Bayern Munich showcased their tactical flexibility against RB Leipzig, making key adjustments to counter Leipzig’s pressing intensity, exploit defensive gaps, and maintain control of the game. Their ability to shift between different tactical approaches allowed them to adapt to Leipzig’s high-energy style.

1. Adjusting Build-Up Play to Bypass Pressing

RB Leipzig’s aggressive high press forced Bayern to adapt their build-up strategy. Instead of short, controlled passes from the back, Bayern used:

• Longer passes from the center-backs to bypass Leipzig’s pressing traps.
• Joshua Kimmich dropping deeper to act as a pivot, providing an extra passing option and creating numerical superiority in midfield.
• Full-backs pushing higher to stretch Leipzig’s defensive shape and create wider passing lanes.

2. Flexible Midfield Structure

Bayern adjusted their midfield shape throughout the game to maintain control:

• At times, they shifted to a double pivot (Kimmich and Goretzka) to provide defensive stability and balance against Leipzig’s counter-attacks.
• When attacking, one midfielder pushed forward, forming a box midfield with attacking midfielders like Jamal Musiala, which helped overload Leipzig’s defensive third.

3. Exploiting Wide Areas

With Leipzig’s compact pressing, Bayern used width effectively:

• Alphonso Davies and Leroy Sané stretched Leipzig’s defense by maintaining width, preventing Leipzig from overloading central areas.
• Diagonal switches of play created space for Bayern’s wingers to attack Leipzig’s full-backs in 1v1 situations.

4. Defensive Adaptations to Stop Leipzig’s Transitions

Leipzig thrive on quick counter-attacks, so Bayern adjusted defensively to prevent these situations:

• Quick recovery pressing ensured that lost possession was immediately contested, limiting Leipzig’s ability to transition effectively.
• A deeper defensive line in certain moments reduced the space behind for Leipzig’s fast attackers, such as Christopher Nkunku and Timo Werner, to exploit.

5. Game Management and Tactical Substitutions

As the match progressed, Bayern made substitutions to reinforce control, introducing fresh legs in midfield to sustain pressing intensity. Tactical tweaks ensured they maintained dominance in possession and nullified Leipzig’s late attacking threats.