Bayern Munich beat Union Berlin on a weekend that gave us all a little light in dark times

The ‘new normal’ of football behind closed doors has sharpened focus on two things: how much we take for granted, but also how refreshing it is to focus on the artform itself without distraction

“There is bound to be rust,” the understandable and expected analysis went, almost on loop, as the Bundesliga became the first major football league to resume amid the coronavirus crisis.

On social media, the return was largely marked with unsurprising ‘this is just not football’ rhetoric as though the game could magically scrub away the fact there’s a global pandemic altering every facet of life.

So much was different – the absence of atmosphere and amplification of echoes inside the arenas, socially distant celebrating, the sight of the backroom teams in face masks – and working these matches remotely has been equally alien.

Ian Darke conducted commentary from his study at home, Owen Hargreaves was projected on a big screen in the BT Sport studio, in-between James Richardson and Raphael Honigstein, analysing the geisterspiele – ghost games – looking like some sort of overlord.

Sixty seven days since I last filed a match report – Atletico Madrid ejecting Liverpool from the Champions League at Anfield – I am in a tracksuit on the couch in front of my television, with food in the oven, covering Union Berlin versus Bayern Munich.

Bayern Munich substitute Lukas Mai watches on (Reuters)

The setting is obviously strange, but so too is the process: there is no travel, no rush to get to the stadium close three hours before kick off, no security search or scramble for a seat in the press lounge, no search for colour like the flares painting the sky as the team buses arrive or banners that catch the eye.

But so much remains: the research, getting stuck into team news, scouting for angles, the eternal hope that the encounter is going to offer entertainment and intriguing content.

This ‘new normal’ sharpened focus on two things: how much we take for granted around football, but conversely, how refreshing it is to focus on the artform itself without distraction.

Regardless of all the unfamiliar, it’s still the same game with the same highlights: slick flicks, inch-perfect crosses, intelligent movement, opposition-dissecting passes and putting the round thing in the rectangular thing – especially if its with the outside of the boot à la Raphael Guerreiro.

It has been a welcome experience to fully appreciate the way, for example, that Julian Brandt manipulates space and decisively glides his way through an encounter.

At Alte Foersterei stadium as Bayern continued their crusade towards an eighth consecutive Bundesliga title in Berlin on Sunday, there was the opportunity to marvel at Thiago’s drop of the shoulder and half-turns as he ran the game from the middle of the park.

While Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach produced pulsating attacking blurs on Saturday, Hansi Flick’s charges were controlled and clinical.

There were no fans at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei (AP)

Union’s dugout was missing coach Urs Fischer following the death of his father-in-law, with assistant trainer Markus Hoffmann taking charge for their first ever home clash against Germany’s powerhouse.

The hosts, one of the surprises of the Bundesliga season – had started brightly enough, feeding their strikers quickly while using width well. They stifled Bayern’s build-up play, but without offering any bite themselves.

Union’s resistance didn’t last long, but the hosts were fortunate that Thomas Muller, in an offside position, unnecessarily forced in Serge Gnabry’s header from Joshua Kimmich’s outswinging corner. VAR chalked it off and Bayern had to wait five minutes before the break to make their superiority count.

Union defender Neven Subotic swiped at the ball as he attempted a clearance in the area, with Leon Goretzka sneaking in behind him to get booted and a penalty.

Lewandowski converted first-half penalty (Getty)

Robert Lewandowski stepped up, skipped, stopped and slipped his spot-kick low to Rafal Gikiewicz’s left – the opposite side of the goalkeeper’s dive.

It was the striker’s 26th top-flight goal this season and his 40th across all competitions.

Bayern can do dominance with such ease, strangling the game and then switching up the urgency and intensity when they need to.

Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman and Alphonso Davies caused the opposition particular discomfort late on before the visitors doubled their cushion.

Pavard made it two (Reuters)

Benjamin Pavard refused to give up on the ball, won and corner and headed in Kimmich’s delivery at the near post on 80 minutes.

“Football is a spectacle,” the France international said when previewing the clash.

“A bit of skill or a goal can create an emotion. If only for that, I tell myself that we can be useful. We’ll play for the fans.”

With all the changes in football during the age of Covid-19, Bayern’s supporters can still bank on them winning as they stretched their lead at the summit to four points.

The last game I worked over two months ago should have, at the very least, been played behind closed doors. It is a credit to Germany’s football authorities and stakeholders as well as the country’s politicians that this one and every other in the Bundesliga has been able to go ahead with such little issue in the current climate.