Four takeaways as Bayern Munich score four to clinch the Bundesliga Title

As if it was ever in doubt! Bayern Munich won their sixth consecutive Bundesliga title and did so in a great team performance against Augsburg. Here are four takeaways from yesterday’s game:

Juan Bernat’s redemption

Played in the shadow of a dreary performance against Sevilla, Juan Bernat’s presence in yesterday’s Bayern Munich starting eleven would have certainly raised a few eyebrows. After his very bad crossing, very lackluster tackling and being at fault for Sevilla’s goal, Jupp Heynckes decided to persevere with the Spaniard, a decision that has to be respected.

The fact that Heynckes was not swayed by a bad performance is a testament to his character as a manager. He understands that Bernat has a great ability, but his recent performances have not shown that. Playing him was a small gamble and it paid off brilliantly.

He completed the game with one of the highest pass percentages (95%) and registered a fantastic assist for James’ goal, which rounded an excellent team movement. A skillful backheel roll into the Colombian’s path is a great example of Bernat’s talent for close control and flair.

Several rumors put Bernat high on the list of Bayern’s outgoings this summer, but his departure will be a shame. His downfalls have been few but significant. If he could maintain consistency as well as he did upon his initial arrival, he would be one of the most sought after left-backs in the world. Under the right manager and with enough confidence, he can start for a number of top quality teams.

Complacency

The first 20 minutes were, again, hard fought. Augsburg brought the fight to Bayern and, while the league was largely under wraps anyway and Augsburg are very safe from relegation, they wanted a win.

After years of teams being reluctant to press Bayern and push forward, many Bundesliga teams have begun putting on their pressure from the first minute. Augsburg chased the ball and closed down players with great tenacity. Within 15 seconds the ball was back with Sven Ulreich whose kick out was blocked by Michael Gregoritsch. Thankfully the ball only went for a Bayern throw-in. At another angle, though, it could have gone in for a very early goal.

Disappointingly, Augsburg got their early goal. After 20 minutes, a pass from Joshua Kimmich was met very slowly and lazily by Jerome Boateng. He was dispossessed by the on-coming Sergio Cordova whose initial shot was saved, but the almost comical deflection off Niklas Süle’s face helped the ball trickle in the goal. A series of very poor and unfortunate events.

Bayern switched on after this, but it is becoming all too familiar seeing them take 20 minutes to realize they are in the middle of a game. Complacency has no place at this leve;, especially considering that Bayern still have several very important games to play.

Robben and Right-backs

Yesterday’s second goal was scored by James Rodriguez, assisted by Juan Bernat. But the goal was created by a wonderful move between Arjen Robben and Joshua Kimmich. Throughout the whole season, the two have combined brilliantly together, offering a sense of comfort for any fans who may miss Philipp Lahm. In terms of defensive ability, Kimmich still has some ways to go. In terms of working with Arjen Robben, however, he’s right on track.

JAMES! Kimmich with a little nutmeg to set up the Colombian and just like that Bayern take a 2-1 lead at Augsburg. #FCAFCB pic.twitter.com/5Q5dE46lsQ
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 7, 2018

This may be due to the intelligence the Dutchman has, though. In the 286 games he has played for Bayern, he has played on the right wing in all but a few. With this, he has worked excellently with whoever the defender is behind him, creating chances with overlapping runs or simply to have the defender act as a distractions. His innate understanding of those around him is something that will be greatly missed once he retires.

Both him and Franck Ribery still have a great deal to offer in terms of footballing brains and having them in the squad is so wonderful that we will only truly be able to appreciate it once they have left.

Corentin Tolisso

Corentin Tolisso’s first year at Bayern Munich has been rather peculiar. Signed for a club record of €41 million, his role at the club is still very unclear. With the exception of the first three matches of the season, he has not played two consecutive matches for 90 minutes. Although the central midfield role is maybe the most contentious Bayern have to offer, Thiago, Arturo Vidal, Thomas Müller and James Rodriguez have all achieved this feat.

There is no clear reason as to why this is the case, though, because Tolisso has never had an objectively bad game. In fact, every game he’s played he has usually been brilliant, scoring 8 goals and registering 5 assists across all competitions this season.

The problem he has, though, is that he is forgettably brilliant. Yesterday’s match saw him open the scoring with a perfectly placed header straight from the training ground. He completed the match with 96% pass accuracy, the highest of any player on the pitch and one of the most crucial abilities to have as a central midfielder. He tackled well, he caused a lot of danger for the Augsburg defense and midfield and was otherwise very good. But forgettably so.

Next: The Bavarian Collective: What moves should Bayern make in the summer?

He is still very young and obviously has the current skills and potential to become crucial for Bayern in the coming years, but his club record-breaking transfer still leaves a few questions. Spending €41 million on a player who did not make the squad against Sevilla earlier in the week due to the sheer abundance of talent Jupp Heynckes has at his disposal could be a short-sighted decision. However, it could also be the beginning of Bayern catching up to the other big European clubs’ spending habits. Either way, next season will be a solid indicator as to where Tolisso stands in the team.