,” team captain Joshua Kimmich said about the team’s growing self-confidence. “You start to believe in yourself. We will take that into Saturday’s game.”
Despite the Bavarian high fly, a manageable game schedule might have helped. The first challenging stress test is waiting, against second-placed Leverkusen. Failing to pass might enclose the danger of a mood change due to last season’s disappointing outcome with Bayern finishing 17 points adrift.
One of the reasons for the present upswing is the performance of strikers Harry Kane (five league goals/six assists), Jamal Musiala (three/one), Michael Olise (three/two) and Serge Gnabry (two/two).
While Leverkusen have already conceded nine goals this season, Bayern have had three.
Growing running figures (118.7 kilometres) and long sprints (729) might tell the story behind the blooming team’s achievements due to the forward-bound approach.
Ahead of Tuesday’s away game against Aston Villa in the Champions League, icon Thomas Muller spoke of a new dimension “we didn’t get to for some time. That’s something new as I see the number of goals as a result of our game handling.”
Having initiated a re-launch on several stages including the fitness coaching staff reduced injury figures. Players praise the team’s newly gained fitness level next to an intensive high-pressing approach.
Being crushed by a 3-0 defeat last season in Leverkusen, Bayern seems to want to repair the power-ranking in German football.
While the country’s best are crossing swords early in the season on matchday five, predictions by media and pundits say, this season’s title remains a duel of two until the end, in May.
