The good run of form for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga continued on Saturday. The defending champions didn’t have the best start against Darmstadt, but they made up for it in the second half by scoring eight goals. It was a remarkable game which also had three red cards (one for Bayern and two for Darmstadt).
Courtesy of the big win against Darmstadt, Bayern temporarily moved to the top of the points table. Bayer Leverkusen will be playing against Freiburg on Sunday. It was a terrific performance from Die Roten on Saturday, but let’s look at the three players that shone the most at Allianz Arena.
Harry Kane
Harry Kane ran the show for Bayern Munich in the final third. The English forward showed a lot of grit and skill while scoring the hat trick on Saturday. The first goal was all about determination as he outmuscled the defender to head the ball into the goal. The second goal was the best of the lot and probably a contender for goal of the season. Kane was aware of the goalkeeper coming off the line, so he took a looping shot from the half-line to beat him.
The hattrick clinching goal for Kane highlighted how good he is at timing runs in the final third. He made the perfect run to meet Leroy Sane’s defense-splitting pass. It was a complete performance from the English forward as he also had an assist to his name. With 12 goals and five assists in nine Bundesliga games, Kane couldn’t have asked for a better start to life in Munich.
Konrad Laimer
After the dismissal of Joshua Kimmich in the fourth minute, Konrad Laimer had to play the role of number six and eight. The Austrian midfielder passed this test with flying colours. Laimer was everywhere defensively, helping the team to keep the clean sheet.
From an attacking point of view, Laimer was making good late runs into the box. His run in the box led to the first red card for Darmstadt. The Austrian midfielder was also tidy on the ball, as he had a passing accuracy of 97% in the game. Laimer rounded off a strong midfield performance by perfectly picking the run of Leroy Sane for Bayern’s second goal.
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Noussair Mazraoui
Bayern haven’t been fixed on one right-back this season. Laimer and Noussair Mazraoui have been sharing the duties in this position since the start of the campaign. Mazraoui has lacked consistency, which has forced Tuchel to stick with Laimer in this role for a few games. The Moroccan defender delivered a clinical performance against Darmstadt to strengthen his case for a long run in the right-back position.
Mazraoui was secure on the ball against Darmstadt, completing 90% of the passes he attempted. He provided the assist for Kane’s first goal with a great cross. The Moroccan defender also played the perfect for Thomas Muller’s goal later in the game. He was also solid defensively, winning 100% of aerial duels and 67% of ground duels. Mazraoui should use this performance as a springboard to cement his place in the starting XI. (All Stats courtesy: Fotmob)