Bayern Munich are out to show that they have the best defense in Europe
Everyone knows the danger Bayern Munich pose going forward. Robert Lewandowski is a walking hat trick in the making, Thiago Alcantara's feet may just be made of gold, and it's been rumored that Thomas Muller has literally scored goals in his sleep before. Under Carlo Ancelotti so far though, Bayern haven't just been devastating going forward -- they've been Europe's best defense.
Bayern were fantastic defensively last season. They conceded half as many goals as the next best defense in the Bundesliga. Then, in the off-season, they went and added World Cup winner Mats Hummels to a back line that already had Jerome Boateng, Phillipp Lahm and David Alaba, ahead of a little-known goalkeeper by the name of Manuel Neuer.
Bayern Munich's defense is amazing, but it's the combination of their world-class goalkeeper, stellar backline, and the organization, work effort, and pure intelligence of their midfield working in conjunction with that defense that makes them great. Xabi Alonso is the brains of the operation, and the incessant running and tackling of Arturo Vidal and Renato Sanches supplement his lack of mobility. Then, there's the experience and versatility of Javi Martinez, baby genius and multi-tool Joshua Kimmich, and Thiago, who's steadily improving defensively. With this combination of defensive solidity and midfield strength, it's no wonder Munich have started the season so strongly.
After eight matches, Bayern have scored 15 goals and conceded ... one.
Thiago has a strong argument. After all, Simeone made his Atletico team one of the most feared defensive units in the world. The two goals they've conceded this year? One to Alaves, and one to Barcelona. Barcelona aren't bad, and Alaves have scored on Barça this year as well, so Atleti's not exactly performing poorly out here.
Bayern are simply better. According to WhoScored, amongst Europe's top 5 leagues, Bayern Munich's one goal conceded ranks them first in Europe, and they're second only to Juventus in shots conceded, allowing just seven attempts a game. That's just 0.2 more than the Italian champs. How do the numbers favor Atletico Madrid? They're 11th in Europe, conceding nine shots a game.
Bayern Munich pass the eye test too. They've been fantastic so far this year, but their first real test is against the nightmare of a defense that is Atletico Madrid. Atleti had their number last year, and Bayern's defense didn't look so strong when Saúl skipped through half of them to score his wonder-goal.
This is Ancelotti's team now, though. They have Hummels and Sanches, plus Kimmich is a year older (not that he was exactly suffering from his inexperience). This is a better defense and it's the best one in Europe. Now they get to show that against Atletico Madrid.
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