Thomas Muller suspension a big blow for Bayern Munich vs. Liverpool
Bayern Munich will be without one of their most potent attackers, Thomas Muller, for both legs of their upcoming Champions League tie vs. Liverpool.
Earlier today UEFA declined the appeal made by Bayern Munich to have Thomas Muller’s two-game suspension reduced to just one. The Raumdeuter‘s reckless — even if it was entirely accidental — foul on Ajax defender Nicolas Tagliafico means Niko Kovac heads into his first big Champions League knockout rounds tie without one of his key players.
Bayern’s tumultuous season has produced many scapegoats for disgruntled fans of the Bavarian giants. Niko Kovac takes the cake as the main target for many, but club legend Thomas Muller is not far behind.
Sure, Muller has faded a bit in recent seasons. He’s no longer in the upper echelon of the world’s best, but he’s not as far off as a vocal minority of “fans” would lead you to believe. For one thing, his style of play has changed, perhaps deliberately. He’s still very much a goal-minded individual, but his game is much more built around his ability to create these days.
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His intelligent movement and clever runs are not used to create opportunities only for himself but more often for his teammates. He no longer looks for an opportunity to shoot as much as he looks for the opportunity to create a shot for his teammate. This is evidenced by his being the most creative player for Bayern in each of the past two seasons.
This season only Joshua Kimmich has more assists than Muller across all competitions. The Raumdeuter has been a key player since the arrival of Niko Kovac. The Croatian has utilized his vice-captain both centrally, directly behind Robert Lewandowski, and out wide on the right, allowing him to roam inside as he pleases.
No matter where Muller has featured this season, though, he has been a standout player for Die Roten. Whereas other stars like James Rodriguez and Arjen Robben have struggled to make an impact due to both injury and lack of form, Muller has consistently turned up for Kovac.
His almost telepathic understanding with star forward Robert Lewandowski has been a key component to any success Bayern has found this season. The Pole has even acknowledged that he plays better and feels more comfortable when Muller is on the pitch.
To suggest that Muller’s absence from the upcoming Champions League clash against Liverpool is a blessing for the Bavarian giants is utter folly. Rather, it’s quite the opposite: a curse. His ability to find space for himself and create space for others will be sorely missed, as will his determination to never give up on either end of the pitch.
Bayern Munich's abundance of attacking midfielders is a good problem. dark. Next
A victory for the German side is still totally conceivable — especially considering Liverpool’s own Virgil Van Dijk will be absent from the first match at Anfield. However, Thomas Muller’s absence across both legs will be a massive blow, and Niko Kovac will have to be at his tactical best to overcome it.