Bayern Munich: Top performers from 2-1 win against RB Leipzig

Much to the relief of fans, Bayern Munich ended a three-match losing streak with a hard-fought 2-1 win against RB Leipzig at the Allianz Arena on Saturday. In Bayern’s first game following the announcement that Thomas Tuchel would not be retained as coach beyond the end of the current season, fans were treated to a much-improved performance compared to the previous three games. The following three players contributed to the desperately needed victory.

Harry Kane

Form is temporary, but class is permanent. Against a dangerous RB Leipzig side Harry Kane returned to form just in time to drag Bayern over the finish line.

As early as the fifth minute, Kane showed that he was in the mood to do whatever it took for victory. In a single passage of play, Kane dropped deep to collect the ball and found the run of Raphael Guerreiro. The English striker then wasted no time in making himself a target in the box as Guerreiro picked him out with a well-measured cross. It took a brilliant save from Leipzig’s Janis Blaswich to deny Kane from opening the scoring with a superb header. The goalkeeper just managed to push the ball onto the post before gathering the rebound.

Although Kane had just 30 touches of the ball, his second-half brace courtesy of two excellent strikes with his weaker left foot proved the difference in a closely contested match. It was a man-of-the-match performance from the England Captain, with the winner coming in added time, despite the opposition’s best efforts to contain him.

Manuel Neuer

Following a goalless first-half, Bayern came out relatively flat to start the second-half. Neuer was the busier of the two goalkeepers. After not having to make any saves in the first-half, the sweeper-keeper denied the visitors on five separate occasions after the half-time interval.

With Bayern leading 1-0 in the 61st minute, Neuer made the save of the match as he denied Benjamin Sesko from just meters out. Not only did he stop what looked like a certain goal, he managed to cling onto the ball and then launch his team back on the offensive in the same passage of play. It was only thanks to a deflected shot from Sesko, which wrong-footed Neuer, in the 70th minute that the visitors were able to draw level.

Raphael Guerreiro

After a disappointing showing the previous weekend against Bochum, Guerreiro bounced back against RB Leipzig. He did well to put in a good shift against a determined Leipzig team. The Portuguese international balanced his defensive duties with some timely forays down the flank. As previously mentioned, his link-up play with Harry Kane almost led to an opening goal for Bayern in the fifth minute of the game.

Guerreiro’s willingness to stretch the Leipzig defence allowed Jamal Musiala to cut in from the left and put more pressure on Leipzig’s central defenders. With Real Madrid reportedly pressing hard, behind the scenes, to sign Alphonso Davies ahead of next season, some comfort can be derived from Raphael Guerreiro’s performance against RB Leipzig.