Bayern Strikes
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Five unsung heroes for Bayern Munich in 2019/20

By Kiran Thakare

MUNICH, GERMANY - DECEMBER 21: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Serge Gnabry of FC Bayern Muenchen celebrates after scoring his team's second goal with team mates during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and VfL Wolfsburg at Allianz Arena on December 21, 2019 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
MUNICH, GERMANY - DECEMBER 21: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Serge Gnabry of FC Bayern Muenchen celebrates after scoring his team's second goal with team mates during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and VfL Wolfsburg at Allianz Arena on December 21, 2019 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /
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GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY – MARCH 3: Benjamin Pavard of Bayern Munchen during the German DFB Pokal match between Schalke 04 v Bayern Munchen at the Veltins Arena on March 3, 2020, in Gelsenkirchen Germany (Photo by Jeroen Meuwsen/Soccrates/Getty Images)
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY – MARCH 3: Benjamin Pavard of Bayern Munchen during the German DFB Pokal match between Schalke 04 v Bayern Munchen at the Veltins Arena on March 3, 2020, in Gelsenkirchen Germany (Photo by Jeroen Meuwsen/Soccrates/Getty Images) /

Benjamin Pavard

Bayern spent heavily last summer to improve their defense. Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez were bought for huge fees, as Die Roten looked to build the defensive core from scratch. However, things have not gone the way Bayern would have hoped.

Niklas Sule suffered a serious knee injury in October, ruling him out for more than six months. Hernandez has struggled with injuries throughout the campaign, limiting his chances of getting a long run in the team. Meanwhile, Pavard has not got enough playing time in his favoured position.

Though he has not played in central defense, Pavard has done a more than competent job in the right-back position. The French defender has not been extraordinary in the role, but he has managed to deliver a 7/10 performance every weekend. Barring an odd game here and there, Pavard has hardly dropped a poor performance.

The Frenchman also deserves plaudits for improving his game in the final third. Joshua Kimmich has been an assist machine from the right-back position for the past two years, so it is not easy to replace him. Pavard has only five assists to his name across all competitions, but he continues to improve as a right-back with every passing game. He deserves credit for stepping up in a crucial position when the team was going through an injury crisis. (Stats Courtesy: Whoscored)