Bayern Munich went into the final preseason game of the 2025/26 season, facing Grasshopper Club Zurich. After having won emphatically against Lyon and Tottenham Hotspur, a win at Zurich would mean all three pre-season games won. While this per se, may not stand for anything, it is surely a confidence boost for the team heading into what will surely be a massively successful season.
Jersey Swap – Loris Giandomenico
Though our own Jonathan Asp Jensen and Lovro Zvonarek had a decent outing, the credit for not letting the scoreline slip too far, goes to goalscorer Giandomenico. The defender struck a great volley, following an assist from Samuel Marques. The latter too tried his hardest to bridge the gap on a later occasion, but was promptly handed by Jonas Urbig.
Der Kaiser – David Santos Daiber
The youngster managed to impress heavily last game, against Tottenham Hotspur. However, even in a game with a senior player like Kim Min-Jae, Santos stood out. The 18-year-old is calm and confident at centre-back, and enjoys advancing the attack through the centre. Certainly, 24-year-old Sacha Boey is a strong enough contender for der Kaiser, and so is Jonas Urbig for his last-minute heroics in the 92nd minute. But, where Santos bagged it for himself was his key attacking contributions, and the prospect he is for the future.
Der Fussballgott – Tom Bischof
This comes as an incredibly difficult decision, following the phenomenal games both the midfielders had – both Felipe Chávez and Tom Bischof crushed the Swiss spirit. However, where Bischof picked up the slight edge was in the absolute command he showed. The former Hoffenheim star is a near-complete midfielder at 20, and looks like a serious contender to Joshua Kimmich in the duration of the season.
Chávez on the other hand, chased down the Swiss opposition, bagged the ball back on multiple occasions, initiated crucial passes to set up the attack, and looked extremely composed.
All in all, both are extremely promising midfielders, and there is no need to worry about depth in midfield when we have these gems in our arsenal.
Der Bomber – Jonah Kusi-Asare
Among several obvious choices is that of Jonah Kusi-Asare for der Bomber. The Swedish striker was heavily involved in not just the attempts at goal, but also the two goals. In the 20th, Kusi-Asare made the crucial pass to Tom Bischof, who then passed to Lennart Karl. The credit goes to the striker’s intelligence and sense of mind for making the most of that situation and inevitably setting up Karl’s goal.
The second goal was Kusi-Asare’s own – with a finish that would have you wondering how he wasn’t in the first team before this. Karl makes a fantastic well-timed pass, which then the Swede runs with, beats defenders, and then shoots from distance with such finesse. He even came rather close to scoring the third.
It is clear why he is Harry Kane’s sole backup – for no one else is needed there, when he’s around.
Another strong contender for der Bomber is Luis Diaz. The Colombian was an extremely threatening presence on the left wing, with multiple big chances, but Kusi-Asare takes it away for the output.
Meister of the Match – Lennart Karl
Karl has gained tons of traction for his performances at Bayern, from small games to big ones like against Spurs earlier. An extremely creative player, who might ‘make people forget Jamal Musiala was once 42’, he was the star of the show. The first goal was set up beautifully, but the finish was a whole another level. A shot from outside of his left boot, into the top right corner, with the kind of curl even more senior professionals might struggle to achieve from that position. Additionally, his credit to the second goal was discussed earlier.
I was fully prepared to be disappointed by Karl in this game, but somehow, his keen involvement and the amount of trouble he singlehandedly gave goalkeeper Hammel was enough to convince me. Needless to say, the #42 had a phenomenal performance and undoubtedly deserves MOTM.
Honourable Mention – Wisdom Mike
The Under 17 German winger deserves a separate mention, because he perhaps singlehandedly raised the tempo of the game by replacing Serge Gnabry. One for the future, truly.
Looking for more thoughts and discussion on the match? Let’s get into it with what happened and how it all played out on this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:
A look at the starting XI.A rundown of the scoring and substitutions.Some final thoughts and takeaways on the match.Support Bavarian Podcast Works on Patreon!
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