Takeaways from Bayern Munich’s big victory against Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Bayern Munich thrashed Dusseldorf 5-0 at the Allianz Arena in what was a routine match for the Bavarians. With Bayern Munich coming into this game at the top of the league table and Dusseldorf coming in fighting relegation, it looked to be an easy match for the home side. And that is exactly what happened.
Die Roten came into this match in top form after winning the Der Klassiker on Tuesday, conceding only two goals since the restart of play. The offense has started playing exceptionally well recently. With Dusseldorf looking lackadaisical in defense, the final score could have been much higher.
The scoring opened in the 15th minute after an own goal by Dusseldorf’s Zanka. Benjamin Pavard was the second goalscorer in the 29th minute, and Robert Lewandowski closed out the half with one of his own in the 43rd minute. Bayern sealed the victory by scoring two consecutive goals in the 50th and 52nd minutes. Lewandowski got the fourth goal, while Alphonso Davies scored the final goal of the game. (stats via WhoScored.com)
The Bavarians look to be well placed to earn their 8th straight Bundesliga title with only six matches remaining. If the current form is any indicator, that will be a foregone conclusion. Here are some takeaways from the big win against Dusseldorf.
Bayern Munich’s attack is lethal
Having forwards such as Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, and Serge Gnabry will make any defense nervous. With Flick’s succinct attacking plan, those three are unstoppable. That is what happened in the match this weekend as Flick has implemented a strong pattern of attacking play.
Robert Lewandowski was the main beneficiary in this match bagging two goals, but the other two, Gnabry and Muller, each got an assist. Gnabry was able to cut inside from the left, creating problems for Dusseldorf’s defense. He either laid the ball off to the center of the field or fired a shot at the goal. And of course, Muller used his ability to make runs into space and lay the ball off for a better shot to great effect. It’s how he was able to get his assist.
The other part of Bayern’s attack that often gets overlooked is the defense. What makes Bayern’s attackers so great is that they often don’t have to be on the ball to score goals. The wingbacks for Die Roten, Benjamin Pavard, and Alphonso Davies, love to get forward and add more options on the flank to aid the attack.
In this game, three goals were of direct result from their play. Pavard’s shot was deflected by Zanka for the first goal. The French defender finally got on the scoresheet with a header to double Die Roten’s lead. Meanwhile, Alphonso Davies has made a knack for not giving up on loose balls and did that in this match with nutmeg on the keeper.
All in all, Bayern look like an unstoppable force with weapons at every position. This doesn’t even mention the shooting ability of the midfielders Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich. Bayern looks poised to win the league and compete strongly in Europe.
Defensive stability for Bayern Munich
At the beginning of the season, one will not believe that Die Roten’s most consistent back four will comprise Pavard and Davies as full-backs while David Alaba will play as center-back. However, things have panned out in the most unthinkable way as Rekordmeister looks much better defensive unit with every passing game. Davies and Pavard have locked down the full-back positions, while Alaba has been indispensable in the center-back role. Even Lucas Hernandez got a rare start on Saturday and looked good throughout the first half.
What makes this Bayern defense so good is how they allow each other to push forward and cover for that player. If Hernandez made a run forward from center back, Alaba would drop back, and one of the full-backs would also drop to offer cover. However, the problem opposing teams have with this is that every one of Bayern’s defenders is capable of having the ball at their feet and making a run into the midfield. Jerome Boateng has also stepped up under Flick, executing the duties of a ball-playing center-back to perfection.
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The ball-playing ability of defenders helps Die Roten to build direct attacks from the back. The complete defensive unit is well supported by the best goalkeeper in the world, Manuel Neuer. The German has been back to his best as a sweeper-keeper. He comes off the line quickly to regain possession and bypass midfield with his pinpoint accurate long passing.
It is quite unfortunate that Hernandez had to leave the match at halftime with another injury, but with the quality of the depth this team has in center-back position and with how well the unit has been playing, this shouldn’t be an issue in the short term. Every Bayern fan wants to see the record signing succeed and have a long, fruitful career in Munich.
What is in store for Bayern Munich while going forward?
There are several implications from this match for the future. Bayern has now opened up a 10 point lead at the top, but Dortmund has a game in hand. Barring any disastrous run of form, Die Roten will once again win the Bundesliga title. The difference between this season and the previous two seasons is that Bayern looks to be well equipped for the future.
Last season, Bayern were not the juggernaut they normally are and also had to maneuver the departures of Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, and Rafinha. The team lacked direction, and many senior players were rumored to be on the way out. Then comes Hansi Flick, who stabilized the team and has a clear plan for the future. With a youthful roster and a coach at the beginning of his contract, Bayern looks to be a force for the foreseeable future.
Speaking of that youthful roster, Flick utilized three players that are often on the fringe of the roster. Midfielder Mickael Cuisance came on for Lucas Hernandez at half time and delivered a promising performance. Dusseldorf still couldn’t get through in the second half, and Cuisance played a big part in that. He still has much to learn, but the French midfielder has the potential to succeed at the club.
Alvaro Odriozola came on for Pavard at right-back and looked solid going down the field in attack. Joshua Zirkzee got some minutes in place of Thomas Muller. There was also a first-team debut for Oliver Batista-Meier. The teenager came on for the final ten minutes of the game, making a decent impression. Bayern has a core of youth players on the verge of making the step into the first team. In a season or two, could very well become the next Bavarian stars.
With the league almost wrapped up, Bayern will also have to focus on the DFB Pokal and the Champions League. The issue here is that there will be about three weeks between the end of the Pokal (if Bayern makes it to the final) and the resumption of the Champions League.
That amount of time off will prove tricky when going up against the world’s best. Restarting against a formidable Chelsea side will be much more difficult than it was against Union Berlin. Die Roten has a solid lead over Chelsea but will have to be back at their best quickly if they are to advance any further and have a chance at winning it all.
Honorable mentions for Bayern Munich
Leon Goretzka hasn’t gotten a lot of praise lately, but with Thiago out, Goretzka has stepped in, and the performance of the team hasn’t dropped at all. He was a rock in this match. When Kimmich went back to center back in the second half, he stepped up and led the midfield. It was a very underrated performance.
What will happen when Niklas Sule returns? Jerome Boateng has looked fantastic recently, and so has David Alaba. However, Sule has been a top defender for Die Roten in the past couple of seasons. An absolute tank in the back, Sule has great passing ability, is an elite set-piece defender, and is deceptively quick.
The defense right now looks rock solid, but Sule could add so much. The good performances of other defenders will help Die Roten to give Sule an ample amount of time to make a smooth comeback from the injury. There is currently no need to rush him back to the starting XI.
It feels like a broken record, but Kingsley Coman offered absolutely nothing in attack. One would think against a bottom team like Dusseldorf that he would excel, but that wasn’t the case. At this point, Bayern fans will want Ivan Perisic to get more starting minutes given his track record and with how poorly Coman has been.