Is Bayern Munich's attack so good that they don't need a defence?

Bayern Munich have been steamrolling opponents in the Bundesliga this season

It seemed, following such an explosive start to the season, including back-to-back 4-0 thumpings, that Thomas Tuchel’s newly-formed Borussia Dortmund would be the resounding powerhouses of the German football contingent.

A trip to the Allianz Arena earlier this month, however, saw such advances decapitated and ‘die Schwarzgelben’ were pulled limb-from-limb and effectively left in ruin. Bayern Munich had come to town and brushed Dortmund aside with an emphatic 5-1 annihilation.

Since then, there’s been no stopping Pep Guardiola’s Bayern who now, having played ten games, have a 100% record in the Bundesliga, with a goal tally amounting to more than three goals per game while at the other end Manuel Neuer’s been just as astute, having shipped just four.

The breadth of attacking talent, in particular, has had praise heaped on it and the question remains, with such prudent and extensive options at the top of the tree, do Bayern really have to be concerned about any vulnerabilities at the back?

Take the first statistic – an average possession of 58% – and it is apparent that expert ball retention plays centre stage to Bayern Munich’s play. We saw it at Barcelona and now Pep Guardiola is implementing his dynamic footballing strategies into the fabric of the Bavarians too.

By starving the opposition of possession for long periods of time, and thus draining them of stamina in the process, the German giants nullify the opposition’s energy in attack, just think how easy it is to defend against a crop of players who’ve been chasing the game for the last five minutes. So, how do you stop the opposition scoring? Don’t let them have the ball.

The Bayern Midfield is arguably the best in the world

Of course, there are going to be stages in the game where Bayern will concede possession and, therefore, have to be on their feet. Believe it or not, the defence still doesn’t come into the frame. With such a versatile midfield, including the likes of Xabi Alonso, Arturo Vidal and, of course, Phillipe Lahm, the ball can be regained before the opposition reaches the Bayern box.

Between them, the aforementioned trio have made 38 interceptions this season and their industrious nature as a grouping acts as the fulcrum for the team’s defensive play.

There’s also been an air of experimentation from Pep this campaign, with the Spaniard having alternated between numerous formations this term, from the standard 4-2-3-1 set-up to a more adventurous, albeit bizarre, 3-4-3, which incorporates the assembling of a diamond midfield. Relevant to the latter especially, Bayern’s philosophy of directing focus to the front of the field oozes confidence and ultimately intimidates their opponents.

They attack and defend as a unit, not to such a degree as with a counter-attack, but more methodically and the likes of David Alaba venture forwards to occupy pockets in midfield so often that the back-line is sometimes non-existent, highlighting yet again how little focus the team need to put on defence given the talent of their group going forward.

Lewandowski- The most dreaded striker in Europe

An article outlining the positive aspects of Bayern’s season-to-date would be incomplete without mention of Robert Lewandowski. Having bagged 13 goals so far this season, the Pole is in incredible form and if he’s sticking the ball in the back of the net a couple of times in the early moments of games, that’s certain to relieve a lot of pressure too.

The reality is if a team has the likes of Arjen Robben, Douglas Costa, Thomas Müller and Mario Götze in contention for places (not to mention Franck Ribery who’s currently sidelined) then that’s where the emphasis of their game is going to lie.

While an awful lot of strategic planning goes into Bayern’s game plan, to simplify, they operate in many respects as a 5-a-side team. In no way should you construe this as an insult to one of the greatest sides in European football at present, on the contrary, it’s quite the compliment.

The organisation embedded within the München DNA is evident; four creative midfielders tend to hinge on a more robust one (such as the three I previously touched upon) and, when in possession, they advance with short, quick passes, flooding the box when appropriate. Similarly, they track back in unison too and with such live-wire players, eager to get on the ball, they often regain possession quickly.

Generally, if a team scores four or five a game, conceding the odd one or two isn’t a real issue; points are still being put on the board. Teams like ‘der FCB’ are able to rely on their attacking armoury to limit the amount of time the opposition have in their defensive half but, of course, this article is merely metaphorical; ALL teams need a defence and, fortunately for Guardiola and co., Bayern’s is one of, if not, the best in Europe.