In part one of our three part series, we looked at the Bayern Munich defense. Now, it’s time to shift gears and examine the midfield, and see how good they were on an individual level.
Spoiler alert: Not
very good, as it turns out.
Midfielders
Tom Bischof
Minutes played: 689
Goals: 0
Assists: 3
Tom Bischof had a tough first half of the season, mostly because the coach preferred to use him as a stopgap at left-back rather than his natural position. The times he played in midfield, he looked good! As a left-back, he was average at best, and often well below average. This rating does not reflect on his quality as a midfielder.
Rating: 5.0/10
Leon Goretzka
Minutes played: 1,108
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Leon Goretzka is the worst player on the squad right now, bar none. The fact that he gets so many minutes is a travesty and shows how thin the midfield really is. Goretzka is less than a non-factor when he plays — he is an active detriment to the team. As someone who has always defended his performances, Leon has truly become indefensible this year. He hides on the pitch, shying away from the ball, passing sideways or backwards, never putting in more than a light jog.
His time at Bayern Munich is up.
Rating: 1.0/10
Aleksandar Pavlović
Minutes played: 1,319
Goals: 1
Assists: 1
Aleksandar Pavlović had a mixed Hinrunde, making it difficult to adequately assess his performances. He isn’t the type of player to grab the game by the scruff of its neck, but his presence is often crucial to maintaining midfield harmony. On the other hand, he has an unfortunate habit of going missing in certain games, like against Union Berlin in the Pokal. If he wants to reach the next step in his development, he has to improve his consistency.
Rating: 7.0/10
Joshua Kimmich
Minutes played: 1,938
Goals: 1
Assists: 7
Joshua Kimmich is another tough one to rate. If you grade him based on his September and October performances, he was great. If you look at his November-December performances, he was poor.
Kimmich suffered an ankle injury during the most recent international break, then played through that injury when Germany beat Slovakia. You get the sense that he never recovered full fitness — and the insistence on playing without rest didn’t help.
Kimmich is a controversial figure in the fanbase right now, so opinions on him can be extreme. According to the stats (via FBRef), he is in the 99th percentile among midfielders (in the top 5 leagues) for passes attempted and progressive passes, which shows why he is so vital to the system. On the other hand, for a supposed “defensive” midfielder, his defensive stats are poor — 4th percentile in tackles, 28th percentile in interceptions, 22nd percentile in blocks.
The stats describe a player who is more important to the offense than he is to the defense. Kimmich’s non penalty xAssists is in the 98th percentile for players in his position. While it is boosted by the corners he takes, open play is where he truly shines. Kimmich might benefit from a real defensive player as his partner — perhaps someone like Tom Bischof. Someone who can do the dirty work while he focuses on his strengths.
He would also benefit from some rest, he isn’t as young as he used to be. Bastian Schweinsteiger abused his body the same way and was a spent force by the time he turned 32. Kimmich can be a tremendous asset to Vincent Kompany and Bayern Munich, but only if he takes care of himself and plays within his limitations.
Rating: 6.9/10
Overall Midfield Rating: 6.0/10
The midfield has not been great this season, especially after the November international break. Vincent Kompany has a chance to address this in the second half of the season — mainly through more rotation, more Tom Bischof, and less Leon Goretzka. A fit Joshua Kimmich would also help tremendously.
There are also tactical tweaks Kompany can make to the system to improve the situation in midfield. Inverted fullbacks would help — Laimer is a midfielder to begin with, and could definitely underlap with Olise. Jamal Musiala’s return would also alleviate some pressure, with his ability to collect the ball from the defense and progress it up the pitch.
What the midfield really needs, however, is reinforcements. Leon Goretzka has to go, and he needs to be replaced with a player who fits the system. Unfortunately, Bayern are not the kind of team that does business in the winter, so some midfield problems (mainly defensive ones) will linger all the way until next season.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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