Bayern Munich players dig deep to win against Borussia Monchengladbach.
Manager Rating
Hansi Flick — 7/10
Flick got the starting XI spot on against Borussia Monchengladbach, but he couldn’t mask the absences of Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski by coming up with something different tactically. The timing of substitutes was perfect, though. The changes provided much-needed intensity for Bayern Munich, helping them to win 2-1 in a game that was staring at 1-1 draw.
Player Ratings
GK, Manuel Neuer — 7/10
Gladbach created some big chances to test Neuer in the first half. The German international was equally competitive to stop these shots from going in. The most notable save was against Breel Embolo from close range just before Zirkzee opened the scoring for Die Roten. His passing was on point for the most part of the game.
DEF, Benjamin Pavard — 7/10
A mixed outing for Pavard by his high standards. The Frenchman looked poor throughout the game. His positioning while defending was perfect, but his passing was erratic which often lead to turnovers. Own goal further compounded the misery for him as he endured his first poor performance since the resumption of football. However, he redeemed himself by providing the assist for the winning goal.
DEF, Jerome Boateng — 7/10
Jerome Boateng could end up getting a new deal with the way he is performing under Flick. The German defender was at it from the word go, making important blocks and interceptions to stop Gladbach to take advantage in the final third. He showed eagerness to press when Hoffman scored the disallowed goal. Apart from that error, the former German international was flawless at Allianz Arena on Saturday.
DEF, David Alaba — 7/10
Similar to Boateng, Alaba also had a comfortable outing on Saturday. His defending was never in question as he kept Breel Embolo quiet for most of the game. Alaba dropped in midfield when Die Roten were struggling to build-up play in the second half. He also made late runs in the box when Bayern were looking for the important second goal.
DEF, Lucas Hernandez — 7/10
Hernandez started for the second time in the Bundesliga since football returned in mid-May. The French defender was tenacious while defending, making important tackles and interceptions to nullify the threat of Hermann. However, the French defender was not effective in the final third, struggling to provide attacking impetus whenever Perisic was going inside.
Midfield continues to shine for Bayern Munich
MID, Joshua Kimmich — 8/10
It was just another routine performance for Kimmich. Delivering consistent performances has become a cakewalk for Kimmich as he efficiently controlled the tempo of the game against Gladbach. The German international knows when to press and when to hold his position as number six. His expansive passing range was on display as he was finding the runs of forwards in the box with pinpoint long balls. Kimmich is doing all simple things perfectly right now and finding such a good consistency, making it difficult to distinguish between his performances from previous games.
MID, Leon Goretzka — 9/10
Another game week, another Leon Goretzka master class. The German midfielder was expected to start in number ten role, but Thiago Alcantara’s injury meant that Goreztka had to operate as a box to box midfielder. He continued his rich vein of form in this role- shielding the back four and keeping the play ticking in the center of the park. Goretzka was also a potent option on set pieces, but his most vital contribution in the game as he scored the winner for Die Roten. The goal summed up Goretzka as a midfield player. He timed his late run in the box to perfection and poked the ball into the net to take Die Roten closer to the league title.
A quiet evening for Bayern Munich forwards
FWD, Serge Gnabry — 6/10
Gnabry was the most proactive attacking player behind Zirkzee. The German forward was making industrious runs in the box, and also tried to force shots in the box, but lacked the accuracy that he usually boasts. He often dropped deep to progress play, but that hardly helped the team as other attacking players were static. The German winger had one brilliant volley saved by Sommer in the second half. He huffed and puffed, to no great avail.
FWD, Mickael Cuisance — 6/10
Finally, Cuisance got his first start for Die Roten in the Bundesliga. However, the French midfielder couldn’t make the most out of this opportunity. He kept the play ticking in the number ten role when more imagination was needed from him in this position. The Frenchman did the basics right, but then he couldn’t make an impression to provide a selection headache to Flick in upcoming games.
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FWD, Ivan Perisic — 6/10
A below-average performance from the Croatian forward. Perisic struggled to stamp his authority in the game as he continued to play the safer passes in the final third. In the absence of Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski, the onus was on Perisic to be more penetrative in the box. Apart from a nice layoff for Cuisance early in the first half, the Croatian struggled to make an impact on the game. Flick decided to stick with him for most of the game, though. He was eventually substituted for Javi Martinez in the dying minutes of the game.
Teenage striker continues to impress for Bayern Munich
ST, Joshua Zirkzee — 8/10
Filling in for Lewandowski is never an easy job. Joshua Zirkzee still managed to impress despite being less influential than the Polish striker. The Dutch forward showed neat touches in and around the box, holding up the ball strongly to bring other forwards into play. Showed his finishing skills by pouncing on to the poor pass from Yann Sommer. He also worked hard for the team while defending. The teenager continues to impress in limited starts he is getting in the first team.
Substitutes
DEF, Alphonso Davies — 7/10
Alphonso Davies made an immediate impact by providing more impetus in the final. The teenage full-back was relentless while going forward and pressing the opposition to win the ball higher up the pitch.
FWD, Kingsley Coman — 7/10
Similar to Davies, Kingsley Coman also had a positive impact after coming on for Cuisance at the hour mark. The French winger provided width from the right flank, stretching Gladbach’s defense and opening up space for other forwards.
ST, Kwasi Okyere Wriedt — 6/10
Wriedt came on to make his second senior appearance for Die Roten late in the second half. The Ghanian striker showed neat touches in and around, but couldn’t force a strong save from Yann Sommer during his stay on the pitch.
MID, Javi Martinez— N/A
Javi Martinez came on late in the game as Die Roten looked to see out the game after scoring the winning goal.