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Five Bayern Munich players improved under Hansi Flick

By Kiran Thakare

GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - MARCH 03: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) head coach Hansi Flick of Bayern Muenchen celebrates after winning during the DFB Cup quarterfinal match between FC Schalke 04 and FC Bayern Muenchen at Veltins Arena on March 3, 2020 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Max Maiwald/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - MARCH 03: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) head coach Hansi Flick of Bayern Muenchen celebrates after winning during the DFB Cup quarterfinal match between FC Schalke 04 and FC Bayern Muenchen at Veltins Arena on March 3, 2020 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Max Maiwald/DeFodi Images via Getty Images) /
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SINSHEIM, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 29: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Thiago of FC Bayern Muenchen controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and FC Bayern Muenchen at PreZero-Arena on February 29, 2020, in Sinsheim, Germany. (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
SINSHEIM, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 29: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Thiago of FC Bayern Muenchen controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and FC Bayern Muenchen at PreZero-Arena on February 29, 2020, in Sinsheim, Germany. (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images) /

Thiago Alcantara

A settled midfield combination always helps a top team to do well across all competitions. Thiago Alcantara’s consistent performances after the winter break have made sure that Flick has one top-class midfield pairing that can dominate any opposition in the world.

It was a disappointing Hinrunde for Thiago. The Spaniard struggled throughout the five months, and he eventually lost his place in the starting XI under Kovac. Rumours started circulating that this could be the last season for Thiago in Bavaria. Flick took over the reins from Kovac, but Thiago’s fortunes hardly changed.

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The Spanish midfielder was meekly losing possession in games, which made it difficult for the manager to stick with him in the starting XI. However, a defined role after the winter break and Thiago’s determination to improve has seen things take a u-turn.

Flick started using Thiago as a number eight rather than a six, where his job was to be a link between the attack and midfield. This subtle change saw Thiago delivering consistent performances, which also involved scoring goals by arriving late in the box. He has formed a great partnership with Joshua Kimmich in the center of the park. The Spaniard was majestic against Chelsea last week, and Bayern will hope that he continues to scale the upward trajectory under Flick as the season progresses.