The final matchday of the Bundesliga saw Bayern Munich visiting FC Koln in a must-win game. Coming into this game, the title was all Borussia Dortmund’s to win. Sitting in first place, all Dortmund needed was a win to ruin Bayern’s chances at an 11th straight title.
Die Roten needed a win and a favour from Mainz at Signal Iduna Park to seal the title. After a ridiculous series of events on the final match day, Bayern scored the winner in the 89th minute and Dortmund was held by 10th-placed Mainz. Here are the top performers from Bayern’s 2-1 victory over FC Koln.
Benjamin Pavard
Benjamin Pavard led the defense with energy, precise tackling, and great offensive play. His solid defensive work on the right side of the field helped guide Die Roten to this crucial win. Overall, the backline performed very well, and if it weren’t for a handball, Rekordmeister would have been able to maintain the clean sheet.
Offensively, Pavard created problems for Koln with his through balls and adventurous runs. Another tactical advantage Pavard provided was his overlapping runs with Leroy Sane, leading to multiple promising offensive pressures. In all, Pavard was the best defensive player on the field today.
Kingsley Coman
Kingsley Coman was the brightest player in the final third for Die Roten on Saturday. He got the ball rolling by scoring a goal in the eighth minute, giving some sort of stability to the team in order to settle down during a crunch game. Moreover, an early goal against Koln would have certainly put more pressure on Dortmund.
Besides the lovely curling finish, Coman provided the most offensive pressure while he was on the field. He almost scored a second goal, but unfortunately, the ball was set rocketing off the post. This performance from Coman was a massive influence on Die Roten’s title-winning performance.
Jamal Musiala
Though he wasn’t on the field for very long, Jamal Musiala came up with a match-winning cameo. The youngster came on in the 85th minute to provide an attacking thrust. The 10 minutes on the pitch were enough for him to win the league title for Bayern by scoring a scintillating goal
Musiala provided an immediate burst of energy for the entire Bayern side, sparking a new life in the offense. In the short time, he was on the field, his dribbling was precise, passing was effortless, and his shooting was clinical. Though he only came on in the 85th minute, no one deserves this Man of the Match more than Musiala.
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In an exhilarating end to the 22/23 Bundesliga campaign, Bayern are now going into summer as German champions. Though it was not the prettiest win or the cleanest season, Bayern has came away victorious and will now be able to put in the necessary work in the off-season.