Bayern Munich players show grit against Lyon-Player Ratings

Midfielders endure a mixed game

MID, Thiago Alcantara — 6/10

After delivering a midfield masterclass against Barcelona, Thiago struggled against Lyon. His passing was poor by his usual high standards. When Lyon was dominating the game in the early exchanges of the game, Thiago was getting outrun and outmuscled by young midfielders. The Spaniard did manage to regain control after Die Roten scored two goals, but there were occasional lapses of concentration that led to turnovers in the second half. It was an off day for the elegant Spanish midfielder, so it was not surprising to see him replaced by Corentin Tolisso for the final ten minutes of the game.

MID, Leon Goretzka — 8/10

While Thiago had an off day, Leon Goretzka excelled for Die Roten against Lyon. The German midfielder kept it simple with his passing when the going got difficult for Bayern. He was the engine of the midfield, trying to close down spaces for Lyon in the final third with his clever positioning. As usual, Goretzka was also linking up with the attack by making late runs in the box. He found little success in the final third, but defensively he was astute for Die Roten in the midfield. There is still scope of improving the passing range for Goretzka, but in tight games like the one on Wednesday, his awareness is a big boon for Rekordmeister.