Hoffenheim thump Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich 4 - 1 to cause early upset

Bicakic scored the early opener before hobbling off due to injury

#3. Bayern’s defence needs work

Hansi Flick has been rightly lauded for his work in Bayern's defence, especially the manner in which he has integrated the defensive skills of Alaba and Alphonso Davies, while dealing with Boateng’s reduced pace. Since June, Flick’s team has rarely been behind in a game.

Hence, the defence has not been tested much. However, against Hoffenheim, his defence was unable to handle the pace and flexibility of Hoffenheim's forwards.

Bayern's lacklustre marking at set pieces, and inability to read the quick movements of the opposition should be a cause for concern for Flick.

Munas Dabbur of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim celebrates after scoring his team's second goal

2. Munas Dabbur a perfect foil to Andrej Kramaric

Sebastian Hoeneß chose to start his team in a 3-5-2 formation, largely to counter the pace of the Bayern fullbacks and look for openings behind them. More importantly, he chose to play two strikers, with Kramaric starting deep.

Dabbur, the Israeli international, played a crucial role in chasing and pressing the Bayern defence. He was instrumental in the high block that Hoffenheim used to dissuade Bayern from making passes that would encourage their runners.

And to cap it all off, he applied a cool finish when the opportunity came, as he chipped past the rushing Manuel Neuer. Dabbur had a chance to double his tally early on the second half, but failed to keep his shot down. He was also involved in the lead up to Hoffenheim's third goal.

Andrej Kramaric of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim celebrates after scoring his sides third goal

#1. Andrej Kramaric continues his scoring form to grab a brace

For Premier League viewers, the Croatian’s name hardly registers, as his spell with Leicester City is best forgotten. He managed to score only 4 goals for the Foxes before being shipped off to Hoffenheim. At Hoffenheim, however, Kramaric has played 153 matches, bagging 77 goals and 30 assists.

The Hoffenheim manager started Kramaric a bit deeper than he generally is. This, in turn, freed up a lot of space for Hoffenheim's midfielders to get into the box and be a constant threat.

As the game moved towards a more frantic pace, and Bayern looked to haul themselves back, Kramaric started playing closer to the Bayern goal. In the end, Kramaric scored two goals.