Fringe players shine for Bayern Munich
There were quite a few surprises when Hansi Flick announced the starting lineup, and people saw some young faces. Mickael Cuisance once again got a start and looked much improved from his last start. His touches were more controlled and passes more accurate. It was his toughness and effort that led to the third goal.
The French midfielder received the ball in his half and looked to advance the ball down the field as Freiburg players tried to bring him down. He broke through and launched a brilliant team move that resulted in a goal. Fans can see the future is bright for the 20-year-old, and he can have a positive impact on the team.
Lucas Hernandez was another starter who looked much improved from his last start. The reason Hernandez gets put in this list is because of his injuries this season and the number of games he’s missed. After Alphonso Davies received a red card against Bremen, fans knew that Hernandez would get the start to replace him in the lineup this weekend.
Defensively, Hernandez was solid and made several key plays. In the final third, Hernandez was a vital cog in providing width for the team. It was his run and cross that gave Bayern their third goal to seal the game. It would be nice to see Hernandez get another start next weekend after showing a lot of promise in this match.
Sven Ulreich was another new addition to the lineup and looked up to snuff for the match. Regular starter and team captain Manuel Neuer was given a much-needed rest after playing most of the entire season and being a rock in the goal. However, Ulreich looked solid and made many key saves. Freiburg were able to get a goal, but that was not because of Ulreich as he tried to come out and stop the oncoming attacker. It will be interesting to see if he gets the start next weekend as well or if Neuer will be back in. Ulreich played well enough to warrant the discussion.