JOSHUA KIMMICH REFLECTS ON BAYERN MUNICH’S PERFORMANCE: STRONG START, SLOPPY FINISH VS DORTMUND
Harry Kane & Michael Olise score as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 for their 11th straight win. Julian Brandt's late goal was only a consolation for BVB.
Harry Kane and Michael Olise's goals helped Bayern Munich defeat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at the Allianz Arena, making it 11 wins in as many games. Niko Kovac brought Julian Brandt into the game, and his goal in the 84th minute was only a consolation goal, as Vincent Kompany's team did enough to keep Dortmund from regaining a second goal.
Even though Bayern performed far better in the first half than in the second, they managed to win in the end. Gregor Kobel, the goalie, was kept very busy as they ended the game with seven shots on goal, most of which came in the first half. From a Bayern point of view, one of the negative conclusions is that, given their dominance and the opportunities they generated, they might have been up by more than one goal at the break.
Joshua Kimmich, who helped Kane score with his headed goal from his corner kick, said after the game that he was happy Bayern was able to win in the manner they did, even though the second half was a little slow. For letting their foot off the accelerator, Dortmund could have definitely made Bayern pay more than they did.
"The way we played contributed to the significant victory. It was a great first half. Dortmund performed well in the second half and had a few nice chances, including one with Karim [Adeyemi] following my error. They got a good goal. In the second half, we were not playing at our best. However, we persevered, and the team achieved a crucial victory. It is hard to beat us right now, as you can see," Kimmich emphasised.
Even if Bayern has not lost yet, Kompany will undoubtedly address the team's tendency to let teams score goals in the second half to tie games. Even though Dortmund improved their first half considerably in the second half, Bayern managed to stay threatening in attack despite knowing ahead of the Der Klassiker that there would be times when their team would park the bus.
BAYERN MUNICH RULE OUT MARCUS RASHFORD MOVE REGARDLESS OF ANTHONY GORDON OUTCOME
Marcus Rashford is not a target for Bayern Munich this summer, as the club focuses entirely on signing Gordon from Newcastle.
Bayern Munich aren’t considering a move for Marcus Rashford this summer, no matter what happens with Anthony Gordon. That’s according to a German reporter who’s close to the story.
Right now, Rashford is wrapping up his loan at Barcelona. He’s set to return to Manchester United at the end of the season. Barcelona have an option to make the deal permanent for €30 million (£26 million) in the summer. Both Rashford and Barcelona want him to stay, but here’s the catch: the club doesn’t want to pay the full €30 million.
Barcelona would rather keep Rashford on loan for another year or get him for a lower fee. Manchester United’s not having it. They want the full price, so Barcelona are starting to look at other players.
Rashford hasn’t made a secret of where he wants to be. Earlier in the season, he told Sport, one of the local Barcelona papers, about how much he wants to stay, saying, “Of course, what I want is to stay at Barca. It’s the ultimate goal.” He talked about the pressure and expectations at the club, saying they keep him motivated and that he feels like he’s in the perfect environment to grow and win trophies. For now, though, it’s all up in the air until next summer.
Last year, Bayern Munich actually showed some interest in Rashford before he went to Barcelona. But now, they’re focused on signing Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United for the left wing. The problem is, Gordon’s interested, but Newcastle’s price is ridiculous, reportedly around £80 million (€92.6 million). That’s much higher than what Bayern’s willing to pay. They’re thinking closer to £60 million (€69.4 million), and maybe with add-ons or an instalment plan. If Newcastle won’t budge, it probably isn’t happening.
Christian Falk, a trusted journalist from Bild, says Bayern aren’t considering Rashford as a backup if they can’t land Gordon. Bayern’s got a short list of players for the left wing, and Rashford isn’t on it. Gordon’s their main focus, but even if that deal falls through, Rashford’s not the next in line.
So at this stage, Bayern and Rashford won’t be coming together this summer, even if Gordon stays at Newcastle. That’s just not in the plans.
BAYERN MUNICH IDENTIFY ARSENAL’S KAI HAVERTZ AS TOP TARGET FOR SUMMER WINDOW
From North London to Munich? Kai Havertz emerges as the leading candidate to join Bayern’s elite Premier League-built attack.
Bayern Munich still have their eye on an Arsenal star, hoping to bring more Premier League experience up front, especially after plans with Chelsea fell apart.
Right now, Bayern are among the best teams in Europe. It really depends on how you rank PSG, but Bayern’s up there, no question. Vincent Kompany deserves a lot of credit for getting them to this level. Still, you can’t ignore their recruitment. They keep picking top-flight Premier League attackers, and it works.
With Luis Diaz, Harry Kane, and Michael Olise, Bayern’s attack is lethal. Those three have already scored 100 goals this season. Defenders in the Bundesliga just can’t cope, and you can tell their time in England’s toughest league has paid off.
Bayern have another Premier League forward in the mix right now, but he’s not sticking around.
Chelsea deal off, Bayern looking at Arsenal.
On Wednesday, Fabrizio Romano made it official that X: Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson will head back to Stamford Bridge this summer because Bayern aren’t activating his €65m buy option. Bayern’s director, Max Eberl, confirmed it, so that the backup spot behind Kane opens again when Jackson leaves.
James Benge reports that Kai Havertz’s name is coming up as a possible replacement. He said on the Inside Arsenal podcast that Bayern are definitely interested, “but nothing concrete yet.” Havertz could be the squad player who covers for Musiala and Kane.
Honestly, signing a German for Germany’s top club makes sense. Arsenal won’t just roll over, though, if Bayern come calling. Even after picking up Viktor Gyokeres last summer, Mikel Arteta still prefers Havertz up front. When Arsenal played Manchester City in their biggest game this season, Arteta benched Gyokeres and started Havertz.
Havertz has had injury issues this year. Heading into summer, he’ll still have two years left on his contract. If Bayern make a strong offer, Arsenal could think about selling.
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