Bayern Munich: Reliving thrilling clash against Juventus in 2016

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Bayern Munich’s French defender Kingsley Coman (L) reacts after scoring with Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara (R) during extra-time 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 / TOBIAS SCHWARZ (Photo credit should read TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images) /

Wingers showed potential

The winger position for Bayern Munich has been a touchy subject for the last few years. Once Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben started approaching their mid-30’s, Bayern fans started calling for new wingers, and the summer of 2015 saw two new faces in Bavaria. Kingsley Coman was brought on loan from Juventus, and Douglas Costa was bought from Shakhtar Donetsk. This was a welcome sight for fans as the club had put in a plan in place to replace two legends.

Costa started as the right-winger opposite Ribery, and although Coman didn’t start, his substitution helped in completing the comeback. The Brazilian’s elite ability is his speed and acceleration, and he constantly troubled Juve’s Patrice Evra.

Coman came off the bench to do the same thing, but with fresher legs. Both players provided crosses from roughly the same spot on the pitch to Muller and Lewandowski to head into the back of the net. The French winger put the final nail in the coffin in the 110th minute as he hit Juve on the counter-attack, and slotted the ball past Buffon. Both players showed tremendous skill and potential on a big night in a high-pressure situation. Ribery did start on the left, but he didn’t offer the impact that was needed for Die Roten to win the match.

However, the early promise from two wingers faded away after Guardiola’s departure. Things started to go downhill for Costa at Bayern. He didn’t necessarily fit in Ancelotti’s system and was replaced by the often injured Robben and Ribery. This was a real shame as he was in his prime, and had the talent and ability to be a regular starter for Rekordmeister. Eventually, he was loaned with an option to buy to guess who, that’s right, Juventus.

As for Coman, he still has a place at Die Roten, but he is yet to fulfill his potential due to injuries. He had a great 2017-2018 when Jupp Heynckes took over, but that was it for him. Every year seems to be the year where he takes the next step, but then a serious injury halts his momentum. He’s still young and has a lot of time to cement his legacy at Bayern, but it’s looking like he will get passed by his peers and people younger than him. He will need to continue fighting for his place in the side as it looks more and more likely that Bayern will bring in Leroy Sane to bolster the attack. Time will tell what his legacy at Bayern Munich will be.

Next. Bayern Munich- Three young players to shine next season. dark

Honorable Mentions

It was a treat to watch Philipp Lahm play for Bayern Munich
Guardiola’s vulnerability against counter-attacking teams in the Champions League.
Lewandowski and Muller have been lethal together for a very long time
For Juventus, Paul Pogba wreaked havoc and proved he was one of the best midfielders in the world.