Bayern Munich went into the final preseason game of the 2025\/26 season, facing Grasshopper Club Zurich. After having won emphatically against Lyon and Tottenham Hotspur, a win at Zurich would mean all three pre-season games won. While this per se, may not stand for anything, it is surely a confidence boost for the team heading into what will surely be a massively successful season.<\/p>\n
Jersey Swap \u2013 Loris Giandomenico <\/p>\n
Though our own Jonathan Asp Jensen and Lovro Zvonarek had a decent outing, the credit for not letting the scoreline slip too far, goes to goalscorer Giandomenico. The defender struck a great volley, following an assist from Samuel Marques. The latter too tried his hardest to bridge the gap on a later occasion, but was promptly handed by Jonas Urbig.<\/p>\n
Der Kaiser \u2013 David Santos Daiber<\/p>\n
The youngster managed to impress heavily last game, against Tottenham Hotspur. However, even in a game with a senior player like Kim Min-Jae, Santos stood out. The 18-year-old is calm and confident at centre-back, and enjoys advancing the attack through the centre. Certainly, 24-year-old Sacha Boey is a strong enough contender for der Kaiser, and so is Jonas Urbig for his last-minute heroics in the 92nd minute. But, where Santos bagged it for himself was his key attacking contributions, and the prospect he is for the future.<\/p>\n
Der Fussballgott \u2013 Tom Bischof<\/p>\n
This comes as an incredibly difficult decision, following the phenomenal games both the midfielders had \u2013 both Felipe Ch\u00e1vez and Tom Bischof crushed the Swiss spirit. However, where Bischof picked up the slight edge was in the absolute command he showed. The former Hoffenheim star is a near-complete midfielder at 20, and looks like a serious contender to Joshua Kimmich in the duration of the season.<\/p>\n
Ch\u00e1vez on the other hand, chased down the Swiss opposition, bagged the ball back on multiple occasions, initiated crucial passes to set up the attack, and looked extremely composed.<\/p>\n
All in all, both are extremely promising midfielders, and there is no need to worry about depth in midfield when we have these gems in our arsenal.<\/p>\n
Der Bomber \u2013 Jonah Kusi-Asare<\/p>\n
Among several obvious choices is that of Jonah Kusi-Asare for der Bomber. The Swedish striker was heavily involved in not just the attempts at goal, but also the two goals. In the 20th, Kusi-Asare made the crucial pass to Tom Bischof, who then passed to Lennart Karl. The credit goes to the striker\u2019s intelligence and sense of mind for making the most of that situation and inevitably setting up Karl\u2019s goal.<\/p>\n
The second goal was Kusi-Asare\u2019s own \u2013 with a finish that would have you wondering how he wasn\u2019t in the first team before this. Karl makes a fantastic well-timed pass, which then the Swede runs with, beats defenders, and then shoots from distance with such finesse. He even came rather close to scoring the third.<\/p>\n
It is clear why he is Harry Kane\u2019s sole backup \u2013 for no one else is needed there, when he\u2019s around.<\/p>\n
Another strong contender for der Bomber is Luis Diaz. The Colombian was an extremely threatening presence on the left wing, with multiple big chances, but Kusi-Asare takes it away for the output.<\/p>\n
Meister of the Match \u2013 Lennart Karl<\/p>\n
Karl has gained tons of traction for his performances at Bayern, from small games to big ones like against Spurs earlier. An extremely creative player, who might \u2018make people forget Jamal Musiala was once 42\u2019, he was the star of the show. The first goal was set up beautifully, but the finish was a whole another level. A shot from outside of his left boot, into the top right corner, with the kind of curl even more senior professionals might struggle to achieve from that position. Additionally, his credit to the second goal was discussed earlier.<\/p>\n
I was fully prepared to be disappointed by Karl in this game, but somehow, his keen involvement and the amount of trouble he singlehandedly gave goalkeeper Hammel was enough to convince me. Needless to say, the #42 had a phenomenal performance and undoubtedly deserves MOTM.<\/p>\n
Honourable Mention \u2013 Wisdom Mike<\/p>\n
The Under 17 German winger deserves a separate mention, because he perhaps singlehandedly raised the tempo of the game by replacing Serge Gnabry. One for the future, truly.<\/p>\n
Looking for more thoughts and discussion on the match? Let\u2019s get into it with what happened and how it all played out on this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works \u2014 Postgame Show:<\/p>\n
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