Having taken over from Julian Nagelsmann in March, Thomas Tuchel now has a full pre-season and transfer window to get Bayern Munich looking and playing the way he likes as fans with Bayern Munich tickets look for a good season.
Min-Jae Kim has joined Konrad Laimer and Raphael Guerreiro by moving to the Bundesliga champions – but what do their arrivals mean for the line-up in 2023/24?
After the best part of a decade sticking to the tried-and-trusted German tactical approach of 4-2-3-1, Tuchel’s predecessor Nagelsmann tried to bring some on-field flexibility to Bayern’s play. The line-up you saw on paper was rarely what you saw on the pitch during a match.
That was most notable in defense, where a nominal back four would be a three out of possession, with Alphonso Davies pushing forward up the left to add numbers to attack.
At the same time, Benjamin Pavard tucked inside to ensure numbers covering. It was one of the best-known examples of asymmetrical full-backs.
Up front as well, Nagelsmann was all about versatility and not letting the opposition figure you out. That was even more the case after Robert Lewandowski’s departure, as Bayern mostly played without an out-and-out center-forward unless Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was called upon.
Tuchel kept some of these aspects while abandoning others. He mostly opted to keep things simple after arriving in March, going back to a 4-2-3-1 but also maintaining some fluidity, such as evolving into a 4-1-4-1 as one of the nominal central midfielders pushed forward.
Injury to Davies meant Tuchel couldn’t fully utilize the Canadian speedster, instead fielding Manchester City loanee Joao Cancelo on the left of defense. Serge Gnabry emerged as the nominal striker, with Choupo-Moting also sidelined for a lengthy spell.
Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman mostly flanked one or both of Thomas Müller and Jamal Musiala or Goretzka if coming from deep, and only one mentioned above was playing.
Joshua Kimmich acted as the anchor and playmaker in midfield, gaining traction from those with Bayern Munich tickets – a position that Tuchel reportedly wasn’t that happy about, prompting the signings of Laimer and Guerreiro. Those moves were free transfers from rivals RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund.
They can both fulfill the role of designated holding midfielder that Tuchel is said to want, allowing Kimmich the freedom to focus more on build-up play. That is undoubtedly where the German international’s strengths lie.
Freeing up Kimmich allows him to link up more in the final third with the front four. Choupo-Moting averaged a goal every 106 minutes across all competitions last season and, at times, looked to be the solution to the Lewandowski-sized hole in attack.
At 34, however, he’s unlikely to be the long-term fix, and those with Bayern Munich tickets also understand this. Unless a new striker is brought in, expect Gnabry to continue leading the line as he did at the back end of last season. Sadio Mane is also an option, while Mathys Tel hopes to get more playing time in his second year in Munich.
Coman has proven himself pretty undroppable when fit, while an in-form Sane is also one of the first names on the team sheet. A big question in the future for Tuchel is what he does with Müller.
Many coaches before him have flirted with the idea of phasing out the 33-year-old – or been unsure how to get the best out of him – but all have been shown that Bayern is better with the Raumdeuter in the side.
Back then, however, there was no Musiala. Still only 20, he’s already proven he’s a ready-made replacement in the final third. One issue is that Müller is perhaps not yet ready to be replaced.
So, do they both play?
Tuchel spoke last term about every game being a “Thomas Müller game.” Of the 20 goals Bayern scored in the Bundesliga under the former Dortmund and Mainz boss, Müller was on the field for 18, despite playing only 75 percent of the minutes.
Of the two scored without Müller’s presence, Musiala scored one and set up the other. Does he, therefore, need the space occupied by Müller to thrive?
Further back, expect a new-look defense. Manuel Neuer will be back from his broken leg, which is a good sign for those with Bayern Munich tickets, but the club still won’t put an exact timescale on that.
Chances are he might miss the opening few games as they take no risks, having seen before what can happen when rushing Neuer back. Yann Sommer was signed to cover in the second half of last season, but it’s no secret that he won’t be staying to play second fiddle.
Cancelo’s loan wasn’t turned into a permanent move, so Guerreiro will provide competition for Davies on the left of defense – both providing plenty of attacking impetus up that flank.
The Portugal international said at his unveiling that left-back is his preferred position, but Tuchel has previously used him further forward and in central midfield. He was the Bundesliga’s top provider last season, and his profile differs from that of Davies.
De Ligt was arguably Bayern’s player of the season last term following his summer switch from Juventus. With a pass success rate of over 93%, he was also the favorite of those with Bayern Munich tickets.
He will be nailed on in central defense, especially with Lucas Hernandez – previously the preferred choice at left center-back – now gone to Paris Saint-Germain.
Pavard has often stressed his desire to play centrally, despite winning the 2018 World Cup as a right-back. He faces competition in the middle, but now also on his flank. Noussair Mazraoui lamented a lack of playing time following his move from Ajax – not helped by a post-Covid-19 heart issue – but he found his feet at the back end of the campaign and will hope to build on that.
None of this is to say that Tuchel is fixed in his ways. The ex-Chelsea and PSG coach has also shown at previous clubs that he’s willing to employ a back three.
He only used it once from the start in his 12 games in charge of Bayern last season. That was in the 3-1 defeat to former side Mainz, just a few days after the energy-sapping UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City.
With Pavard suspended, he used Josip Stanisic, Upamecano, and de Ligt, with Cancelo and Davies as wing-backs. Tuchel also opted for the unexpected front two of Müller and Mane in front of Musiala in a 3-4-1-2 formation.
Even though Davies went off injured after only nine minutes and was replaced by Mazraoui, it didn’t change things, and Bayern were comfortably a goal up by the break. What was ultimately a second-half capitulation had little to do with the tactical setup, with Tuchel primarily calling character and mindset into question after his third defeat in seven games at the helm.
It’s clear that three at the back wasn’t his preference with the squad last season, but could the set of players he’s helped assemble for 2023/24 be more suited to it? There are certainly options to explore before the season commences.
Tuchel also has plenty of firepower out wide for wing-backs, with Davies and Guerreiro on the left. Mazraoui is the most natural in that spot on the right, but Gnabry and Coman have also done the role.
A typical 3-4-3 formation leaves around seven players vying for three attacking spots. The arguments for each player remain the same, as outlined above.
Given Bayern will play a minimum of 42 fixtures this season – and potentially up to 54 if they go all the way in all competitions – there will be plenty of opportunities for players to stake their claim.
Bayern Munich tickets for the opening season are now available to purchase.
