Bayern Munich\u2019s third competitve match of the season may have been against a VfL Osnabr\u00fcck outfit in Germany\u2019s second division but Vincent Kompany took no risks, starting nearly his entire first team. It turns out the Belgian manager was right not to underestimate the West German side \u2014 it only took them five minutes to take the lead.<\/p>\n
Bayern shook off the shock, growing into the game with every minute that passed. It took twenty, but eventually Harry Kane found the back of the net after Joshua Kimmich\u2019s probing pass fell kindly to the Englishman\u2019s feet. Just six minutes later, Tom Bischof produced a composed finish to give his side a 2-1 lead going into halftime.<\/p>\n
Osnabr\u00fcck made a routine game on paper uncomfortable for Die Rekordmeister, constantly asking counter-attacking questions of Kim Min-jae and Jonathan Tah. But the 2.Bundesliga side\u2019s fairytale fixture wasn\u2019t to be. A combination of tired legs and Bayern quality proved to be a hurdle too high for Osnabr\u00fcck to jump, despite a valiant effort.<\/p>\n
Here are the standout performers from Bayern\u2019s 4-1 victory.<\/p>\n
Jersey Swap: Robin Mei\u00dfner<\/p>\n
Bayern came into the game prepared for a cakewalk, but after five minutes, Robin Mei\u00dfner left the Bavarians with cake on their face.<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old took a speculative, long-range volley after a hopeful long-ball fired from Osnabr\u00fcck\u2019s defensive third bounced perfectly in his path. It was the type of attempt that goes in once out of one hundred times \u2014 but this just so happened to be the one hundredth time. The ball catapulted off Mei\u00dfner\u2019s boot, swerving and dipping into the top-right corner of Jonas Urbig\u2019s goal. In layman\u2019s terms: it was a cracker!<\/p>\n
In the end, the striker\u2019s goal was only a consolation, but it turned the heat up in the Bremer Br\u00fccke, putting Bayern\u2019s resolve to the test.<\/p>\n
Der Kaiser: Josip Stani\u0161i\u0107<\/p>\n
If there was one department that was not firing on all cylinders against Osnabr\u00fcck, it was the defense. Kim Min-jae\u2019s superb run of form faltered, Jonathan Tah continues to shake off post-World Cup rust, while Nathaniel Brown simply struggled to stamp his mark on the game. However, there was one bright spark: Josip Stani\u0161i\u0107.<\/p>\n
The Croatian international\u2019s marauding runs and interplay with Michael Olise on the right flank caused Osnabr\u00fcck conundrums all night long. Stani\u0161i\u0107 defended well, got himself into good positions in the attacking third, and crucially, was impressive in his decision making.<\/p>\n
Stani\u0161i\u0107 is no stranger to a strong performance \u2014 consistency has always been the issue. Let\u2019s hope this game is the start of a long run of consistent form for the Bayern full-back.<\/p>\n
Fu\u00dfballgott: Tom Bischof<\/p>\n
If Joshua Kimmich was a scalpel, carving out holes in the Osnabr\u00fcck defense with precision passing, then Tom Bischof was a hammer, smashing through with sheer force and determination \u2014 both effective tools, but against the Lila-Wei\u00dfen\u2019s stubborn wall, hammer beats scalpel.<\/p>\n
Bayern\u2019s second goal was perfect example of Bischof\u2019s combativeness. Commentators were right to praise Michael Olise\u2019s sleek dribbling and clever offload to send Luis D\u00edaz one-on-one with Jonas Krumrey \u2014 but back up to what created that opportunity in the first place. Osnabr\u00fcck attempted to counter attack using Ismail Badje\u2019s pace on the wing. However, Bischof executed Kompany\u2019s counter-press to perfection, sniffing out the danger and dispossessing Badje. Shortly after, D\u00edaz fluffed his shot but the rebound fell to Bayern\u2019s number eight who made no mistake slotting the ball home with a calm finish on his weaker right foot.<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old\u2019s physicality was crucial. Combined with Kimmich\u2019s incisive passing, the German duo controlled the game from the middle of the pitch.<\/p>\n
Despite scoring a brace, it wasn\u2019t a trademark Harry Kane performance \u2014 but when you score two goals, what does it matter anyway?<\/p>\n
The 33-year-old\u2019s 18th-minute equalizer and 86th-minute penalty marked his seventh consecutive match with a goal in the DFB-Pokal, leveling Bayern\u2019s record held by Thomas and Gerd M\u00fcller. Kane\u2019s consistency in Germany\u2019s domestic cup competition has been nothing short of stellar; it serves as a reminder not just of his form, but his class. After all, form is temporary, class is permanent, and Kane is eternal.<\/p>\n
France Football, give this man the Ballon d\u2019Or already!<\/p>\n
Meister of the Match: Michael Olise<\/p>\n
Forget a headache \u2014 this guy is a full-blown migraine for opposing defenses, and similarly, he\u2019s not going away any time soon.<\/p>\n
We are fast approaching a point where we seriously need to start acknowledging Michael Olise as the best footballer in the world. It isn\u2019t a fluke, it isn\u2019t hype, it is fact; the Frenchman is proving it every time he steps onto a football pitch.<\/p>\n
Olise may have only scored one goal, but he was Bayern\u2019s most dangerous player by far. Whether it be his knee-buckling dribbling, incisive passing, or fluid movement, the 24-year-old attacker was a problem for Osnabr\u00fcck every time he touched the ball.<\/p>\n
\u20ac150m is starting to look like a measly price-tag for football\u2019s most outrageous talent.<\/p>\n