Bayern Munich players impress in a resilient display against Borussia Dortmund.
Manager Rating
Hansi Flick — 7.5/10
Hansi Flick cannot get anything wrong at the moment. His starting lineup gradually helped Bayern Munich to control of the game. Serge Gnabry and Alphonso Davies linked up well on the left flank, justifying the selection of the former over Ivan Perisic. Flick’s gameplan in the second half was spot on, helping the team to tire Dortmund and see out the game. The timing of the substitutes is the only complaint, but nevertheless job well done by the German manager in another big game.
Player Ratings
GK, Manuel Neuer — 7/10
Apart from the busy first 20 minutes of the game, Manuel Neuer hardly had to make any big saves. Dortmund were constantly creating chances, but the defense kept on blocking and clearing chances. Made a terrific save in 80th minute to keep Mahmoud Dahoud’s shot off the target. The German goalkeeper was as usual very reliable on the ball when the team was building from the back.
DEF, Benjamin Pavard — 7/10
Having Alphonso Davies at the other end helps Die Roten to keep Pavard in a deeper position while defending. The Frenchman was not adventurous going forward but he kept it tight at the back. He kept Thorgan Hazard quiet throughout the evening and also helped the center-backs on the counter.
DEF, Jerome Boateng — 9/10
Jerome Boateng continues his resurgence under Flick. The German defender had a flawless game. He was busy at the start of the game, making crucial blocks to deny Dortmund from scoring the opening goal. Boateng won most of the aerial duels and kept Erling Braut Haaland quiet for most of the game. A complete performance from the veteran central defender.
DEF, David Alaba — 7/10
Alaba may have permanently sealed a place in central defense. The Austrian defender was not as brilliant as Boateng, but he got the job done against Dortmund’s fierce attack. His passing from the back was superb, helping Die Roten to patiently build the attack from the back.
DEF, Alphonso Davies — 8/10
Alphonso Davies continues to shine for Die Roten. The Canadian winger was relentless on the flank throughout the 90 minutes. Davies showed great defensive awareness whenever Julian Brandt got the better of him by making accurate recovery tackles. He linked up well with Gnabry and attacked the vacant spaces left behind Achraf Hakimi.
Bayern Munich midfield is tireless
MID, Joshua Kimmich — 9/10
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Joshua Kimmich once again steps in a big game when his team needs him the most. The German midfielder took time to settle in the game. As soon as he got the hold of the tempo of the game, Kimmich started dictating the play from midfield. Kimmich also didn’t shy away from leading the press from midfield to win the ball near the final third. The German international covered every blade of grass. Scored a gem of a goal with a brilliant technique to break the deadlock before the half-time.
MID, Leon Goretzka — 7/10
Leon Goretzka was subdued on Tuesday compared to the game against Eintracht Frankfurt, but he still played an important role in Die Roten’s win. The German midfielder kept it ticking in the midfield, opting for simpler passes than trying to break the lines. He also made some very good late runs into the box, but his shots were either blocked by BVB defenders or parried away by Roman Burki. An effective but important performance from Goretzka in the center of the park.
FWD, Kingsley Coman — 7/10
The same old story continued for Kingsley Coman. He was getting in dangerous positions, but the final pass lacked conviction. The Frenchman did create a dangerous chance for Serge Gnabry but struggled to maintain consistency in his performance. Coman did manage to retain the possession in the final third. The French winger is set to get more playing time in the coming weeks, so he needs to show more efficiency in the final third.
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FWD, Thomas Muller — 6/10
One of the rare poor displays from Muller in this calendar year. The German forward ghosted in and out of the game as he struggled to break Dortmund’s solid defense. Muller’s passing was also a bit off today, but he still managed to press hard when the hosts were playing out from the back. He had a golden chance to double the lead in the dying minutes but couldn’t get his shot beyond Burki.
FWD, Serge Gnabry — 7/10
After sitting on the bench in the last game due to injury problems, Gnabry got the opportunity to influence the game from kickoff on Tuesday. The German winger was not at his best, but he still created so many problems for Dortmund’s right side of the defense. He often dropped centrally when Davies was hugging the touchline and vice-versa. His close control was also quality. Unlucky to not open the scoring in the 20th minute when his shot in the box was cleared off the line.
A rough day for Bayern Munich’s talisman
ST, Robert Lewandowski — 6/10
The general theme of Bayern Munich games this season has been Robert Lewandowski scoring at least one goal in the game. However, Tuesday was a difficult evening for the Polish striker. He struggled to find an opening in the final third. Things were not clicking for him as Dortmund had nullified his influence on the game. Despite a poor day in the final third, Lewandowski worked his socks off when the team was defending. At one particular instance, he also filled in the right-back position when Dortmund were threatening to score. A poor outing by his standards, but he once again showed his great work ethic on the pitch.
Substitutes:
FWD, Ivan Perisic — 6/10
Perisic replaced Coman for the final quarter of the game. The Croatian forward kept it simple, stretching the play by taking the ball to the byline. He made sure that possession was retained whenever Die Roten were trying to hit BVB on the counter.
DEF, Lucas Hernandez — N/A
The French World Cup winner came on in the final five minutes of the game to give some fresh legs in the defense.
MID, Javi Martinez — N/A
Javi Martinez finally got on the pitch after a long injury layoff. He replaced Gnabry for the final few minutes as Bayern looked to see out the game.