A surprising fact about Mané and Lewandowski

The crucial question: Is it right that FC Bayern no longer signed a real number nine?

The pro by Florian Wichert

Of course, Bayern are missing the 50 Lewandowski goals from last season. Especially since the club from Gerd Müller to Giovane Elber to Lewandowski almost always had strong center forwards. Even now he had a chance to get a striker for 30-40 goals in Cristiano Ronaldo.

But: Bayern will probably not get number nine anymore and that’s a good thing. The 11 goals in the first two games of the season have shown: FC Bayern is incredibly fast up front, incredibly creative and, above all, extremely flexible. Even more than he was with Lewandowski.

Gnabry, Coman, Sané, Müller, Tel and Mané – they can all play up front and they are all dangerous. Just like Lewandowski, Mané is a man for the decisive goals. Attention, surprising fact: in the last five years, Mané has scored 15 goals in the knockout stages of the Champions League, Lewandowski only 13. And in an emergency, Zirkzee and Choupo-Moting are also on the bench.

Crucial for the new offensive power: Jamal Musiala has apparently taken the next giant step towards world class. FC Bayern’s new strength is that it is unpredictable – and you would take that with a clear number nine. Especially since there is no corresponding caliber on the market apart from Ronaldo.

Yes for Dortmund, but not for the claims of FC Bayern.

The contra of Robert Hiersemann

FC Bayern is ready for the Bundesliga. Sadio Mané, Thomas Müller, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala will shake up the opposing defences, score a lot of goals and in the end – once again – be German champions.

But what happens when it comes to the really big games in the Champions League? Quarterfinals against Real Madrid, semifinals against Manchester City. These are different calibers than Leverkusen or Frankfurt. It is only in these games that Bayern meet world-class defenses. And then they will quickly get the feeling that without a real centre-forward you quickly bite on granite.

And if even the sophisticated Pep Guardiola brings a striker like Haaland into the team, there must be something to it.

Robert Lewandowski was someone who scored the important goals in tight games. He scored hits from impossible angles in a way few other attackers on this planet can. Goals that make the difference at world level. You need one like that.

Bayern no longer have such a striker. Tel and Choupo-Moting cannot afford that. And that’s why Salihamidzic should think twice about signing another center forward of international stature. Otherwise, he can already tick off the win in the premier class.