Bayern Munich has taken a liking to late goals in the recent fixtures. With the Champions League second leg lined up next, Vincent Kompany made several rotations. Visitors Heidenheim pounced upon the opportunity to take on a Bayern team with hardly at half strength and nearly got away with a win. However, another late game rush from the Bavarians saw the game end at a draw. Here are the match awards from this nerve-wracking fixture.
Jersey Swap — Budu Zivzivadze
Zivzivadze took a leaf out of his fellow Georgian, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s
book and scored a brace against Die Roten. His second and Heidenheim’s third was a curling screamer into the top corner that left everyone stunned. Cutting inside from the left, Zivzivadze just put too much finesse into the shot for it to not go in. His work-rate like the rest of his teammates was top notch and Bayern often ran out of space against the Heidenheim press.
Der Kaiser — Nobody
This is Bayern’s third game in a row where they have conceded three or more goals. All the good work done by the attack is undone by how vulnerable the Rekordmeister are at the back. The highline is always a risk and provides its rewards, but the risk management has been poor. At this rate, Bayern cannot maintain leads not matter the number of goal scoring records they break. The individual quality is superb, no doubt. However, as a defensive structure Kompany’s men have failed to stop attacks. Personnel changes, tactical tuning and more have to go into the defense for active and dead-ball situations.
Fußballgott — Konrad Laimer
The Austrian had to shoulder the engine room role with Joshua Kimmich rested for the first half. Laimer is among the best multi-role footballers right now. His physicality and work-rate have never been in question. But, its his exceptional adaptability and game reading skills that allows him to slot into various roles for his team. The stats reflect his box to box impact with eight passes into the final third, two chances created, five recoveries and a 96 percent passing accuracy.
Der Bomber — Michael Olise
The Frenchman was part of the rested squad in the first half. Coming into the second half with Bayern trailing, Olise turned up the heat on the right flank. Despite being heavily marked, Olise made five successful dribbles and created 3 chances in just 45 minutes. His last shot in added time was deflected into goal and saved Bayern from a defeat in front of the home crowd.
Meister of the Match — Leon Goretzka
Leon Goretzka showed up big today. His first free kick did not have much to write home about. However, his second freekick was a masterfully taken shot into the near corner. Being the senior player in a Bayern side at half strength, Goretzka took the initiative to set the tone with his team.
He needs to replicate this game’s performance more often. Taking six shots on goal, he kept the visitors on their toes and added the unpredictable touch of a typical box to box midfielder. With Frank Schmidt’s men guessing whether Goretzka would shoot or pass from dangerous positions, Bayern found the extra bit of space and time or managed to draw aggressive fouls on him or other players nearby.
Honorable Mentions
Joshua Kimmich
Kimmich is vital for Bayern’s smooth operation. He brings stability despite all the chaos from the pressing and is the first to try and recover loose balls despite being outmuscled by opposition players. His shot from outside the box missed narrowly as it hit the post in what would have otherwise been a contender for goal of the week.
Luis Diaz
The Colombian winger is at a different level right now. He created an immediate impact on both sides due to his presence. Turning into a menace to full backs and defenders alike, Diaz narrowly missed getting on scoresheet once again.
Niklas Dorsch
The former Bayern youngster was at full steam at his old home. He was a key part of the visitors pressing and defensive structure. Making six recoveries, two interceptions and five clearances Dorsch was all about getting in Bayern’s face and being a disruptive force. And that was what he executed to perfection.
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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