The 22-year-old has missed the entire season because of an injury, but marked his return to the field with an assist in a thrashing of RB Leipzig.
With Bayern Munich up 4-1 against RB Leipzig, Jamal Musiala entered the pitch. It was his first appearance since July 5, when he broke his leg after a challenge by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Over six months later, Musiala was finally ready to return to action. Only three minutes remained in a comfortable win over Leipzig, which offered a safe chance for Musiala to return to game speed.
“The priority right now is integration,” Kompany said in a press conference before the match. “At some point, [Davies and Musiala will] reach the level they were at before their injuries.”
Except that Musiala didn’t need long to reach his previous level. After coming on, he immediately tapped the ball into the path of Michael Olise, who scored Bayern’s fifth goal of the game. Not a bad start after months away.
It might seem strange, but the Bavarians have not missed Musiala much this season. For years, the attacking midfielder has been ever-present for Bayern and Germany, becoming a star in what threatened to be a dark era for both. This was never more apparent than his curling shot in the 89th minute against FC Köln that clinched the title in the final minutes of the 2022/23 season.
This was supposed to be Jamal Musiala’s season. Bayern went all in for Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz in the summer in a move that would have reunited Germany’s two young stars. Wirtz went to Liverpool instead, leaving Musiala as the main man in Munich. At the same time, Thomas Müller left after 25 years, giving the 22-year-old the responsibility of now fully replacing the club legend.
Add the fact that Musiala was given the #10 — which, admittedly, had become less special in recent years by being worn by Leroy Sané and Philippe Coutinho — and it was the perfect storm to take the leap forward and become a true global superstar.
Then, he broke his leg in the Club World Cup, and everything changed.
Musiala enters in mid-January with significantly less of a burden than he may have expected going into the season. On his left is Luis Díaz, who has 25 goal contributions in 25 games. On his right, Michael Olise, who has 33 in 28 games. In front, Harry Kane, who has 36 in 28. This is a very different Bayern team than he has played for in the past.
Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich look more menacing than ever, with an unbelievable 71 goals in 18 Bundesliga games. In the Champions League, they have 18 goals in six, and a further ten in three DFB Pokal matches. Olise, Díaz, and Kane are all having phenomenal seasons, while Lennart Karl has emerged as a legitimate star.
There was potential concern that Musiala’s return might be an instance of too many cooks in the kitchen. Olise and Díaz have formed a lethal partnership, while Kane is up front scoring the goals. Adding another superstar has the potential to hurt, rather than help.
After all, every attack needs to have the right balance. Real Madrid, and their current struggles despite — or because of — a loaded attack, are a perfect example. Similarly, PSG didn’t find UCL success until they ditched their star-studded attack.
All concerns in Bavaria were swept aside when Olise fired home against Leipzig and immediately went over to celebrate with the German. Last season, Musiala and Olise worked well together, combining for goals on seven occasions. They already have one this year.
Bayern Munich have arguably had the league wrapped up since late October. The DFB Pokal, which Musiala has somehow never won, remains a very real possibility, as does the Champions League. Bayern have not won either since historic Hansi Flick’s 2020 side.
So no, Bayern Munich may not have missed Jamal Musiala, per se. However, having one of the best players in the world return to health midseason is a massive addition for a team that already looked unstoppable.
Now with Musiala back alongside Díaz and Olise, Europe’s defenses will be shaking at the sight of three incredible dribblers — all behind the oft-scoring Harry Kane. There’s certainly no weak link in the club’s attack now.
Musiala already has his first goal contribution of the season, and he’s only played three minutes. There’s little reason to believe he’ll stop there.
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Image via fcbayern.com.
