Bayern Munich players struggle during the international break
Bayern Munich players struggle to deliver good performances for their respective coutries in the recently concluded international break.
The second international break of the 2018-19 season came to an end on Tuesday, and it one to forget for most of the Bayern Munich representatives. All international players are back at Sabener Strasse, as the Bavarians prepare for their Bundesliga return against Wolfsburg on Saturday.
Bayern are currently going through a difficult situation. After a brilliant start to season, Die Roten are without a win in their last four games across all competitions. They went into the international break on the back of a 3-0 defeat against Borussia Monchengladbach at the Allianz Arena. Ideally, this international break would have helped several players regain their mojo, but instead most of Bayern’s representatives have carried their club struggles into their country.
Germany
Joachim Low is going through the lowest point of his tenure with Germany. The former world champions lost both their games over the past week and are now in danger of getting relegated in the UEFA Nations League. Germany delivered a very poor performance in their 3-0 defeat against Netherlands. They showed some improvement against France, but that was not enough to clinch a victory over the world champions.
Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng struggled in both games. Neuer was particularly poor against the Netherlands. Boateng, meanwhile, was the worst defender on the pitch against the Dutch, and he was ruled out for the next game due to minor injury. Hummels conceded a decisive penalty against France — albeit the decision was a bit harsh — and the attacking players continually targeted him due to his slow pace.
Niklas Sule replaced Boateng against France and delivered a decent performance. He was far from his best, but he did enough to stake a claim in the starting lineup for the games in next international break. Joshua Kimmich was one of the rare positives for Germany in these two games. He delivered two very promising performances at the base of midfield.
Serge Gnabry got the opportunity to play against France. His linkup play with Leroy Sane and Timo Werner was excellent, but none of the trio could score a decisive goal.
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Portugal
Contrary to the disappointing displays from Bayern’s German representatives, Renato Sanches continued his redemption over the international break. Sanches came off the bench for Portugal in both of their victories against Poland and Scotland. The 21-year-old midfielder was tidy on the ball and continually drove play forward. He even grabbed an assist against Scotland after a brilliant free-kick delivery.
Spain
Thiago Alcantara has been the most consistent player for Bayern Munich this season. The Spaniard has adapted well to the holding midfield position. He was rested for Spain’s first game of the break against Wales. Thiago came back into the lineup against England and gave a solid display in central midfield, but that was not enough to help his nation avoid their first competitive home defeat in over 15 years.
Colombia
James Rodriguez was Bayern’s best player during the international break. Colombia delivered pair of convincing performances against Costa Rica and USA. James was a key player for his country in these two games. The attacking midfielder scored two goals — one of which was quite the beauty — and assisted two more in these two matches. James is reportedly unhappy with his lack of gametime at Bayern. His impressive displays will be a big confidence boost but also show Niko Kovac just what James has to offer.
Poland
Like Germany, Poland extended their recent woeful form in this international break as well. They suffered two big defeats against Portugal and Italy. Robert Lewandowski’s miserable form for his nation continued in these two games. The 30-year-old striker was able to assist one goal, but he couldn’t find the back of the net in either match. Lewandowski criticized the tactics of Poland’s manager after Italy’s game. There are some tactical problems for sure, but Lewandowski needs to do much better for Poland than he did in the last two games to justify his spot in the starting lineup.