Prime Ribery and Robben were incredible
Any Bayern Munich fan will know how great Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery were for the club. In their prime, they were two of the best wingers in the world. Over the past few years, as each player reached their mid-30’s, their abilities started to diminish, and the board started searching for their replacements.
Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry have been regular starters for the past two years, so the team has moved away from the duo nicknamed Robbery. Watching this match really puts into perspective how great they were.
Starting with Franck Ribery, the Frenchman owned the left side of the pitch. The legendary Dani Alves started on the right side of Barcelona’s defense, and even he was no match for Ribery. A combination of pace and technical ability was too much for Alves. Ribery was supported well by Alaba on the left-flank, which led to the overloading of the left flank.
Robben and Philip Lahm had the same effect on the opposite side of the pitch. It was a shame that Ribery did not score a goal, or else this could have gone down as one of his best performances in a Bayern shirt.
Much like Ribery on the left, Robben had a dominant performance on the right. Bayern’s attacking plan was to get the ball out wide to Robben, where they had the numerical advantage. The first goal from this match was that exact plan. Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes sent a ball downfield, which was picked up by David Alaba on the left. Alaba sent back a long diagonal pass to Arjen Robben, who was wide open on the right flank. Robben and Lahm on the right showed no mercy and took apart Adriano all night long.
It was clear from the start what Bayern’s plan was, and that eventually, they would get a goal. Die Roten had too many opportunities going down the wing, and that was all because of the elite play of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben.