Defeat to PSG 

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“It’s probably one of the smallest squads I’ve ever played in,” Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane said to Transfermarkt ahead of the season. “There’s still time until the transfer window closes, and decisions could be made by [executive board member for sport] Max Eberl, [sporting director] Christoph [Freund], and the coach. We have some young players who have done very well in preseason. We’re a bit thin, but that’s not in the players’ control.” It could be argued that the thin squad might have cost Bayern in the second leg against PSG tonight (1-1).

Kane’s comments were made at the Franz-Beckenbauer Supercup last August. Bayern Munich would go on and win the Bundesliga in convincing fashion and reach the DFB Pokal final. In the Champions League, the Bundesliga giants saw off Real Madrid in spectacular fashion to reach the semifinal. Then in the first leg, Bayern were part of a spectacular 5-4 shootout. A narrow defeat that was supposed to set up a dramatic second leg at the Allianz Arena. But the fireworks wouldn’t come.

PSG took an early lead thanks to a brilliant strike by Ousmane Dembélé. At that point, Bayern were chasing a two-goal deficit. That should have been doable for a Bayern side that has been setting goalscoring records all season. But instead, Luis Enrique’s side shut Bayern’s attack down. Indeed, with Kane, Luis Díaz, Michael Olise, and Jamal Musiala misfiring, it was the first time this season that Bayern’s squad felt a bit deprived of alternatives. Kane did eventually equalize, but the goal by the England captain in the 94th minute wasn’t enough to overcome the 5-4 first-leg deficit.

Not deep enough? Bayern couldn’t compensate Serge Gnabry injury

After all, Bayern lost forward Serge Gnabry to a season-ending injury ahead of the semifinals. The void left by Gnabry was supposed to be filled by Musiala, but Bayern’s no.10 still looks far from his best after suffering a complicated ankle injury against PSG at last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup. With Gnabry out, Musiala struggling, all of a sudden, Bayern’s squad lacked alternatives. Lennart Karl, who had dazzled earlier this season, was just coming back from injury and didn’t come on until the 84^th minute.

A few minutes earlier, head coach Vincent Kompany brought on Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson for Musiala, in a vain attempt to rescue Bayern’s Champions League campaign. Just to put that in perspective, Enrique was able to bring on Bradley Barcola for Dembélé, and still had Kang-In Lee, Senny Mayulu, and Ibrahim Mbaye on the bench. Make no mistake, Bayern’s starting XI can certainly match the likes of PSG and Arsenal. But as Kane pointed out ahead of the season, the squad was also quite thin, and that fact might have cost Bayern a spot in the Champions League final.