Construct it and they shall arrive. This was the message emanating from Bayern Munich's inner sanctum during the international break, conveyed by Vincent Kompany, Max Eberl, and the decision-makers. If there was a fortnight of foot-dragging, it was merely a prelude; not brooding, not sulking, but a conviction that Bayern was poised to unleash their formidable prowess on any challenger, with the brilliance and exhilaration of their season thus far set to peak.

Even for a club perpetually surrounded by hyperbole and overreaction, labeling the team's three-game winless streak before the break as Kompany's first 'mini-crisis' seemed absurd. After all, they remained unbeaten in the Bundesliga and atop the standings. The atmosphere hinted at a resolve to course-correct, rather than a climate of blame and fury. 'For me, it's not about belief,' Kompany told Bild following Saturday's 4-0 victory over Stuttgart. 'It's about what the analysis revealed. That we were dominant, that we had far more opportunities than our opponents.' Their winless streak was against formidable foes—champions Leverkusen, Aston Villa in a historic Champions League match, and in-form Eintracht Frankfurt. Bayern should have triumphed in all three but didn't. While external chatter suggested a team too open and sporadically vulnerable, the mood within the club was markedly different. There was no internal call to 'trust the process' because there was no need.

'Objectively,' Kompany asserted, 'it would be foolish to alter everything.' These words could just as easily apply to Harry Kane. If Bayern exuded an unusually relaxed demeanor as a club currently—a testament to Kompany's influence—the discourse around the England captain was somewhat different. He didn't score during the winless run, a constant media focus in Germany, and Bayern might have preferred he skipped international duty for recovery. Yet Kane continued as he always has, finding form when others suggested a break. His goal from outside the box just before the hour against Stuttgart was his first in 393 minutes, and the subsequent avalanche was inevitable. His 23-minute hat-trick sealed the deal long before Kingsley Coman added his first Bundesliga goal in nearly a year.

Stuttgart, never a team to be intimidated by the challenge, were familiar with such scenarios. Sebastian Hoeness, their coach, turned their fortunes around last season not through defensive resolve but through boldness and dominance. He knew precisely what could unfold in Saturday's top match and ensured it wouldn't derail their season. Even in last season's dream run, Stuttgart had faced similar tests. They experienced one of Bayern's better performances of 2023-24, losing 3-0 at the Allianz Arena last December, but the severity of the scoreline was the only commonality between those two matches 10 months apart.

In a week where Germany's sports media speculated about England appointing Thomas Tuchel to chase the 2026 World Cup (and English football culture largely avoided dissecting Tuchel's tumultuous spell in Bavaria), Bayern's current form under Kompany's leadership starkly highlighted their transformation. In that December 2023 win, Kane's brace led Tuchel's Bayern to victory, just as it did here. But Tuchel allowed Stuttgart to play their game. The visitors had 63% possession, with Bayern exploiting their quality and vigor. Kompany's Bayern? They would never let Stuttgart dictate terms. The only surprise was the prolonged wait for Bayern's breakthrough, perhaps due to the luck that had eluded them for most of the game's first hour. Kane remarked afterward that 'nine times out of 10, the goalkeeper probably saves' his opener, with Alexander Nübel getting a hand on the long-range effort but failing to keep it out.

With Nübel still contracted to Bayern beyond his loan at Stuttgart and a potential successor to Manuel Neuer, some in Germany speculated if Kane's comments were subtly supportive of a senior colleague. It seems unlikely. We cannot judge Kane by traditional Bayern standards, just as we cannot with Kompany. This is a coach who will bench João Palhinha if he deems it necessary, despite Bayern's protracted pursuit of him as a priority target. If Bayern are to reclaim greatness, it will be led by those who forge their own paths. RB Leipzig also remain unbeaten, level on points with Bayern, after a 2-0 win at Mainz, with Xavi Simons scoring a sublime opener and delivering his best performance of the season. Remarkably, Marco Rose's team has thrived despite their key player not yet reaching top form, with sporting director Rouven Schröder emphasizing the squad's depth and potential.

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund could use some of that confidence. They narrowly defeated St Pauli on Friday thanks to a late Serhou Guirassy header, with Nuri Sahin lamenting his team's defending despite Eric Smith's wonder strike. 'The way we defend really annoys me,' he told Dazn. 'We've already conceded [poor] goals against Celtic and Union. It's unacceptable.' Leverkusen's Victor Boniface had an intense weekend, missing a penalty against Frankfurt before scoring the winner in a comeback victory. He then survived a car accident, though his participation in Wednesday's Champions League game at Brest is in doubt. At Borussia Mönchengladbach, Gerardo Seoane is barely keeping the wolves at bay, with Tim Kleindienst scoring twice in a 3-2 win over his former club Heidenheim. It's been an incredible few weeks for Kleindienst, who made his Germany debut at 29. Seoane needs him more than ever, having been booed onto the touchline by some fans, with sporting director Roland Virkus warning against complacency.

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