After Bayern's 2-0 win at Atletico Madrid, Max Eberl said: "Thank God we extended him. Thank God he is with us at the club." The line made sense because Dayot Upamecano has been playing like a defender Bayern were right to lock in until 2030. SPORT1 gave him a grade of 1 for the performance at the Estadio Metropolitano, and the praise around him has only grown louder.

Eberl's extension call

The extension was not a small one. Upamecano's deal runs until 2030, with a lavish salary, a high signing-on fee and an exit clause attached. SPORT1 also said Uli Hoeneß played a major role in the decisive breakthrough at the beginning of February, which helps explain why the club pushed through an agreement that had previously been questioned internally.

That decision looks better now because Upamecano's recent level has held up. Across his last five Bayern matches, he has averaged a 7.5 rating, and his Champions League return this season stands at 6.85 across four appearances. In the Bundesliga, he has a 7.13 rating across eight appearances, with three league goals from centre-back to go with it.

Why his performances stand out

SPORT1 chief reporter Stefan Kumberger argued that the defender is now Bayern's safest centre-back option in the most exposed defensive scenarios. "If he implements this man-marking, if he has these large spaces to defend, then in comparison with the other centre-backs you have to worry least about him," he said on SPORT1.

Kumberger went further after the Atletico game: "The high phase of Upa is above all confirmation for Max Eberl." That is hard to dispute when Bayern have just come through a clean sheet in Madrid and Upamecano has backed it up with the sort of run that makes the extension fee easier to defend.

The debate around the contract will not disappear, because the terms were expensive and the club paid for certainty. Right now, though, the football is doing the talking, and Bayern's next Champions League test will show whether this version of Upamecano keeps holding up on the biggest stage.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →