Bayern Munich: Takeaways from victory over Hertha
By Isaac Rivers
On Matchday 30 of the Bundesliga season, Bayern Munich hosted bottom-of-the-table Hertha BSC, a game in which both sides desperately needed to come away with a win. A win for Bayern would see them retake the lead, whereas a win for Hertha would see them only three points away from breaking free of the relegation zone. With two late goals, Die Roten were able to come away victorious. Here are three takeaways from Rekordmeister’s 2-0 win over Hertha.
Defining win for Thomas Tuchel
It is evident that the start of the Thomas Tuchel era at Bayern has been very rocky. Prior to this game, Die Rotenhad only won two of their seven games with Tuchel at the helm– not having a win since April 8 which came against Freiburg in the Bundesliga.
However, this dominant performance provides a promising look for the remainder of the season. This was the best defensive performance since Tuchel had taken over, with the defenders looking the most stable they have been for a very long time. This was the critical performance that this side needed to help drive them through the final four games. It could well prove to be the defining win for Tuchel at Bayern.
Bayern lacks cutting edge in the final third
This matchup saw Die Roten dominate in every sense of the game. When it comes to stats, Bayern maintained an astounding 81.3% of possession– a feat that seems nearly impossible, outshot Hertha 26 to two, secured 18 corner kicks compared to Hertha’s one, and attempted 765 passes compared to Hertha’s 180.
These seem to be video game-esque stats, but Bayern still did not come away with a convincing win. Even though Reckordmeister racked up 26 total shots, only nine were on target. This means their shot accuracy was only at 34.6%. With 26 shots, more than two goals should be scored. Though Bayern still came away with the win, it is clear that the team was not clinical in the final third. (Stats courtesy: (Stats courtesy: Fotmob)
Another big shift in the title race
Coming into this match, Bayern were sitting in second place with 59 points– just one point behind the league leaders Borussia Dortmund. This season has seen the most competitive title race in recent years between these two sides, trading off positions time and time again.
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Not only did Die Roten come away with three points after this victory against Hertha, but Dortmund also dropped two points away at Bochum. As a result, Bayern has now moved past the rivaling side as the Bavarians now sit in first with 62 points. As it stands, Bayern can win the title on their own accord. If they can win out the remainder of the season, they will not need to worry about what the remainder of Dortmund’s season looks like.
With just four games left in the season, Rekordmeister will be looking to finish strong as they are currently one point atop the table. Their next match will be played against Werder Bremen on May 6.