Bayern Munich: Reliving thrilling clash against Juventus in 2016

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Bayern Munich’s Chilian midfielder Arturo Vidal (L) and Juventus Argentinian midfielder Roberto Pereyra (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) /

Arturo Vidal was a warrior

It was a big surprise to fans when Bayern announced the signing of Arturo Vidal from Juventus in the summer of 2015. This came right after Vidal was playing in the Champions League final against Barcelona in 2015. Moreover, the Chilean midfielder had turned 28 and was in the middle of the prime years of his career.

It was clear from early impressions that Vidal was an incredible player, and he continued to deliver astonishing performances throughout his debut season in Bavaria. When the big matches of the season came around, Vidal was a first choice for the midfield.

The Chilean midfielder raised his game against his former club. There was a big battle in the midfield between Vidal and Pogba. Playing as a box-to-box midfielder, Vidal made the difference at both ends of the pitch. He had three shots in the game and set up a goal in the game. Defensively, he won five tackles and made four interceptions. The Chilean also showed his toughness by continuing to fight and scrap for the ball even in extra time. (Stats courtesy: FBREF)

This was just Vidal’s first season for Bavaria, and the next two followed the same trend. The guy is a warrior. Whenever Bayern needed some toughness in midfield, he was the guy, and when paired with Xabi Alonso, the team was lethal and solid. Vidal’s toughness and Alonso’s passing ability allowed the defense to sit high up the pitch, eventually helping the attack to take their time in opening up the defense. Even when Carlo Ancelotti became the new manager, Vidal became a leader for Bayern, and always fought hard on the pitch.

Bayern fans tend to forget about Vidal due to Leon Goretzka being brought in as his replacement and Corentin Tolisso taking some of his minutes in the 2017-2018 season. Also, with the rise of Thiago and Joshua Kimmich as midfield superstars, Vidal’s last season seems like forever ago. Bayern hasn’t lacked talent in midfield since his departure, but this game showed how good Vidal was for the club in big games.