Bayern Munich: Top performers from first-leg loss vs Man City
By Isaac Rivers
Bayern Munich resumed Champions League action on Tuesday with a trip to Manchester City in the first leg of the quarter-final. The buildup towards this heavyweight clash was largely dominated by Thomas Tuchel’s previous solid record against Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola. However, Tuchel couldn’t help Bayern to clinch a positive result in Manchester as Guardiola’s men delivered an emphatic performance to get closer to a place in the semi-final.
Manchester City scored three goals on Tuesday and kept the clean sheet, giving Bayern a mountain to climb in the next week’s second leg in Munich. A 3-0 defeat rarely sees good performances on the pitch, but the following three players for Bayern stood out at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
Yan Sommer
Facing off against a side that features Erling Haaland– the man who has scored ten goals in his previous three matches– is a daunting task for any keeper. However, Yan Sommer stood his ground and took that challenge head-on. Even though Bayern conceded three goals in the first leg, this was Sommer’s best performance yet in a Bayern jersey.
The three goals that tainted Sommer’s class performance came from a freakish curling shot from Rodri and two horrific defensive errors. In instances that Sommer could control, the Swiss keeper made six tremendous saves. If Bayern can turn things around in the second leg, they definitely have Sommer to thank for keeping Man City down to three goals at Etihad Stadium.
Joshua Kimmich
Joshua Kimmich played a crucial role on Tuesday whenever Bayern Munich was controlling the game. Right from the whistle, it was clear that Kimmich’s main role in this match was to contain Kevin De Bruyne– which he did quite successfully for most of the game. The German midfielder fared really well when it comes to defensive duties in the center of the park.
In an extremely competitive first half, Kimmich was a rock on defense. His positioning was spot on with two goal-saving slide tackles that cut out the cross at the last second. Kimmich’s biggest play came in the second half when Bayern was experiencing a disastrous defensive passage, which ended with an outstanding blocked shot in front of the goal from Kimmich. The German midfielder was also very efficient with the ball whenever Die Roten was having long spells of possession.
Leroy Sane
Returning to Manchester for the first time since his transfer two seasons ago, Leroy Sane stood out as the best attacker for Bayern on Tuesday. Though he was rather quiet throughout the first half, it was Sane’s shooting that injected some sort of life in the final third.
The first half ended with a decent Sane shot from a great distance out, but it was enough to keep Manchester City keeper Ederson on his toes. The second half kicked off with another great shot from the German forward which drew an impressive save from Ederson as the ball wobbled through the wind. Impressively enough, Sane recorded all four of Bayern’s shots on target. Even though he could not bring one back for Bayern, Sane was still the best player on the pitch.
Next. Kimmich identifies key problem in recent performances. dark
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Losing by three goals is a tough result to face. It is a steep hill to climb for Bayern, but they will be looking to mount a historic comeback in the second leg. Bayern Munich will host Manchester City on April 19.