Bayern Strikes
Fansided

Bayern Munich make simple work of Paderborn — Player grades

By Guillermo Kurten

PADERBORN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 06: Lukas Boeder of Paderborn and Kingsley Coman of Bayern Muenchen battle for the ball during the DFB Cup match between SC Paderborn and Bayern Muenchen at Benteler Arena on February 6, 2018 in Paderborn, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/TF-Images via Getty Images)
PADERBORN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 06: Lukas Boeder of Paderborn and Kingsley Coman of Bayern Muenchen battle for the ball during the DFB Cup match between SC Paderborn and Bayern Muenchen at Benteler Arena on February 6, 2018 in Paderborn, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/TF-Images via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Bayern Munich traveled away to Paderborn for the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup and made sure to get the expected result as they hammered their hosts 6-0.

The Bayern Munich offensive made easy work of hosts Paderborn. (Photo by TF-Images/TF-Images via Getty Images)
The Bayern Munich offensive made easy work of hosts Paderborn. (Photo by TF-Images/TF-Images via Getty Images) /

Manager Grade

Jupp Heynckes — A

Given the tight schedule, Heynckes put up an “A” squad. While the match-up looked lopsided on paper and the scoreboard, it’s important to not take any opponents lightly. A knockout match remains a knockout match. But Jupp Heynckes’ rotated Bayern Munich squad put out a solid performance one would expect from them in such an important match.

Player Grades

GK, Sven Ulreich — C+

Thankfully nothing glaring to begrudgingly report here. Sven Ulreich wasn’t needed much, but came up big when needed. However, his ball distribution was worrisome at points. Bayern’s deputy goalkeeper did enough on the day.

DEF, Joshua Kimmich — B+

Joshua Kimmich put up a much-improved performance against Paderborn. He was much more composed overall. He did not wildly bomb down the field leaving holes in his flank, but made sure to track back, making timely interceptions and important blocks. But his first-half performance wasn’t quite as productive until the third goal came. Thankfully, he improved further in the second half, becoming more involved.

DEF, Niklas Sule — B

The young center-back prospect put up an admirable display in an important match. Overall, the big German did everything that was necessary of him. He policed the back-line along with Hummels and ushered the ball out of dangerous situations. Despite one shocking error that nearly cost Bayern Munich a clean sheet, it was a solid performance.

DEF, Mats Hummels — A

Once again, Mats Hummels put in a commanding show. He was absolutely the stand-out performer along the back-four. He intercepted, tackled, cleared, etc., just about every ball he could. The veteran German center-back is an absolute must in the defense when fit.

DEF, David Alaba — B

The Austrian Bayern Munich youth-product had a solid game as well. Gone seem to be the days of the lazy left-back pretending to be a forward. David Alaba developed solid chemistry with Kingsley Coman and tracked back largely effectively in defense.

MID, Arturo Vidal — B+

The Chilean gladiator performed strongly as Bayern’s anchor in defensive-midfield. Vidal was all over the pitch making crunching tackles and clearing danger. However, it must be said that his vintage rashness gave Paderborn some of their best chances from set-pieces.

MID, Thomas Muller — N/A

Due to his unfortunate and worrisome early substitution, no grade is warranted.

MID, James Rodriguez — C+

It was a decent display and overall game from the Colombian. He didn’t seem quite at his creative best during open play, but was still influential. Leave it to James Rodriguez to make a mark in a match despite not at his best. While his flair wasn’t as noticeable, his passing was largely reliable, and he provided a sublime ball to Corentin Tolisso for Bayern’s fourth.

FWD, Arjen Robben — A

It was a tale of two-halves for Dutch winger Arjen Robben. The first 45 minutes saw Robben put on some moments of flair, only for his final decision making to let him down. He did, however, continue to show promise in the second. His late brace propelled his performance.

FWD, Robert Lewandowski — B+

Lewandowski did most of his effective damage in the first-half. He looked hungry, and was eventually rewarded. After some near-goal chances, Lewandowski  was given a sublime ball by Coman to expertly half-volley into the side-netting. An overall productive day for the Polish striker.

FWD, Kingsley Coman — A+

The young Frenchman was definitely the man of the match. Kingsley Coman toyed with his opposition running down the left-flank all game. His scrappy finish and beautiful assist to Lewandowski are all that need to be said.

Next: Bayern Munich scout potential back-up for Joshua Kimmich

Subs

MID, Corentin Tolisso — B-

While a sub, his early inclusion and impact earns him a solid score. Not quite flashy in terms of creativity, but he made sure to show-off his excellent positioning to nod in James’ corner-kick.

FWD, Franck Ribery — C+

While included very late on, his impact merits an instantly decent score. After coming on to make an assist to complete the “Robbery” connection, a C+ is deserved.

MID, Sebastian Rudy — C+

Like Ribery, his late inclusion but deft set-up for Arjen Robben earns him a C+.