After the long international break, Bayern Munich managed to resume Bundesliga in the best possible manner. The Bavarian club had a successful trip to Freiburg on Saturday as they registered a 4-1 victory against the home side. The win against Freiburg and Dortmund’s defeat against RB Leipzig ensured that Bayern went nine points clear at the top of the points table.
The first half against Freiburg was fiercely contested. Die Roten found it difficult to break down Freiburg’s resilient defense. The home side didn’t threaten much in the final third, but they successfully managed to keep the visiting side’s star forwards quiet for 45 minutes.
The breakthrough for Die Roten eventually came in the second half through a set-piece. The opener from the Bavarian club woke up Freiburg as they looked more threatening in the final third. Eventually, Freiburg was rewarded for their resilience with a well-taken equaliser.
Some inspiring changes from Julian Nagelsmann made sure that Die Roten stepped up and scored crucial goals to clinch victory. It was a very efficient performance from Bayern players. Nevertheless, it is a very important victory that will set the tone for the remainder of the season. Let us look at some crucial takeaways from the win against Freiburg.
Leon Goretzka returns with a bang for Bayern Munich
The game against Freiburg marked a start for Leon Goretzka after four months. The German midfielder has been struggling with a knee injury since the win against Borussia Dortmund at the start of December. After a few setbacks, Goretzka has finally recovered from this injury.
Goretzka marked his return to the starting lineup with a complete midfield performance. In the hour-long appearance, Goretzka managed to show what exactly Die Roten has been missing in the past four months.
The former Schalke midfielder provided the much-needed tenacity and steel to the midfield. He was near flawless defensively, making crucial tackles and interceptions to win the ball in the right positions. The German midfielder kept things ticking in the center of the park and made sure that the defense was well guarded against the counter-attacks of Freiburg.
Goretzka had two shots on target in 60 minutes against Freiburg. One of these two shots was converted in the goal as he headed the ball past the goalkeeper after Joshua Kimmich delivered a pin-point cross from a freekick. Goretzka will need a few more games to get the complete match fitness, but his performance against Freiburg bodes well for the next couple of months.
Kingsley Coman continues to thrive under Julian Nagelsmann at Bayern Munich
Kingsley Coman is one of the many players that have thrived under Julian Nagelsmann this season. The French winger is much more consistent under the German coach. He continues to become a reliable forward for Die Roten week in, week out, as he had a solid outing against Freiburg on Saturday.
In the turgid first half, Coman was the only attacking player for Die Roten that was producing scoring chances for the team. He delivered a dangerous cross from the left flank, but Thomas Muller couldn’t finish it at the far post. Everything positive for Die Roten went through Coman for the majority of the game against Freiburg.
Coman was very proactive in the final third for Die Roten. He was also efficient with through passes and shots on target throughout the game. The French winger managed to have 100% success with attempted through passes in the game. Meanwhile, he had three shots on target against Freiburg. (Stats courtesy: Whoscored)
A fine afternoon for Coman was capped off with a very good goal. Dayot Upamecano found Coman on the left flank with a long pass. The French winger managed to beat the defender and then unleash a powerful shot at the near post to seal the points for Die Roten. Nagelsmann will be hoping that Coman continues to come up with big goals in the next couple of months.
Serge Gnabry responds positively to his demotion to the bench
The international break was dominated by the speculation surrounding the future of Serge Gnabry. The German winger has been linked with a move away from Bavaria since he is yet to reach an agreement over a new contract. His performances have also reportedly been affected due to the constant speculation.
Gnabry has endured a lean patch in the past couple of months, which meant that he was not an automatic starter for Die Roten. He started on the bench against Freiburg as Nagelsmann went ahead with Coman and Leroy Sane in the wide positions.
The German winger might be disappointed with this decision, but he responded in the best possible manner. Gnabry came on in the second half and showed great composure to restore Die Roten’s lead. He made some very good runs on the right flank and got himself in promising positions in the box. Playing as a pure winger instead of a wing-back also helped Gnabry on Saturday.
Gnabry also showed great composure to set up the goal for Marcel Sabitzer. The German winger’s promising cameo will definitely give more selection headache to Nagelsmann ahead of the Champions League against Villarreal. Gnabry will be looking to build on this good performance and end the season strongly.