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You just couldn't have asked for a better opening game on Matchday 2 of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League. A box office game between Lokomotiv Moscow and Bayern Munich ended in a narrow win for the away side as the Bavarian giants took all three points from the game. However, Lokomotiv showed immense spirit and grit to push Bayern till the end.
A dominant display from the champions in the first half saw Hansi Flick's men take the lead, courtesy a brilliant team goal. Corentin Tolisso played a looping ball to Benjamin Pavard. The Frenchman met it with precision with a volley-cross into the path of Leon Goretzka who headed home at the near post.
The home side then began to threaten Bayern Munich. They created a few brilliant chances through Ze Luis, one of the best players on the night, and regularly tested Manuel Neuer in the Bayern Munich goal. However, the home side eventually came short as Joshua Kimmich produced a beauty of a strike to win the game in the dying minutes for Bayern Munich.
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Without further ado, let's take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Lokomotiv Moscow produce a courageous performance against Bayern Munich
While Bayern Munich eventually showed their experience, quality and class, Lokomotiv fans have more than enough to feel good about. The home side tested Bayern Munich and refused to give up despite the visitors' intense pressure.
Lokomotiv defended in a solid 4-4-1-1, with Ze Luis as the target man up front. They looked to limit Bayern Munich's penetration through the middle and exploit the huge spaces left behind by the marauding full-backs of the visitors, a tactic that worked to perfection.
There was no sense of fear from the home side. They always committed bodies up front whenever Bayern Munich were caught on the counter. The home side created enough chances to alter the scoreline, but unfortunately, they were inefficient in the final third.
#4 Bayern Munich's high defensive line stood exposed
39% of Lokomotiv's attacks came from the left flank, with 36% from the right and less than 24% through the middle. David Alaba and Niklas Sule struggled to contain Ze Luis who displayed strength to hold onto the ball on numerous occasions, allowing Lokomotiv's wide midfielders to make runs beyond him.
Kimmich dropped between the Bayern Munich centre-backs but was often caught higher up the pitch, leaving Sule and Alaba on their own. Lokomotiv took advantage of that as Luis dragged the Bayern centre-backs across the face of the pitch to create space for his teammates behind the visitors' defensive line.
The home side had 15 attempts with six on target, despite having less than 35% of the possession. Having put up a dazzling counterattacking performance, Lokomotiv would be upset that they didn't come out with at least a point from the game.
#3 Robert Lewandowski draws a rare blank against Lokomotiv Moscow
Is Robert Lewandowski's barren run in the Champions League a worry? A striker not scoring in only two games in the competition this season has raised a few eyebrows because that's the level the Bayern Munich striker has set for himself.
Bayern Munich comfortably put four past Atletico Madrid at the Allianz Arena in their Champions League opener last week, but Lewandowski was surprisingly not among the scorers. His rather poor form in the 2020-21 Champions League contined as Lokomotiv were able to counter the 32-year-old's movements and aerial prowess inside the box.
With only one shot on target, Lewandowski failed to make an impact in the game. He lost seven of his nine aerial duels and missed a big chance in the first half, but Bayern Munich won their 13th consecutive Champions League game on the trot.
#2 Home fans in the Champions League is a welcome sight
After almost eight months of football without fans, any team would feel the pressure of a few thousand fans shouting against them. Bayern Munich are no different in this regard. While Bayern felt the pressure in Moscow, especially in the second half, Lokomotiv were cherishing it, as the home fans kept egging them to go for it.
More than five thousand fans were allowed to witness the game at the Lokomotiv stadium, and it certainly had an impact on the game if not on the result. Without any fans, maybe Lokomotiv wouldn't have stood a chance against Bayern Munich For that reason teams, especially the unfancied ones, would love to have fans in their home games.
The atmosphere was felt even when the stadium was far from full as the passionate fans of Lokomotiv Moscow made a difference. However, eventually Bayern Munich's experience helped them prevail in a close game.
#1 Bayern Munich find a way to win without playing at their best
Despite being out-shot six to four by Lokomotiv Moscow, Manuel Neuer and Co. refused to capitulate and held their own until the last minute. The home side was rampaging up and down the pitch and seemed to be on oxygen cylinders as their work rate did not drop one bit throughout the 90 minutes in Moscow.
On the other hand, Bayern Munich were all over the pitch for the majority of the second half. Except for pinging aerial balls and crosses from the deep, hoping that Lewandowski would get his head on one of them, Bayern Munich surprisingly looked bereft of ideas as they struggled to break down their spirited opposition. Bayern's passes were regularly intercepted as Lokomotiv broke at pace.
However, Bayern Munich ended up on the winning side, thanks to a 79th-minute winner from Joshua Kimmich. Despite not being able to control proceedings in the second half, it was the visitors who prevailed, and that's the mentality that separates Bayern Munich from the rest in the continent.
