There were a lot of positives for Bayern to take from the game against Freiburg. From a squad depth point of view, the biggest was the return of Hiroki Ito. After being out of action for close to eight months, the Japanese defender made his return in the second half. Ito marked this return to action with an assist for Michael Olise's second goal at the end of the game.
For the first time in this campaign, the Catalans have fielded the same backline in three consecutive matches against Girona, Olympiacos, and Real Madrid - three crucial fixtures in Barcelona's calendar. In each of the three matches, Flick relied on the defensive line of Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, and Alejandro Balde - giving an indication that this could well be his preferred defence for the 2025/26 season.