FRIENDLY FIXTURE
SATURDAY 3RD AUGUST, 2024
(12 noon BST at Seoul World Cup Stadium)
BAYERN MUNICH 2(1) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1(0)
Bayern scorers:-
Vidovic, 4
Goretzka, 56
Spurs scorer:-
Pedro Porro, 66
Attendance:- 63,496
Referee:- Dae-Yong Kim
Teams:-
Bayern (4-2-3-1):- 1. Neuer (Capt.) (sub 26. Ulreich, 46); 23. Boey (sub 40. Mazraoui, 68), 44. Stanisic (sub 47. Aseko Nkili, 81), 3. Kim Min-Jae (sub 15. Dier, 55), 22. Guerreiro (sub 48. Aznou, 55); 6. Kimmich (sub 8. Goretzka, 46), 45. Pavlovic (sub 16. Palhinha, 46); 7. Gnabry (sub 32, Licina, 46), 25. Muller (sub 27. Laimer, 46), 46. Vidovic (sub 17. Bryan Zaragoza, 46); 39. Tel (sub 31. Irankunda, 68)
Armband to Kim Min-Jae, then Ulreich.
Subs not used:- 35. Schmitt (GK); 33. Fernandez
Booked:- Goretzka (foul on Bergvall)
Spurs (4-2-1-3):- 1. Vicario (sub 40. Austin, 74); 23. Pedro Porro (sub 55. Abbott, 79), 6. Dragusin (sub 8. Bissouma, 46), 33. Davies (sub 4. Skipp, 64), 24. Spence (sub 63. Donley, 64); 29. Sarr (sub 45. Devine, 64), 14. Gray (sub 12. Emerson Royal, 46); 10. Maddison (sub 15. Bergvall, 46); 22. Johnson (sub 59. Moore, 75), 21. Kulusevski (sub 62. Lankshear, 75), 7. Son (Capt.) (sub 16. Werner, 75)
Armband to Skipp.
Subs not used:- 41. Whiteman, 46. Gunter (GKs); 73. Hall, 27. Solomon, 44. Scarlett, 36. Veliz
Booked:- Spence (foul on Gnabry)
Spurs lose toughest pre-season game so far
The last time these two teams met was in December 2019 in a dead-rubber Champions League Group game. Much has changed since. Few of the players involved that day featured in today's friendly. Ryan Sessegnon scored a cracking goal to become Spurs' youngest Champions League scorer. He has returned to Fulham this summer. A player bought from Fulham for £50 million plus - Joao Palhinha - played the second half for Vincent Kompany's Bayern team. Another player who was on the Spurs side back in 2019 was on the German side's bench - Eric Dier!
Both teams had plenty of absentees. Kane (rested by Spurs in 2019), Musiala, Olise (playing for France in The Olympic Games), Coman, Upamecano, de Ligt, Sane, and Alphonso Davies (possibly leaving) were all absent for Bayern. Once again, Richarlison and Udogie did not take any part for Spurs, who, when they return home this week, will be joined by Romero, Van de Ven, Bentancur, and Lo Celso.
Two different sides will play when the teams face each other again next Saturday tea-time at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Despite their absentees, Bayern were more competitive than any of the teams we have faced so far in the pre-season. They had more space and often more pace than Spurs and offered the toughest test yet. With new coach Kompany constantly barking orders, Bayern pressed high and made our attempts to play out a risky business. Even at throw-ins we struggled to make headway.
The first half stats tell us Bayern dominated possession by 60-40 and had 12 shots (4 on target) to our 2 - neither of which were on target. Bayern's early goal was a result of Vicario's error. The score could have been more.
A young female hip-hop group offered half-time entertainment and I believe they performed the ceremonial kick-off before Spurs officially got the game under way. Bayern made a bright start and one-time Arsenal man Serge Gnabry (who scored 4 goals in Bayern's 7-2 win at The "New Lane" in 2019) fired over after Djed Spence did just enough to prevent an accurate shot. Spence was playing at left back and has impressed Ange during this tour. Today, he made several vital defensive interventions and operated Udogie-style attacking functions too when the opportunity arose.
Pedro Porro, who was one of our most impressive players, sent Johnson away with a good pass, but Stanisic saw Johnson out of play. Gnabry failed with his attempt to take advantage of Vicario's error, but Vidovic put the ball away.
Pedro Porro met a threatening cross from the right and headed down to Vicario with 19-year-old Mathys Tel threatening. Tel is Harry Kane's stand-in and scored seven league goals last season. Ben Davies found Son with a long pass, but Son's shot was well over. The sell-out crowd had national footballing icons on each side with centre-back Kim Min-Jae on the other side. Kim was just one of the players not holding out on their challenges.
Sarr did well to steal the ball in midfield and fed it to Kulusevski who was located towards the left of the area. "Deki" manoeuvred himself into a shooting position with an angle, but Stanisic blocked the shot. A Johnson cross was cleared by Pavlovic, and we at least had a corner. Kulusevski passed inside for Spence, who seemed to have been fouled on the edge of the box, but no foul was awarded. Bayern countered and Vicario had to save low to his left when Tel shot at goal. Gnabry had a shot blocked and when he tried again, Dragusin (making his first pre-season start) deflected to concede a corner.
Kulusevski needed treatment after one of those uncompromising challenges by Kim. No foul was given by the local referee. Tel missed another opportunity hitting his effort wide of Vicario's left post. Gnabry hit a good chance wide across the goal.
Bayern left back Guerreiro got to the bye-line on the left and lifted a pass to the back of the area, but Tel failed again with his shot. After yet more pressure, Vicario saved well from Guerreiro. Just before the break, Spurs did manage a successful attacking throw-in move but Maddison's pass which reached Son was perhaps fortunate. Son turned and tried to hit a shot or cross but lost out to the defence.
Inevitably there were a raft of changes on both sides and the game took on a different nature. It was frantic at times. Spurs' initial changes were for Dragusin, Maddison and Gray to be replaced by Bissouma, Bergvall and Emerson. Personally, I was more impressed by Bergvall than Bissouma. Our new young Swede shows a degree of skill and confidence that will surely earn him plenty of first team outings in the coming season.
Spence made a good advance and passed to Son to his left. Son passed inside to Kulusevski who hit his shot hard and low, but just wide. Goretzka got an early booking for his foul on Bergvall and was lucky to escape punishment for subsequent challenges.
Vicario made a good save from Bryan Zaragoza after a two-man break by Bayern. Soon after he made a good save from Goretzka, but the ball went straight to the German's feet, and he did not fail with his second chance. Son forced a save at the other end after a decent pass by Bissouma to the left of the area. Bergvall had a shot blocked after Son's pass inside.
By now, Eric Dier had replaced Kim and was up against former colleagues. After a Dier error in our favour, Son released Johnson, but sub goalie Ulreich saved.
More Spurs changes followed, and they were awarded a free kick after a foul on Son. This was taken quickly and Bissouma found Pedro Porro with a very good pass. Pedro hit an unstoppable rocket shot with his right foot from 22 yards to give Vincent Kompany aa reminder of the goal he scored in last season's FA Cup win over Burnley. Spurs were back in the game.
Bergvall had a chance but hit his right-footed effort just wide before the drinks break. More changes saw the departure of Son to great applause. Mikey Moore replaced Brennan Johnson and he too impressed with a level of confidence and skill beyond his age. Werner was "Sonny"'s replacement and he forced a save with a right foot shot.
Pedro Porro was the last Spurs player to be replaced and before he left the field, he passed ahead to Moore who crossed hard from the bye-line but saw his ball pass through the danger zone.
One of Bayern's later substitutes was 18-year-old Australian Nestory Irankunda, and he had several late opportunities, the best of which forced a good save by Spurs' sub goalkeeper Brandon Austin. Austin also saved from Bryan Zaragoza in added time.
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