Bayern Munich ends a poor week with a 1-1 draw against Union Berlin at Allianz Arena on Saturday. The draw for Rekordmeister meant that the lead at the top of Bundesliga is reduced to five points. It is not a disastrous result, but getting some sort of momentum before the big game against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday would have been a big confidence booster for the squad.
It was a frustrating afternoon as chances came very few for Die Roten in the final third. The performance was a bit rusty as Hansi Flick had heavily rotated the lineup. Even though it was a poor result, there were some good individual performances for Rekordmeister. Here are the top three performers from the draw against Union Berlin.
Jamal Musiala
Jamal Musiala was handed the start on the right flank as Leroy Sane was given a much-needed rest. The teenager made the most out of this opportunity by delivering a quality performance. Musiala was the sole bright spot in the first half for the home side as his couple of shots provided the scare to Union Berlin.
He kept up the momentum in the second half and scored a brilliant goal to give the lead to his team. Musiala showed great composure in the box to release his shot at the tight time as numerous Union Berlin defenders were putting bodies on the line before him. Musiala took four shots and created one chance during his stay on the pitch.
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Joshua Kimmich
Die Roten did manage the ball well for the majority of the game. They dictated the midfield with ease, and that was largely down to Joshua Kimmich. He was deployed in the number six position, so shielding the defense and sniffing danger in the final third were primary objectives for him, which he did fairly well.
The German midfielder had to defend a lot of spaces since Leon Goretzka was not present in the midfield. Moreover, Tiago Dantas and Thomas Muller largely operated as two number tens for most of the game. It was nothing spectacular from Kimmich, but he kept the play ticking in the center of the park.
Thomas Muller
Another Bundesliga game, another assist for Thomas Muller. The experienced German was, as usual industrious in the final third. However, his awareness of space was brilliantly visible in the setup of the goal. In a crowded box, he calmly managed to lay off the ball for Musiala in Die Roten’s only goal in the game.
Muller managed to play four key passes in the game, most for any Bayern player on the pitch. Even when the team was not at their best, Muller still manages to maintain a very good level of consistency in his performances. The German forward will be a crucial player on Tuesday to mount a comeback in the Champions League.
Stats courtesy: Whoscored