Bayern Munich saw off newly promoted SV Elversberg 2-1 in a rather tight match, putting an end to the latter’s fairytale start to the season. The Rekordmeister started off slowly, allowing Elversberg momentum, but took the lead through a powerful shot from Lennart Karl.
Elversberg drew one back thanks to a wonderful shot from ex-Bayern player Maurice Krattenmacher, but Harry Kane did what he does best and scored the winner, ensuring Bayern left the magical 11,150-seat arena with all three points.
Here are the awards from the game.
Jersey Swap: Maximilian Rohr
This award could have gone to quite a few players, which exemplifies Elversberg’s fantastic performance today. But the winner for today’s Jersey Swap had to be a defender, and Rohr made a wonderful case for himself.
Rohr blocked six shots on goal and put his body on the line the entire second half, masterfully preventing many of Bayern’s constant attacks from reaching the back of the net. It was an exemplary defensive performance from him, and alongside his fellow centre-back Lukas Pinckert, the Elversberg defense went toe-to-toe with Bayern’s world-class attack to the very end.
Honorable Mention(s)
Amongst those in the running was Noah Darvich, who came on at the tenth minute after Francis Onyeka picked up an injury, but very much rose to the occasion with his commendable work rate, creating chances for Cole Campbell & Co while also making well-spotted runs into Bayern’s box on every counter. Darvich drove Elversberg’s attack today, and deserved a mention in the awards.
Der Kaiser: Kim Min-jae
Elversberg, while outmatched on paper, approached the game with fury and made every counter count, testing Bayern’s defense every chance they got. Both centre-backs recorded solid games today, but Kim won almost every one-on-one challenge he faced and maintained composure against a team that switched gears in record time. Granted, there were some close calls, such as the sequence that almost ended in him netting an own goal. He did fantastic for the most part.
The full-backs, on the other hand, did not have games as memorable. Josip Stanišić in particular had a very questionable defensive display, particularly in the lead-up to Krattenmacher’s goal. In contrast, Alphonso Davies was very solid coming on, but his fewer minutes left less of an impact on the game than Min-jae did.
Fußballgott: Aleksandar Pavlović
For large stretches of the first half, the Pavlović and Tom Bischof pairing felt lacking. Bischof’s performance was subpar, and one could sense that Joshua Kimmich was missing on the pitch. With Kimmich’s introduction in the second half, the midfield seemed rejuvenated and elevated Pavlović‘s game. Pavlović continued to boss the midfield and got a lot more involved going forward, picking up an assist to Harry Kane’s unbelievable goal.
He wins the Fußballgott award, and Bayern are once again reminded how key Kimmich is to unlocking the full potential of their midfield.
Der Bomber: Lennart Karl
Lennart Karl was by far the most effective forward wearing red in the first half of the match. As Ismael Saibari started on the wing and Michael Olise played in the center, neither (particularly the latter) could find their footing. Karl drove ahead convincingly and had a shot or two that set the tone before finally bagging the opener and celebrating by shushing the home fans, which drew their ire and led to him getting booed for every touch he took after his goal.
Following the goal, Karl’s game seemed to quieten (presumably due to the hounding from Elversberg fans). It means that despite a solid showing, his performance just fell short of the MOTM award.
Meister of the Match: Harry Kane
It took Kane until the third matchday of the Bundesliga to finally open his tally, but there are few better ways to do it. The Englishman showed exactly why he is considered one of the greatest strikers of our time, as he converted from barely a pocket of space. He was unbelievably quick to control the ball and then to shoot it with such convincing power straight into the top of the net — the winner all the markings of a great goal and even greater striker.
He didn’t have the most eventful first half, but as soon as the substitutions were made and Olise shifted back to the wing, Kane began to get a lot more chances, and he did not disappoint. With every passing game, it becomes exceedingly clear why he deserves to win the Ballon d’Or.
A player of his calibre cannot go unawarded.
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