Robert Lewandowski heaps praises on former Bayern Munich teammate

Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller once made a formidable attacking duo in Bayern Munich. They played together for eight seasons between 2014 and 2022, during which they won the Bundesliga every season and lifted 19 trophies.

In an exclusive interview with Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand, the Polish striker reminisced about his partnership with Müller during his Bayern days, and explained what made the German such an effective player.

"Thomas Müller was a very intelligent guy on the pitch."

- Robert Lewandowski

Lewandowski then went on to explain how he and Müller communicated while pressing high. Thomas, in his typical Radio Müller fashion, would yell out to the striker the side that he needs to block, which would allow Müller to focus on pressing from the other side. This manoeuvre would restrict more than one passing option for the opposition player who has the ball. Robert would always trust his instructions and in this manner, they often caged their opponents effectively through a high press. 

Thomas Müller’s pressing is selfless, relentless, but most importantly, incredibly smart. One can often see him screaming instructions to his teammates to organize Bayern’s attacking press. This leadership in attack has been immensely valuable for Die Roten for many years.

"He didn’t have the best shot, he didn’t have the best technique or the speed, but he read the game like nobody else in football."

- Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski may have given a very clichéd description of Thomas Müller’s playstyle, but it is the truth all the same. The 35-year-old is renowned for his high-IQ on the football field, and it has more often then not compensated for his not-so-exemplary athletic and technical abilities. Müller once famously described his role on the football field as one of a 'Raumdeuter' which means a space investigator. The playmaker has a penchant for always being in the right place at the right time. This enables him to be an effective goal-threat without particularly having to beat other players on pace and physicality. 

Lewandowski greatly value's Muller's drive on the pitch

Robert later went on to praise Muller’s drive and optimism on the football field. He also pointed out his ‘by hook or crook’ nature of play which brought about a high degree of efficiency in his game.

Muller may not score the most glamorous goals or play pin-point defense splitting passes regularly, but he gets the job done regardless. The attacking midfielder has scored a staggering 245 goals for Bayern Munich, while also having a humongous assist tally which puts him up with some of the best playmakers in the history of the sport. 

Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller shared a special connection in Bayern’s attack over a span of eight seasons. Together, they won every possible trophy and spearheaded Bayern through their most successful period in recent history.