B) STAGE TWO. First huge chance being created through this build-up from the back sequence by Bayern.
1. Thiago doesn't choose a more difficult pass option, and goes for the typical follow-up. Wide to Alphonso in space, rather typical progression.
Won't dwell too much on this one. Just a typical progression. As said before, due to Roberto being very central (to account for De Jong pressing from earlier), Alphonso Davies, one of the fastest players in the world has a lot of space on our right flank.
So, far no real mistakes from our defenders. Roberto's central position is typical response in these situations (you always go narrow when there is a central threat, at the expense of leaving the widest player free).
Also, another thing to note. The default pair was Roberto - Alphonso (typical RM - LB), and Perisic - Semedo (typical RB - LW). This will turn into Semedo vs Perisic + Davies for a brief moment, because Roberto is dragged away from Alphonso Davies, to neutralize Muller who appears in the center. Davies will be taken by Semedo. Perisic is handed to Pique. This all happens in just a couple of seconds.
2. Here Roberto makes a mistake, he should stay closer to Perisic, because De Jong is now back in his position, and Pique has rejoined the backline. There are now conditions to revert to a more stable setup. But Roberto doesn't transition.
So, this is an error from Roberto, but the type of error that happens a lot on the field when marking pairs are exchanged. Roberto intially has drifted centrally to replace De Jong, but as soon as De Jong is back in a natural CM position, Roberto should have kept closer to his man, which should be Perisic here.
Here is another interesting fact that makes this error happen. Initially, Perisic can't be passed to directly by Davies, because Alphonso is well blocked by Semedo. This makes Roberto relax prematurely, thinking the action is contained, when in reality Perisic can be reactivated by a simple back pass from Davies to an open Thiago, facing the game unmarked and unbothered. Again.
Which brings us again to the key role of Thiago. And back to Messi. Thiago often plays in a retreat DLP role where he dictates the game from deep, which should have been in the task of Messi or Suarez to block (depending on the side Thiago gravitates towards, drops to his right -> Suarez takes him on, drops to his left -> Messi takes him on).
So, Messi with another defensive error here. He is not even in the picture. Messi should be on the same line with Suarez, who, funnily enough, here is placed well from a defensive standpoint. Messi is probably walking somewhere off frame completely uninterested. Because he is not there, Thiago can engage both flank at will. Either on his right, for Kimmich, who attempts a long run behind Alba. Or for Perisic, who is alone (due to Roberto's slow reaction).
3. Perisic is played on, engages in obligatory 1 vs 1 with Roberto who is known to be a liability in these cases (many defenders are).
Pretty clear here. Again, I have to point out that Messi is still not respecting any kind of role defensively. It's as if we are playing with 8 in defense, with Messi and Suarez being somewhere in the stands. Look how the distance between back line and midfield is properly short, with a compact shape, making it reasonably hard to pass between the lines. But how the distance between the midfield and Messi + Suarez is disproportionately huge in comparison, making it very easy for Bayern to provide their midfielders with good passes at any time.
4. Perisic puts in a good cross, and we almost concede the 3rd.
Not much to note here, good cross form dangerous position, Ter Stegen doesn't do too well with it, and it's a huge chance by Bayern for 3-1. We survive by pure luck. We clear the ball and now go into the 3rd stage. Which is Bayern winning back possession and attempting another positional attack.
Recap at this point from first stage. Thiago plays the ball to Davies, Davies is tracked down by Semedo and pressed into a safety back-pass solution to Thiago. Thiago, again, for the 3rd time in the overall action, unpressed and unmarked, able to control the game, easily plays on Perisic in space. Meanwhile, Roberto is marking Perisic way too loosely, and Messi not doing anything. Perisic runs at Roberto in speed (has plenty of time and space to accelerate), places a good cross. We barely survive, and Vidal clears the ball aimlessly in desperation.
There is no such thing as defense in 4 players. If you have a major unbalance in an area, the corresponding areas will have to compensate that, and by doing that they will create gaps in their compartments instead, because they vacate their positions to fix that imbalance.
