Bayern Munich fans have strong case to make for several players in the squad to for the player of Hinrunde award. Harry Kane will probably peep every player to this award due to his incredible goalscoring record during the first half of the season.
However, the award for being the revelation of Hinrunde will be easily won by Lennart Karl. The youngster has taken the first team football like a duck to water. Karl became an important part of Bayern’s attack by the end of Hinrunde. The Belgian coach has rewarded Karl’s performances by giving him a run of consecutive starts.
Karl is currently averaging a goal or an assist every 100 minutes he plays for Bayern. The teenager has scored six goals and provided two assists for Die Roten across all competitions. He became the youngest player to score a goal in three consecutive Champions League games. Apart from his incredible output in the final third, Karl works hard out of possession and helps the team to maintain intensity in and out of possession.
The German media and pundits have been mesmerized by Karl’s impact in the first team at Bayern. While talking to SZ, Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller broke down Karl’s game and highlighted the youngster’s strengths that make him a very potent forward for Die Roten.
"His shooting technique is certainly exceptional. He has very good finishing, and that's already an excellent asset to have. Because if you play in attack for FC Bayern and you're energetic and agile, you'll constantly find yourself in scoring positions. Therefore, his goals aren't a fluke; he absolutely has the quality."Thomas Müller on Lennart Karl
Along with heaping praise on Karl, Müller also advised Karl to get into strong scoring positions on a consistent position to become a great player for Bayern. Muller insisted that efficiency in the final third will not matter if Karl cannot get into strong positions on a consistent basis.
Karl could make it to Germany’s squad for the World Cup
As things stand, Karl is on track to get at least a game time of 1500 minutes for Bayern this season. Considering his production in the final third, Karl could end up with 10 goals across all competitions, which is an incredible output for a 17-year-old forward.
With these stats and his overall play, Karl certainly has a good chance of making it to the World Cup squad for Germany. He will not start games for Germany, but can certainly make an impact from the bench. Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus has already urged Julian Nagelsmann to include Karl in his squad for the World Cup. The next international break is in March, so Karl has enough time to impress Nagelsmann.
Meanwhile, Bayern are trying to play down the hype around Karl as they want to protect him. The Bavarian club will have to manage his workload to avoid injuries and burnout. However, it is difficult not to be excited about what the Ruckrunde holds for Karl.