Bayern Munich defender David Alaba hails Hansi Flick
David Alaba has big praise for Hansi Flick as Bayern Munich win three games in a row under the German manager.
Bayern Munich continued their good form under Hansi Flick as they clinched an emphatic 4-0 win against Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday. The defending champions remain third in the Bundesliga, but the upturn in form will help them in climbing the table sooner rather than later.
Flick has not made big changes in the starting lineup, but the team’s shape looks much better than what it was a month ago. Die Roten is able to control the game for longer periods, and there is a clear improvement in both the boxes.
Bayern’s defense has been shaky this season. They don’t concede many chances, but there are always errors in the backline that eventually leads to conceding cheap goals. Flick has managed to address this problem by sticking with a stable back four during the last three games.
David Alaba is playing a key role in improving Bayern’s defense in the last three games. Speaking to Bild (via Bundesliga.com) after the win over Dusseldorf, Alaba praised Flick for Bayern’s upturn in form. The Austrian full-back insisted that the German manager’s man-management skills have made a huge impact on the squad.
"“Hansi gives us a lot of self-belief. The human side of things is a big factor with him.”“He’s a great guy and is really good in his communication with us. Hansi manages to get the best out of everyone.The coach always shows us things from our last game that we can do better, that we can form a higher line as a back four.”"
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The 28-year-old full-back is currently playing in central defense due to serious injuries to Lucas Hernandez and Niklas Sule. The Austrian is likely to play in this position regularly for the rest of the campaign. He has hardly put a foot wrong in this role as Bayern have kept clean sheets in the last three games.
Alaba’s pace and clever positioning help him to play in this position with ease. This is not the first time Alaba is playing as a center-back on a weekly basis. Pep Guardiola also used Alaba in this role during his time at the club. The 28-year-old defender insisted in this interview that playing in central defense under Guardiola is still helping him a lot.
Joshua Kimmich also insisted during the international break that Alaba is one of the best center-backs in the world. After serving a two-match suspension, Jerome Boateng will be available for selection from next weekend. It will be interesting to see whether Flick sticks with Alaba and Javi Martinez or brings Boateng back into the lineup.
Next. Key takeaways as Bayern Munich thrash Fortuna Dusseldorf. dark
The Bavarians turn their focus to Champions League as they travel away to Belgrade on Tuesday. Bayern have already booked their place in the round of 16, but a win against Red Star Belgrade will make sure that they finish first in their group.