So Bayern Munich opted to rotate heavily against PSV Eindhoven in the final league stage game of the UEFA Champions League this season, and still came away with a narrow win. It was far from a vintage performance, the Dutch champions arguably dominated the first half, but that wasn’t enough for them to win in the end.
The win secures second place and a seeded position in the knockouts for Vincent Kompany’s team.
Jersey Swap: Ismael Saibari
Moroccan forward Ismail Saibari was one of a few bright spots for PSV Eindhoven, scoring
their only goal to make it 1-1 at the 78th minute. Had the scoreline held, they would have gone through to the qualifying round. Saibari looked the liveliest out of the entire PSV attack, and was ready to pounce on a Harry Kane giveaway in Bayern’s half. His goal featured a shot so spectacular, Jonas Urbig didn’t even have a chance.
Honorable mentions go out to former Bayern Munich treble winner Ivan Perišić and ex-Bayern target Sergiño Dest, who also had good games.
Der Kaiser: Jonathan Tah
Jonathan Tah had a quiet game, which is a good thing for a center-back. It means he had a near flawless game without any mistakes. Yes, he was caught out on the Saibari goal, but that was down to the nature of the giveaway — there wasn’t much Tah could have done to intervene. The rest of the time, he was exactly where he needed to be, backing up Ito on the left side or running interference for Upamecano.
Tah was a wall PSV found near-impossible to break down. A commendable outing for the big German.
Fußballgott: Tom Bischof
Tom Bischof started as a right-back, but his position was so inverted he basically played as a midfielder for the duration of the 90. This was arguably the 20-year-old’s best game in a Bayern shirt so far, one that Vincent Kompany will surely take notice of. He was proactive in the middle, securing tackles and making defense splitting passes, often able to release Lennart Karl (and later Michael Olise) on penetrating runs into the PSV half.
If this pans out, Bayern might have converted yet another midfielder into a right-back.
Der Bomber: Harry Kane
The England captain played for just 30 minutes and scored a goal. His shot was a well taken one, though the main credit should go to Luis Diaz for the assist (and Jonas Urbig for the pass). Still, Harry Kane demonstrates the sheer efficiency of his brand of football. He doesn’t need 90 minutes to stamp his authority on a game, 30 will do just fine. In terms of impact per 90, you can’t beat this man.
Meister of the Match: Jonas Urbig
After a rough outing against FC Augsburg where both goals were (arguably) his fault, Jonas Urbig needed this. Getting a rare second consecutive start, in the Champions League no less, Urbig seemed determined to make up for his last game and show that he has what it takes to succeed Manuel Neuer.
Each half highlighted a separate aspect of the 22-year-old’s game. In the first, when PSV were on the front foot, Urbig made some incredible saves to deny them the opening goal. In fact, it can be argued that FC Bayern only survived their first half due to their goalkeeper.
In the second half, Urbig’s distribution was on display. His ball out to Luis Diaz on the Kane goal was sublime, and he really should have had an assist a few minutes later, when he sent another long ball into the feet of Harry Kane. Kane, unfortunately, shot it at the keeper.
Urbig looked like a mini Manuel Neuer vs PSV, and games like these will do wonders for his confidence. Now, will this convince Kompany to give him minutes more often? We’ll have to wait and see.
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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