Bayern Munich made it three league wins in a row on Saturday as they came from behind to beat Borussia Monchengladbach at Allianz Arena. It was a crucial win for Bayern as they remain in touching distance of the top spot in the points table before next weekend’s clash against league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
The Bavarian club looked good in the final third against Gladbach from the word go, but they didn’t have a goal to show for their dominance. The visitors eventually scored the opener, which further fuelled the spark in the hosts. Aleksandar Pavlovic scored a stunner from a tight angle to level the score. The Bavarian club went on to score two goals in the second half to clinch a 3-1 victory.
Pavlovic was handed another start in the Bundesliga on Saturday as Joshua Kimmich continues to recover from a shoulder injury. The young German midfielder is making the most of these opportunities as he continues to impress in the center of the park.
After scoring away at Augsburg last weekend, Pavlovic scored his first Bundesliga goal at Allianz Arena on Saturday. While talking to Sky Sports after the game, Pavlovic expressed his happiness to score in front of home fans after years of hard work in the academy.
""I was a ball boy here for many years. To score a goal in front of these fans is just fantastic. FC Bayern means everything to me.""Aleksandar Pavlovic
Pavlovic has shown great maturity in and out of possession for Die Roten ever since his cameo against Borussia Dortmund in November. He went on to start three games during the final phase of Hinrunde when other senior midfielders were on the sidelines due to injury and suspension.
The 19-year-old returned to the starting lineup against Augsburg last weekend after Kimmich was ruled out due to injury. He marked his first start of Ruckrunde by opening the scoring against Augsburg. The youngster followed up the performance against Augsburg with a complete performance at Allianz Arena on Saturday.
Pavlovic’s rapid rise has given Thomas Tuchel a good option for the number six position. The young midfielder’s emergence allowed Die Roten to delay the plans to strengthen the midfield in January.
Pavlovic has chipped in with two goals and two assists in ten appearances for Bayern across all competitions. The Bavarian faithful will hope that Pavlovic will also follow in the footsteps of Jamal Musiala and strengthen his place in the squad. He should be aiming to make 20-25 appearances for the first team until the end of the season.