Bayern Munich show encouraging signs under Julian Nagelsmann

Bayern Munich has got off to a fantastic start to the new season. The 1-1 draw against Borussia Monchengladbach in the first gameweek of the Bundesliga looks like a distant memory, as Rekordmeister made it six wins in a row across all competitions on Tuesday with a 3-0 victory against Barcelona in the first Champions League game of the season.

Over the last five weeks, Julian Nagelsmann has steadily overseen a marked improvement in performances. The victory against Barcelona gave a glimpse of what the team will look like when all players get used to Nagelsmann’s ideas.

To reduce the Spanish club to zero shots on target at Camp Nou was a remarkable achievement for the German Champions on Tuesday. Nagelsmann’s men were relentless whenever they lost possession. Moreover, they didn’t allow Barcelona to create significant chances from positions in and around the box.

Dayot Upamecano and Niklas Sule did a fantastic job with and without the ball on Tuesday to give much-needed defensive solidity. The center-back duo has quickly formed a very good understanding in the heart of the defense. The next challenge for Nagelsmann is to efficiently rotate his center-backs since Lucas Hernandez is back to complete fitness, while Nianzou Kouassi also doesn’t have injury concerns right now.

In the center of the park, Joshua Kimmich stamped his authority by dictating the tempo of the game. The German midfielder provided the safety blanked to the back four and also moved the ball quickly to kickstart attacking moves. Leon Goretzka made the late runs in the box to give Rekordmeister numerical superiority in the final third. Both German midfielders have a unique skill set that helps Nagelsmann to find the right balance in the center of the park.

The counter-pressing from forwards was immaculate on Tuesday night. All forward players made the right decisions when it came to putting pressure on Barcelona’s back four. Leroy Sane’s work rate on and off the ball was impressive as he is slowly getting back to his best after a slow start to the campaign. The third goal was a perfect example of perfect pressing from Die Roten’s forwards as Kingsley Coman won the ball and put it on the plate for Serge Gnabry.

Apart from implementing good counter-pressing in the team, Nagelsmann is also getting the most out of Jamal Musiala. The youngster has enjoyed a flying start to the new campaign, as he was also one of the best players on the pitch for Die Roten against Barcelona.

A solid tactical blueprint and improvement in individual performances of players have been the hallmark of Nagelsmann’s stint until now. There will be much bigger tests ahead, but the early few weeks of Nagelsmann’s time at Bayern are very encouraging and something to get excited about for the Bavarian faithful.