Takeaways from Bayern Munich’s crucial victory against Freiburg.
Bayern Munich huffed and puffed on Sunday to get over the line against Freiburg. It was by no means Die Roten’s best performance, but the victory could prove to be pivotal in the context of the season. The victory also opened a lead of four points at the top of the table.
It has been the most difficult period for Die Roten under Hansi Flick. The German Champions have been struggling to stamp their authority on the pitch. Most importantly, they are allowing the opposition to have a period of domination every game.
Sunday was also no different. Bayern started well and created chances against Freiburg. The German Champions did get a goal early in the game after a superb team move. As the game went on, Freiburg grew into it and eventually scored the equalizer at the hour mark.
The hosts had to dig deep as Freiburg was defending well and looked threatening at the break. The winner came at 75th minute, but Die Roten had to survive a scare in the injury time as Freiburg rattled the post. Despite the result, it was not a convincing display, but there were some important takeaways for Rekordmeister from this victory that bodes well for upcoming games.
Leroy Sane showing signs of getting back to his best
Serge Gnabry was rewarded with a start on Sunday after his good display in the DFB Pokal clash against Holstein Kiel. The German forward looked sharp, but his stay was cut short by an injury. Flick replaced him in the 28th minute with Leroy Sane.
Sane took this opportunity with both hands. He looked like a player who was determined to show the manager that he deserves more starts. The German winger showed glimpses of him getting back to his best as he showed a lot of decisiveness in the final third. His dribbling was helping in opening up spaces for other forwards.
The German international could improve with his efficiency in front of the goal as he had only one shot on target from three shots that he took in 60 minutes. His lively performance in the final third was rewarded with an assist for the winner. Sane gracefully chested an aerial pass in the path of Muller for the second goal. (Stats courtesy: Whoscored)
Sane has endured a tough start to his career at Bayern. However, there have been signs of progress since the end of winter break. He maintained his good form on Sunday, so the consistency in performances is just around the corner.
Thomas Muller’s persistence eventually pays off
Thomas Muller has been the creative force for Bayern Munich during the treble-winning campaign. His numbers this season have been good, but not as sensational as they were last year. In the past few games, the German forward has found it difficult to make an impact in the final third.
Despite things not going his way, Muller works hard for the team. His movement cannot be quantified in stats, so it often goes unnoticed. Muller has been leading the press and drops deep to help the team to see out a difficult phase in the game.
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Against Freiburg, Muller’s persistence paid off and helped him to get a goal and assist. The assist was a beautiful team goal, but the first time pass by Muller just killed Freiburg’s defense. After a superb assist, Muller also managed to come up with the pivotal goal late in the game.
Muller’s effect may wane with time in terms of goals and assists, but he still adds a lot of value to the team on the pitch. Even during the lean patch, his work rate is never compromised, so it was nice to see him get rewarded for his hard work with an important goal and assist against Freiburg.
Benjamin Pavard delivers an encouraging performance
Despite the victory on Sunday, there are still worrying signs about Bayern’s defense. The team ended up conceding a goal from a set-piece and made things nervy in the second half. However, there was one promising sign at the back in the form of Benjamin Pavard.
The French defender has struggled to emulate consistent performances from last season. Flick publicly backed him to come good. His persistence with Pavard in the lineup did pay off against Freiburg. The Frenchman looked somewhat near to his best on Sunday.
In the defensive phase, Pavard was winning duels against the forward players. His positioning was better than what it has been this season. While going forward, he looked much more confident on the ball. The French international combined brilliantly with Gnabry on the right flank for the first goal. He also had a very good chance to score during a corner routine in the second half.
Flick will be hoping that this game will be the start of a good run of form for Pavard. The Frenchman provides a good balance in the back four, so it is essential for the team’s dynamics that he gets back to his best before the knockout rounds of the Champions League.