Julian Nagelsmann reveals why Bayern Munich benched João Cancelo
During Bayern Munich’s 2-1 win against VfB Stuttgart on Saturday, two players, namely Benjamin Pavard and João Cancelo, were conspicuously absent from the starting lineup.
This match served as the final preparation before the team’s Champions League knockout match against Paris Saint-Germain.
Pavard was left out because of a one-game suspension, and Josip Stanišić replaced him.
However, the decision to include Stanišić instead of Cancelo, who is on loan from Manchester City, could be a hint of how Bayern Munich plans to play against Paris on March 8.
“He’s handling the situation well,” Nagelsmann said after the game on Cancelo’s benching (via @iMiaSanMia). “I don’t have any impression that he’s breaking off. Stanišić is a bit more defensive and João has never played right center-back in a back 3.”
Did Bayern Munich play with three defenders in their last game and will they continue with this formation in their upcoming match against PSG? Some experts labeled their lineup in the previous game as a 4-2-3-1, but Bayern tends to play differently when they use a traditional back four, as seen in previous games where they utilized full-backs Cancelo and Alphonso Davies. Ultimately, the exact formation numbers are not crucial, but the team’s tactics and performance can differ based on their defensive setup.
The manager’s perspective on the tactics is the most informative in this situation. Stanišić played as a wide center-back and sometimes pushed up, while Coman was chosen over Cancelo as the wing-back.
This decision is similar to the substitution made by Nagelsmann during the first leg of the match against PSG, where Coman replaced Cancelo at halftime to provide more width on the right side. This tactical change resulted in the only goal of the game, giving Bayern a narrow 1-0 lead heading into the second leg.
Nagelsmann seems to be finalizing his preferred starting lineup for the match against Paris Saint-Germain, with Alphonso Davies and Kingsley Coman as wing-backs, Jamal Musiala and Thomas Müller as attacking midfielders, and a three-man defensive backline.
Stanišić is expected to have an opportunity to recreate his impressive performance from last year’s international match against Kylian Mbappé.
Meanwhile, Cancelo will have to wait patiently for his chance to play.
Julian Nagelsmann reveals why Bayern Munich benched João Cancelo
