Upamecano has unfortunately developed a reputation as a defensive liability in big games. He put those fears to bed against Real Madrid.
For just a moment, it looked like it would happen again. Dayot Upamecano got a bad read on the ball and failed to control it, gifting Vinicius Jr. a one-on-one with Manuel Neuer. Again, Bayern Munich would be punished in the Champions League because of an error from their French center-back when it mattered most.
Except, it didn’t happen that way. Upamecano raced back, forced the Brazilian wide, and cleanly dispossessed him to clear the danger. It was the second time that Upamecano had made a crucial tackle on Vinicius. That may well have been the difference in a narrow win that sent Bayern Munich to the Champions League semi-finals. If that wasn’t enough, the Frenchman also assisted the opener.
For Upamecano, it was evidence of his growth. For all his ability, he has developed a reputation as a player who lets himself — and his team — down when it matters most.
This is not entirely without merit. Three years ago, Upamecano had a horrendous time in the Champions League against Manchester City. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, both on and off the ball, as Erling Haaland and co. terrorized him for 180 minutes. Bayern lost 4-1 on aggregate.
The next season, Upamecano nearly eliminated Bayern again, this time in the Round of 16. Just over an hour had passed against Lazio when he fouled Gustav Isaksen, conceding a penalty kick and earning a red card in the process. Ciro Immobile converted his kick, and Lazio won 1-0, although the Upamecano-less Bavarians won the second leg 3-0 to advance.
Over the next four Champions League games, he played just one minute. He was an unused substitute against Real Madrid, with Thomas Tuchel instead opting for a Matthijs de Ligt and Eric Dier partnership in what would be a controversial semi-final elimination. It seemed that Upamecano’s Bayern career was destined to end on a low note.
That did not end up being the case. In the summer of 2024, de Ligt was sold to Manchester United. Despite two center-backs joining — Dier on a permanent deal, and Hiroki Ito from Stuttgart — Upamecano still looked to play a prominent role under new hire Vincent Kompany. He’s doing just that.
Last season, Upamecano missed 19 games due to various injuries and rotation. Of those, Bayern lost three — two in the Bundesliga and one in the Champions League. Those were Bayern’s only losses in the Bundesliga all season. The Champions League loss eliminated Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals against Internazionale.
This season, Bayern Munich has lost one Bundesliga game, a 2-1 defeat to Augsburg in January. Upamecano missed that game due to illness. Let that sink in for a minute — Vincent Kompany has never lost a Bundesliga game that Dayot Upamecano has played. You have to go back to May 2024 under Thomas Tuchel to find the last time Upamecano lost a Bundesliga game.
It was clear that, in the early days of his Bayern career and especially under Tuchel, Upamecano lacked confidence. He committed more errors on and off the ball; he made careless fouls and mistakes. From 2023 to 2024, he received three red cards in all competitions, uncharacteristically high for a usually composed defender. Upamecano was not the same Upamecano that Bayern Munich had signed from RB Leipzig.
It is equally clear that he has recovered that confidence. Since 2024, he has received no red cards in any competitions. He looks more confident on the ball, and is essential to Kompany’s Bayern — not just in defense. He drove forward against Real Madrid repeatedly over both legs in the quarter-finals, and assisted Harry Kane with an excellent pass for Bayern’s second of the night.
How much of this is down to just Upamecano versus Kompany is unclear. His performances have certainly been much more consistent under the Belgian. It also can’t hurt to be working under one of the best center-backs of the 21st century, as Kompany established himself as crucial during his playing career for historically successful Manchester City and Belgium sides.
There is a reason that Kompany has consistently remained a starter for France under Didier Deschamps. Despite being just 27, Upamecano has already started in the finals of the World Cup and the European Championship. If France makes a deep run at the World Cup this summer, he will undoubtedly be at the heart of the defense once again.
He’s made massive strides in nearly all aspects of his game. Defending for a team like Bayern, which plays with such a high line and allows attackers to dart in behind, is a thankless job. Upamecano and Jonathan Tah have both had excellent seasons regardless. While Vinicius and Kylian Mbappé were punished for not finishing their chances, there’s no question that the score could have been worse if not for some well-timed Upamecano challenges.
In February, Bayern and Upamecano finally reached an agreement, keeping him at the club until June 2030. For Upamecano, it’s a sign of how much he has grown and recovered from a terrible stretch in Germany; for Bayern, it shows the rewards of sticking with an undoubtedly talented but struggling star.
Bayern soon head to France to face off against PSG in the Champions League semi-finals. The lethal PSG attack can give anyone in the world a challenge. Just look at last year’s Champions League Final, where they smacked Internazionale 5-0. This season, the Parisiens clinched their spot in the semis with a 4-0 aggregate win over Liverpool, who had Virgil van Dijk and Upamecano’s former Leipzig teammate, Ibrahima Konaté, in defense.
Despite the tricky matchup, Bayern will favor their odds of reaching the Champions League Final. With their rock at the back in the form of Upamecano, no attack in the world is too much of a challenge.
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Image via @FCBayernEN (X).
