The Athletic: Kompany’s Bayern opener: Inherited issues, Olise debut, Musiala’s role

One Bundesliga game, one Bundesliga win. Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich dug holes for themselves in Wolfsburg but were good enough to climb out of them. A 1-0 half-time lead collapsed to a 55th-minute 2-1 deficit, but an own goal and Serge Gnabry’s late strike gave Kompany the victory he wanted and one that, given the circumstances of his hiring, he likely also needed.

In Kompany’s defence, the most prominent issues were either those he inherited or ones for which there is a clear solution. His midfield of Aleksandar Pavlovic and Joshua Kimmich was good with the ball, less so without — but then Joao Palhinha, an unused substitute at the Volkswagen Arena, has been signed to address that issue.

Carelessness and individual mistakes in defence were at the root of the 10-minute collapse but those are problems that have plagued Bayern for some time. Sacha Boey gave away a clumsy penalty within seconds of the start of the second half. Kim Min-jae then turned possession over needlessly in his own half, allowing the hosts to race away, score, and turn a bad couple of minutes into a burgeoning crisis.

They were superior for long periods and deserved their win. In the first half, their ball movement was incisive and smart — fresh in a way that made their football feel potent, particularly down the right side. Jamal Musiala played deeper than usual, dropping well into his half to take the ball from his centre-backs, and Michael Olise showed his talent on his debut, combining well with Kane to create one first-half chance.

So far, so good. This may not have been a hugely significant win, nor did it represent a definitive turning of the page, but there was plenty of promise within it.