It was fair to assume that even if the combination of Bayern Munich and young, new manager Julian Nagelsmann were to work out brilliantly over time, there might be a breaking-in period at the start.
Even while winning a ninth consecutive Bundesliga title, Bayern’s defensive balance had fallen a bit out of whack in 2020-21, which had contributed to earlier-than-expected exits in both the Champions League and DFB-Pokal.
The defensive personnel itself changed pretty significantly with the departures of stalwarts David Alaba (Real Madrid) and Jerome Boateng (Lyon). Throw in Nagelsmann’s increasing appreciation for a three-at-the-back structure while at RB Leipzig — not something Bayern are accustomed to using — and some shaky preseason friendly results, and it was easy to figure that the nine-time defending Bundesliga champion might not be in fifth gear from the start of the 2021-22 season.
