Four takeaways as Bayern Munich emerge 4-2 victors over Werder Bremen

Bayern Munich made hard work of it, but emerged 4-2 victors over a determined Werder Bremen. Here are four takeaways from the six-goal thriller.

That James-Lewandowski-Muller combo

JLM, MLJ, LMJ, call it what you want, it works. The lethal trio was at the heart of everything good Bayern Munich did on the day, literally. At least one of the three was involved in every single goal, with two of the three involved in all but Bayern’s first.

James provides Bayern a sort of X-factor that has been missing in recent seasons. He can play virtually anywhere in the midfield and still put his creative talent on full display.

Thomas Muller is once again looking like his old self. Once a man who apparently lacked confidence in front of goal, the raumdeuter is back to his goal-scoring ways.

And Robert Lewandowski? Well, he’s simply the best center-forward in the world. Even on days where he seems invisible and not up to the challenge, he steps up and scores two big goals.

Finding a way to fit all three of these stars into a starting line-up is a tough task, but one Jupp Heynckes absolutely must do. Perhaps this means deploying Muller on the right-flank in Arjen Robben’s stead, where he’s once again proved those who doubt his effectiveness from a wide position wrong.

Or maybe it means, as it did today, sacrificing a more traditional midfielder to accommodate the Bavarian alongside his Colombian teammate. This leads to the next point.

An embarrassment of riches in midfield

If it’s possible to have too many talented options in midfield, then Bayern Munich have just that. Looking at Bayern’s line-up from the match against Bremen shows just that. Corentin Tolisso, Arturo Vidal and Sebastian Rudy all began the match on the subs bench.

On the pitch, Javi Martinez, James Rodriguez and Thomas Muller took the three midfield spots. And it’s hard to argue against any of the three completely deserving their place on the pitch.

Tolisso, Vidal and Rudy are all very much talented players, deserving of a place on this Bayern squad, but with so many high-caliber players somebody has to miss out.

Oh, and let’s not forget about one Thiago Alcantara, easily Bayern’s most impressive player of the ’16-17 season. The Spaniard is set to return from injury within the next month or two, and will demand a spot in the starting XI upon his return, leaving even less space for others.

I’ve not even made mention of Leon Goretzka, the supremely talented German midfielder set to join the Bavarians in the summer. His presence will just add more competition for a spot in the midfield.

It’s easy to see why players like Arturo Vidal are being so heavily linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena. Playing time is at a premium, and not every player is going to get his desired share.

Jerome Boateng is back

At least, Jerome Boateng is making big progress to being back. Overall, Bayern’s defensive performance against Werder Bremen was a bit lackluster. However, if there was any player of the back four that truly stood out, it has to be Boateng.

But it wasn’t necessarily his defensive work that made him shine. As usual before his lengthy injury spell, Boateng’s sublime passing from the back truly made him spectacular to watch.

His pinpoint accurate pass set up Thomas Muller for Bayern’s opener, and was just one of many impressive long balls over the top. With three key passes, Boateng showed why he’s just as well-known and regarded for his expansive range of passing as he is his defending.

Now if he can only stay injury-free and somehow figure out how to work well alongside young Niklas Sule.

Sandro Wagner the sub

Yesterday’s match showed exactly why Bayern Munich bought Sandro Wagner over the winter break. Bayern were able to do something that has impossible for the past couple seasons: remove Robert Lewandowski from the fray and not lose any of their attacking nuance.

Wagner replaced striker Robert Lewandowski in the 77′ minute, just after the Pole scored his second goal. He didn’t manage to grab a goal, but what he did do was elevate Bayern’s attack for the final 13 minutes.

His energy and hard-work ensured Bayern could continue to press and threaten the Bremen defense as the match came to a close. It paid off too, as Bayern did grab another late goal.

Next: Bayern Munich struggle in tense 4-2 victory -- Player grades

It may not seem a huge deal, but for Bayern to be able to bring off Robert Lewandowski and still be a threat on the attack could make a mighty difference in some more difficult matches further down the road.