Bayern Munich defeated RB Leipzig 1-0 to increase their lead at the top of the Bundesliga table to seven points. It was a hard-fought victory for Die Roten who were without their star striker Robert Lewandowski. Here are three key statistics from the massive away win.
Bayern get the job done despite being outshot
It’s not often that Rekordmeister registers fewer shots than their opponents. However, that was the case on Saturday as Leipzig outshot visitors. The hosts recorded 14 shots while the visitors registered nine. This was actually the exact number of shots Die Roten had when the clubs first met back in December.
The nine shots Die Roten recorded were one of the lowest shot totals they have had in a Bundesliga match this season. Only their Matchday Six fixture against FC Koln saw them produce fewer shots. One of the clear parallels between these two performances was that Lewandowski was not in the lineup for either match.
The absence of Lewandowski does have an effect on the overall output of Flick’s attacking players, but they found a way to get the job done against Leipzig without their star striker on the pitch. They took advantage of the opportunity that came their way and was the more clinical side in the end.
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A strong defensive performance
Entering this match, Leipzig had only failed to score in two Bundesliga fixtures this season. While their defensive record has been a standout reason for their success, offensively they have remained consistent as well.
After conceding three goals to Leipzig in their first meeting of the season, Die Roten was able to hold their opponents scoreless on Saturday to become just the third Bundesliga club this season to register a clean sheet against Leipzig. This might just prove to be the biggest clean sheet performance of the 2020/21 Bundesliga campaign for the defending champions.
Muller reaches 15 assists
Thomas Muller’s assist set up Leon Goretzka for the lone goal in the match. It was Muller’s 15th assist of the season as he continues to lead the Bundesliga in assists. This is only the second time in his career he’s registered 15 assists or more in a single Bundesliga season.
Last season was his career-best with 21 assists in 33 appearances in the German top flight. His 15 assists speak to the impact he’s had for Bayern in the current campaign. He will remain a key player for Bayern as the season continues and his impactful performances will be needed more than ever in the coming weeks as Lewandowski remains sidelined with an injury.