'Getting over the line': Bayern Munich toil but win again

Hacked clearances, time wasting, fullbacks replacing forwards and a pensive coach seething on the sidelines. Bundesliga games in May are not normally like this for Bayern Munich.

A sensational late strike from Niklas Schmidt made for a nervy ending after strikes from Serge Gnabry (62 minutes) and Leroy Sané (72) looked to have settled Bayern's early jitters against Werder Bremen. The champions had plenty of territory and possession but looked stilted around the box, with the prompting and probing of Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich consistently going to waste.

Gnabry was once again, in the absence of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Bayern's nominal center forward. But the former Bremen man rarely convinces with his back to goal, meaning that he often struggles to link play. Even so, Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mané were slack when they did get the chance to test one of the league's worst defenses.

In control

"I thought we were in control until the last five minutes," coach Thomas Tuchel told Sky postmatch. "We could have been 3-0 up but we lacked calmness and precision. Overall it was a good away game and an important win."

In the short term, Bayern's struggles for the first hour don't really matter. Another three points piles the pressure on Borussia Dortmund, who host Wolfsburg on Sunday. But it's hard to escape the conclusion that this is a club in need of a rethink.

Tuchel's surprise appointment was a nod to that but it doesn't feel like the end, with the futures of CEO Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic also the subject of some debate.

"At this stage of the season, it's important to keep stability, put the players in the positions where they feel comfortable and not overcomplicate things," continued Tuchel. "We have good players and good characters in the team."

That much is not in any significant doubt. And it may well be that Bayern's experience and mentality gets them to an 11th straight Bundesliga title win. But it's hard to conclude that they're a better side than last season, or indeed many of the teams that have won the last ten Meisterschale.

Their big name transfers this season, Mané and Joao Cancelo, have struggled to fit in to the side while another big signing, Ryan Gravenberch, who started in place of the suspended Leon Goretzka on Saturday, has yet to find anything like a regular slot. And the question of what to do with influential veterans Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller remains a thorny one. Transitioning away from such leaders is rarely a straightforward task.

At the moment, not much is straightforward at Bayern. But the reality is that they are four points clear of Dortmund, who have Sunday's game in hand, and are favorites to beat Schalke, RB Leipzig and Cologne in their final three games. But it's not the foregone conclusion it's been for most of the last decade.

Always under pressure

"The joy in the dressing room is huge, we celebrated really well," said Gnabry. "We did our job, even if it is clear that we are always under pressure in recent games."

Many will, justifiably, say that title race pressure is good for the Bundesliga. But in dispensing with Nagelsmann to bring in Tuchel, Bayern have shown already that they are prepared to be ruthless and make changes to stay on top. The window of opportunity for others looks small.

"We have to play completely without egos in the last few games. It's all about getting over the line now," said the coach, perhaps in reference to the shenanigans among the top brass or maybe with a nod to his players.

This may not be the Bayern of old but it increasingly looks like one that can still handle the pressure. Over to you, Dortmund.

Edited by James Thorogood