Substitutes Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski make the difference for Bayern Munich in their 3-0 win over Hannover 96.
Manager grade
Jupp Heynckes — A
Osram rested several star players and still managed to secure a convincing result. If Bayern Munich are to beat Real Madrid in the Champions League, it looks like they’re in the perfect form to do it. And if they do, they’ll have Jupp Heynckes to thank.
Player grades
GK, Sven Ulreich — B
A typically steady display in goal from Bayern’s back-up ‘keeper. When an inspired Hannover looked threatening, Ulreich was there to ensure nothing came of it.
DEF, Juan Bernat — B+
Juan Bernat was actually pretty good on the left side of defense. He got forward well, creating Muller’s opener with a precise cross. He did his defensive duties as well. If only he could perform so well on a consistent basis.
DEF, Jerome Boateng — B+
The Berlin-born defender was sublime with his defending, paired with youngster Lukas Mai. His passing wasn’t as crisp as usual, but he made up for it by winning almost every single one of his duels.
DEF, Lukas Mai — C+
This was probably the perfect match for young Mai — Bayern’s first player born in 2000 to make a first-team appearance — to make his debut. Jerome Boateng and Niklas Sule ensured the Bayern U-19 captain didn’t have too much to worry about in central defense.
DEF, Rafinha — B-
A player who has been growing in form and importance throughout recent months, Rafinha did exactly what was expected of him. Threatening when going forward, solid when tracking back; what more can you ask from a back-up full-back?
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MID, Niklas Sule — B
The German giant was surprisingly played as a defensive midfielder in place of Javi Martinez. And he was actually pretty great in that role. He didn’t play like a center-back in midfield, but like an experienced midfielder. Sule ended the match with 115 touches (only beaten by Thiago) and nearly 90 percent passing accuracy. An option for bigger, more important matches? Maybe not. But it’s not too much to think he has a potential future in defensive midfield.
MID, Sebastian Rudy — B-
Rudy grabbed an assist thanks to Lewandowski’s excellent header from his corner kick and even got a goal of his own — his first in Bayern red — late in the match. But prior to those two events, Rudy left much to be desired in central midfield.
MID, James Rodriguez — B-
Typically crisp with his passing and hard-working in midfield, the Colombian did look perhaps a little relaxed in his play. James is no doubt excited to face his former club on Wednesday, eager to show exactly what they’ve been missing out on this season.
FWD, Thiago — B+
Thiago pulled the strings for Bayern Munich as a pseudo-winger, playing a match-high 92 accurate passes (out of 102 attempted). His interplay with Juan Bernat and James Rodriguez was key to Bayern’s attack. With Arturo Vidal out injured, the Spaniard will no doubt be a big player for die Roten as the season winds to a close.
FWD, Sandro Wagner — C+
The German striker had a few great chances to put his name on the score sheet (most often with his head — usually his bread and butter), but was denied by some fine goalkeeping on every occasion. He ran non-stop for two-thirds of the match, but was then replaced by main goal-scorer Robert Lewandowski.
FWD, Arjen Robben — C
A subdued performance from the Dutchman, who surely saved most of his energy with Bayern’s midweek clash against Real Madrid in mind. He only played for 45 minutes today, but perhaps Robben’s place in the starting XI is an indicator of Jupp’s plans to leave him on the bench for Wednesday’s match.
Next: Bayern Munich have all the right pieces to replace injured Arturo Vidal
Subs
FWD, Thomas Muller — A-
Thomas Muller is in immense form for Bayern Munich. He completely turned this match on its head when he replaced Arjen Robben at half-time. He scored Bayern’s opener with a fine left-footed volley, then showed his smarts to set up Sebastian Rudy for his team’s third. The raumdeuter has to be one of the first names on the team sheet when Heynckes chooses his line-up to face Real Madrid.
FWD, Robert Lewandowski — B+
Replaced Sandro Wagner in the second half and near-immediately provided what his German teammate could not, heading home off the post from a corner. The Pole is in great form, which could be crucial for the Bavarians in this final phase of the season.
MID, Javi Martinez — N/A
The Spaniard joined late and had little to do against an uninspired Hannover.