Bayern Munich continued their hot start to teh season with a 4-1 victory over Hoffenheim, courtesy of a hat-trick by none other than Harry Kane and a last-minute sizzler from Serge Gnabry.Here are some observations from another much-welcome victory.

## Hoffenheim did not hold back

Hoffenheim came into the game guns blazing in the first half. They bought a tempo that Bayern clearly struggled to keep up with, maintained pressure on the ball, and transitioned between halves flawlessly. Their deep-seated formation merged into a promising counterattack and back again, constantly intercepting Bayern’s passes across the pitch and hitting Bayern where it hurt. They kept the play tight,denied Bayern clear scoring opportunities,and made them fight for every moment they had on the ball.

They were shockingly wasteful and rather unlucky not to go ahead. Bayern were clearly taken aback by Hoffenheim’s approach,as Kompany seemed to admit post-game,and it simply cannot go unapplauded how well Hoffenheim set up against Bayern – arguably one of the best performances against the Rekordmeister this season. Christian Ilzer has worked something out this season, and it will be engaging to see where this team goes.

## Rotation in action: a necessary evil

Bayern’s starting lineup today saw some big rotation taking place, with Michael Olise and Serge Gnabry left out in favour of Nicolas Jackson and lennart Karl, both picking up their first Bundesliga starts. Joshua Kimmich and Dayot Upamecano also saw some rest following the win over Chelsea midweek. And while the rest was much needed across the board, the rotations weren’t very promising – at least not initially.

The center-back pairing of Jonathan tah and Kim Min-jae was clearly unaccustomed to playing together and, coupled with a deeply underwhelming pivot in Leon Goretzka and aleksandar Pavlović, it left Bayern in a rather sloppy defensive position that leaked far too many chances in the first half. If it weren’t for Kim’s heroics on multiple occasions, Bayern would have found themselves behind after silly dispossessions and complacent passes.The midfield didn’t add anything in terms of chance creation, while also allowing Hoffenheim’s passes to go unintercepted far too frequently enough.

Bayern’s Striker: More Than Just Goals

He does more than just score, and that’s clear now. He’s equally adept at orchestrating attacks from deep in his own half as he is at finding the back of the net. His work rate stood out even during a lackluster first half. He consistently moved into the right spaces, both when advancing and tracking back.

He’s the conductor and the concertmaster. Bayern’s striker is, once again, the world’s best player, and there’s no stopping him. His kids must be running out of room for all those match balls!

A Few Little notes on Everything Else

The substitutions were excellent. It was smart to avoid rushing Tom Bischof back from his injury. Taking Kim off as a precaution was a wise decision. Leon Goretzka was subbed off too late. Gnabry’s introduction was relatively quiet, but he scored a stunning goal at the very end from a arduous angle, leaving fans amazed. He’ll aim to continue this hot streak and newfound finishing ability throughout the winter to change his career path.