Choupo-Moting offers Bayern Munich a plan B

While his first Bundesliga goal in his first Bundesliga start of the season caught the eye, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's part in Bayern Munich's opener in the 5-0 win over Freiburg on Saturday may actually be more significant.

The Cameroon international received the ball in the box with back to goal and not much on. But he was patient, holding off his man and waiting for the much younger, and much quicker, legs of Alphonso Davies to fly past him. Choupo-Moting's flicked pass round the corner was perfectly-weighted and Davies' cross eventually found its way to Serge Gnabry, who headed home his first goal since August.

The wait for a league goal had been even longer for Choupo-Moting, who hadn't found the net in the Bundesliga since February. As such, the relief when he found enough space to double Bayern's lead with a low drive in the 33rd minute was plain to see.

Choupo-Moting puts the work in

"I try to step on the gas every day in training. I know that I can help the team," Choupo-Moting said to DAZN after the game.  

But his scoring drought was not quite what it seemed. Robert Lewandowski, until this season, had always been the block to a starting berth, a situation known to Choupo-Moting when he moved from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020 under Hansi Flick.

The robustness of Lewandowski and Flick's successor Julian Naglesmann's demand for a quicker, more fluid attacking style have made chances even harder to come by for the 33-year-old. Indeed, Choupo-Moting has played more than 45 minutes just once since Nagelsmann took over at the start of last season. This was only his second league start under the former RB Leipzig coach.

Lewandowski was always going to be tough to replace and, in a positional sense at least, Bayern haven't really tried. Nagelsmann has favored Sadio Mané and, occasionally, Thomas Müller as his central striker this season, though both appear more comfortable and productive in other positions in the front line. It hasn't been a failure by any means, Bayern are easily the league's top scorers. But against teams happy to play deep and narrow to counter speed, a different attacking weapon can be useful, or even essential.

Champions need alternatives

Choupo-Moting can be that. His age, lack of pace and unspectacular strike rate mean he's almost certain never to be a regular starter for a side as accomplished as Bayern. But his physical presence and nous did offer a different dimension on Sunday. A lay-off to Gnabry just after the break saw the Germany winger hit the post. He repeated the dose seconds later with a deft, first-time flick back to Leroy Sané, who rifled in a brilliant strike from distance. Sadio Mané and Marcel Sabitzer completed the rout.

"We showed from the first to the last second who is the boss here," Choupo-Moting added, before looking to the future: "That's exactly what we have to build on. That's how it has to continue for us."

By the time he was withdrawn just after the hour, with a goal, an assist and the acknowledgement of Nagelsmann, Choupo Moting and Bayern had plenty to build on. Six months after his last league start, Choupo Moting may well have done enough to ensure he won't have to wait six more for his next.

Edited by: Michael da Silva