Joao Palhinha is a name synonymous with defending. The Portuguese international has been super consistent for both Fulham and Portugal and has led the Premier League with defensive contributions along with Declan Rice. This has led to many clubs wanting the Defensive Midfielder’s signature from Liverpool, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich—with Bayern getting him for €50m.
With Joao Palhinha in Bayern, their project is beginning to look more exciting and promising. And with Vincent Kompany at the helm of affairs, the Bavarians might win a treble next season. Either way, I am eager to see how the team lines up.
How Joao Palinha feels
The Portuguese Starlet in an interview with Bayern’s club media talked about how the move was a dream come true and was one of the happiest days of his life. He also spoke about how he wants to give his all for Bayern during his stay. With this sort of devotion, Joao Palhinha might just become a fan favorite.
What Joao Means for Bayern
Bayern encountered one of the roughest seasons in recent times with them going trophyless for the first time since the 2011-2012 season. While most see it as the continuation of the Kane curse, it all boils down to structural problems and tactical issues—the lack of a proper six(Joao Palhinha). A great deal of it can also be attributed to the rise of other powerhouses in the Bundesliga like Stuttgart, Leverkusen, Leipzig, and Dortmund.
Joao Palhinha plugs a hole they haven’t filled in years and gives them tactical flexibility they haven’t experienced since the days of Arturo Vidal. They can finally line up in a 433 formation with Kimmich playing as their deep-lying playmaker, Musiala playing his best role as a Mezzala, and Palinha playing as the team’s destroyer.
Kompany, a student of Pep Guardiola will adopt his Possession-based style of play and drill it into this Bayern Team, a task he couldn’t accomplish in Burnley. And with the transfer of Michael Olise and Bryan Zaragoza, winning the double becomes a walk in the park. But will Joao Palhinha’s transfer give Bayern their third treble?
This is hard to decide for now as the top teams in Europe are not slowing down. Manchester City, Real Madrid, and PSG are fortifying their already-stacked squads, and Dark horse teams like Barcelona are making moves to dominate Europe. Bayern has every tool in the arsenal to do the same and have no excuses like last season where they had a terrible manager. Kompany must dig deep into the depths of the squad and use players like Tel, Gnabry, and Mazaroui—talents that have experience and an ability to affect games positively.
The Future for Bayern
While we wait for the Euros and the Copa America to end, our eyes are also glued on the next season. We are eager to see a battle-hardened Kane, an ambitious Joao Palhinha, and a hungry Musiala ready to take on Europe with their young coach. The 2024/2025 season is one for the history books and one man from Lisbon, Portugal will be instrumental to their success.
Bayern’s first game will be against Wolfsburg and their first league game will be against midtable side, Wolfsburg. We hope to see a renewed Bayern playing with so much vigor and an end to the dull plays that characterized the side in the previous season.
About the Author
Sidu Arah is a writer who spends most of his days playing football, reading manga, watching art films, and playing games. If he is not screaming at Ten Hag for playing Lisandro Martinez through injury, he is crying his eyes out while reading a new Manga. Sidu is also an amateur scientist with a knack for trying out new technology. You can follow Sidu on X @Aldobormann
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