Bayern Munich: Reliving thrilling clash against Juventus in 2016

3 of 5

Bayern Munich’s French midfielder Franck RiberyJuventus’ defender from Italy Leonardo Bonucci (L) and Bayern Munich’s Austrian midfielder David Alaba (R) vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions League, Round of 16, second leg football match FC Bayern Munich v Juventus in Munich, southern Germany on March 16, 2016. / AFP / CHRISTOF STACHE (Photo credit should read CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images) /

David Alaba did then what he’s doing now

Every Bayern fan adores David Alaba for his consistency in performances over the years. Coming through Bayern’s academy, the Austrian cemented himself as a first-team starter from a very early age. Mainly playing in the left-back position throughout his career, he is one of the best to ever don the Bayern shirt.

Occasionally, he has had to move in central defense due to injuries in the defensive department. With the recent success of this switch to center back, Bayern fans in 2020 are wondering if that will be permanent, or will he move back to left-back when players return from injury. Either way, he has been a rock at the back and has proven his defensive prowess.

Alaba was also able to display his versatility in the game against Juventus. Kimmich and Benatia started in central defense, but the latter had a particularly poor match. He was subbed off at halftime for Juan Bernat. The Spaniard slotted in the left-back position, moving Alaba in central defense.

Once this move happened, Juventus had a very tough time getting into an offensive rhythm, and Bayern was able to launch attack after attack in the second half. One could argue that this was more due to Juventus sitting deep to defend the lead, but they were still a threat on the counter-attack, especially with Paul Pogba running the show in the midfield. Either way, when the switch was made, Bayern’s attack opened up, and the team was able to put more and more pressure on Juve’s defense.

More from Bayern Strikes

Some parallels can be drawn between the game against Juventus and Bayern’s current campaign. Guardiola shifted the momentum in Bayern’s favour by changing Alaba’s position. Hansi Flick has used a similar approach to bring Die Roten’s season back on track.

Putting Alaba in central defense has proven to be incredibly effective, and when watching this match, one could see that the potential was there all along. It will be interesting to see how this develops when the season resumes, but one thing is clear, David Alaba is an elite player and is even more effective at the center back role. Die Roten can become a much more stable side by moving him permanently in this position.