Bayern Munich: Takeaways from home win against RB Salzburg

Takeaways from Bayern Munich’s fourth consecutive CL win of the season.

After a poor performance in draw against Werder Bremen last weekend, Bayern Munich got back to winning ways against Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League. The performance was not entirely perfect, but the team did enough to clinch a 3-1 victory at Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

On the back of this victory, Die Roten sealed a place in the round of 16 of the competition. Since Atletico Madrid couldn’t beat Lokomotiv Moscow on Wednesday, the win over Salzburg also meant that Bayern would win the group irrespective of what happens in the last two games of the group stage.

RB Salzburg would be disappointed with this defeat against Die Roten as they created enough at Allianz Arena to take a point back home. However, the German Champions showed a ruthless streak in the final third, scoring goals at the right time to control the result of the game

The European Champions still look rusty since the international break as they struggled to limit Salzburg’s chances. There were some incredible individual performances, but here are some of the biggest takeaways from last night’s victory against the Austrian side.

Manuel Neuer ageing like a fine wine

The best players step up when the team is going through a rough patch of form. Bayern is not exactly going through a poor run of form, but the last two games have highlighted their weakness. On Wednesday, Salzburg was consistently getting past the defense and created some big opportunities to score. However, they came across a human wall in the form of Manuel Neuer.

The German international is getting better after leaving behind the injury concerns. Neuer made a tremendous double save in the box during the first half. The timing of the save was crucial as it came at a time when Die Roten was struggling to control the game and Salzburg was creating chances easily.

After going a man down, Neuer made another tremendous double save in the 70th minute to maintain the 3-0 scoreline. The German goalkeeper is back to being the best goalkeeper in the world after going through a low period after injuries in 2017 and 2018. He dominates the opposition while making saves. His intimate style of goalkeeper creates uncertainty in the mind of the attacker.

Neuer ended up making ten saves in the game, most for him in a Champions League game. This stat doesn’t bode well for the team’s defense, but it does highlight the excellent performance of Neuer. He was unlucky to not keep a clean sheet. However, he was definitely the man of the match for the German Champions. The German goalkeeper is getting better with age, which is excellent for Die Roten. (Stats courtesy: Whoscored)

Marc Roca had a good CL debut despite the red card

Flick finally gave Marc Roca minutes on the pitch since featuring against FC Duren in October. The Spanish midfielder partnered Leon Goretzka in the center of the park on Wednesday. The Spaniard had the chance to stake a claim for a place in the lineup by delivering a strong performance against RB Salzburg.

Roca did manage to play well in a deeper role. However, the red card midway through the second half did spill water on his plans. Until then, the Spaniard was quietly going about his job. He was dropping between the two center-back to play out from the back and often played line-breaking pass to beat Salzburg’s press.

The former Espanyol midfielder boasted the highest passing range in the starting XI by completing 95 % of his passes. It is a tremendous stat considering he was often playing the risky passes that can concede possession to the opposition. (Stats courtesy: Whoscored)

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Roca was unfortunate with two yellow cards as there was unlikely malicious intent in both challenges. Flick praised his performance during the post-match conference.

However, the red card will now keep Roca out of the game against Atletico Madrid next week. Considering it was a dead rubber for Die Roten, Roca would have got a nice experience by playing for Die Roten against tougher opposition. Nevertheless, keeping the red card out of the picture, Roca had a good CL debut for Bayern.

Leroy Sane continues to impress with cameos from the bench

It was another game for Bayern where Leroy Sane came off the bench and scored an important goal. The German winger came on for Serge Gnabry at the hour mark as Die Roten looked comfortable to see out the game. However, the red card to Roca at the 66th minute changed the complexion of the game.

The visitors were trying to take advantage of having an extra man and claw themselves back into the game. They did create chances consistently, but they got a sucker punch through yet another goal from the bench for Sane. The German winger headed the ball into the net after a delightful cross from Coman.

The goal against Salzburg was Sane’s fourth for Die Roten from the bench this season. His introduction often brings more urgency in the final third. He came on in Der Klassiker and scored the third goal that eventually turned out to be the difference between both times. Four out of five goals scored from Sane had a big impact on the result. (Stats courtesy: Whoscored)

Sane’s impact from the bench doesn’t mean that he cannot do similar things when he starts for Bayern. Right now, he is building up fitness after being out for a month due to a knee injury. His short cameos are helping him to build fitness and also helps the team as the German winger cannot stop scoring after coming off the bench.