Bayern cogs turn ominously but new faces breathe life into Bundesliga

Meet the new boss, just like the old boss. Though the opening weekend of the Bundesliga had its familiar themes and outcomes, it most definitely had a story to tell. Some will tut or shrug, but they shouldn’t. “You don’t go to the theatre because you’re wondering how the swan from Swan Lake will turn out,” as Süddeutsche Zeitung’s Martin Schneider put it.

Let’s start with what the world most expected, or at least feared. Bayern Munich began 2022-23 like a hurricane, not so much pulling back the curtain to the campaign on Friday night at Eintracht Frankfurt as tearing it off and discarding it. Even a flickering thought that the champions might struggle to find their attacking feet without the departed Robert Lewandowski was quickly extinguished. Julian Nagelsmann’s team were ferocious, with Sadio Mané immediately fitting into the vertical onslaught. It was clear from the coach’s celebrations on the touchline just how thrilled he was by his team’s front-foot manner.

Forty-two minutes into the new season and Bayern already led 5-0 at the home of their shell-shocked hosts, all the hostility of the renowned Deutsche Bank Park no match for the champs in belligerent mood. Moaning about the same old Bayern is to ignore the actual content – this may have been largely one-sided but it was also thrilling. Mané, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Müller are already clicking, and Jamal Musiala was again outstanding. Without Lewandowski different ways must be found. Joshua Kimmich had plenty of targets as he lined up a fifth-minute free-kick. In the event he ignored them all and bent the ball around the wall and into the corner of the net, blindsiding Kevin Trapp. He was one of five different goalscorers on the night.

This was chastening for