Player ratings from Bayern Munich’s 5-2 comeback victory over Mainz.
The first fixture of 2021 for Bayern Munich was an exciting and goal-filled match. After trailing 2-0 at halftime, Die Roten battled back in the second to score five unanswered goals to record a 5-2 victory. With four different players scoring for Bayern it was a complete team performance to come back and earn all three points at the Allianz Arena. Here are the player ratings from Bayern’s victory.
Manager
Hansi Flick-7/10
It was a rough start to the match for Flick and Bayern. The high backline was exposed on multiple occasions and the defensive struggles continue as they have registered just two clean sheets so far this season. With that being said, Flick’s changes in the second half made an impact on the final result of the match. Switching Joshua Kimmich to the right-back role and bringing on Leon Goretzka and Niklas Süle at halftime proved to be crucial moves. Süle ended up scoring a key third goal for Bayern and Kimmich thrived at right back. It may have not been the best performance from Bayern but Flick made the necessary changes to get the victory.
Player Ratings
GK, Manuel Neuer-8/10
Neuer certainly was influential in holding Mainz to two goals. The visitors had plenty of opportunities to score but the Bayern goalkeeper was able to make five saves to help lead Die Roten to victory. His five saves move his season total in the Bundesliga up to 40 saves. He currently ranks ninth in the German top flight in this statistical category.
CB, Jerome Boateng-6/10
The controversial VAR decision on the push on Boateng by Jonathan Burkardt was the main event of the match involving Boateng. It led to the opening goal of the match and should have been called back for the foul. The Bayern center back would finish with one interception and one clearance in terms of defensive actions. Flick brought on Süle at halftime to replace Boateng so it ended up being a rather short appearance for Boateng.
CB, David Alaba-6/10
Alaba anchored the backline and played the entire match. He finished with two interceptions and completed 92% of his passes.
RB, Benjamin Pavard-6/10
It was a short appearance for Pavard in this match as he was replaced at halftime. The Frenchman had two interceptions and one clearance in the 45 minutes he played. Pavard did have a well-placed pass in the first half when his long pass found Robert Lewandowski who set up Leroy Sane with Bayern’s first real scoring opportunity of the match.
LB, Alphonso Davies-7/10
Davies had a strong performance at left-back for Bayern. He caused an own goal in the second half but the goal was ruled out for offside by VAR. A well-struck shot in the 78th minute was another highlight of his performance as he nearly scored a fantastic goal from outside the penalty area. Davies finished with one key pass, three tackles, three interceptions, and two clearances.