Match Awards from Bayern Munich’s disappointing loss to Arsenal

SB Nation

A crucial game for Bayern Munich tonight, but they couldn’t muster the effort they needed to bag the win. After losing 3-1 to Arsenal at the Emirates, it looks like the club might need to rethink its strategies

going forward. Here are our awards for the night.

Jersey Swap: Declan Rice

Playing the full 90 minutes, the English international was nothing but a beast at midfield. Unfortunately for Bayern, he was everywhere at the same time, and always seemed to be fighting for the ball. Jurrien Timber deserves a mention, no doubt, but there’s no denying Rice’s monster efforts to not only keep Arsenal in the game, but keep them on the winning track. He was the calmest on the pitch for Arsenal, and always stepped up to kill Bayern’s counters whenever the Gunners lost possession.

Der Kaiser: Konrad Laimer

Bayern’s defense struggled to contain Arsenal’s set piece tactics and their evidently extremely effective counters, so this is a bit of an ‘in a bad defense, who held up the best?’ question, but Laimer has to be the most logical shout. Despite some questionable positioning here and there, he did most of the emergency covering and brought his trademark fighting style of defense. The Austrian international worked tirelessly to deny Arsenal scoring chances throughout his time on the pitch, but regrettably, he didn’t do a very good job of keeping some of their attackers, especially Bukayo Saka, quiet. Josip Stanišić had a reasonably decent game, but some genuinely bad positioning and occasional mistakes cost him the award tonight. A shout must be given to Joshua Kimmich who, despite being instrumental in the midfield, had to put in some very good defensive efforts.

Fußballgott: Joshua Kimmich

Death, taxes, and Kimmich in BFW’s Match Awards. Fortunately, there is a clear candidate here. Now, although he had a defensive lapse leading to Arsenal’s first goal, he was most definitely instrumental for Bayern everywhere else. Teaming up with Serge Gnabry, Kimmich made it possible for Lennart Karl to score that absolute banger of a goal with a delectable ball over the top. Under Vincent Kompany, Kimmich has become increasingly involved in the defense, occasionally dropping back to CB and stepping in to press in the midfield (albeit, not enough pressing today). He made a brilliant recovery effort to deny Eberechi Eze what should have been a goal in the first half, and his other contributions stood out in a struggling defense.

Der Bomber: Serge Gnabry

Toward of the end of the game, Bayern’s attack practically disappeared from the pitch, and all that was left were some extremely lacking efforts to score goals. Despite that, Gnabry actually had a decent game. With a wonderful first time cross, he delivered the ball straight to Karl’s feet, and that clever assist made him the only other attacker who probably scared Arsenal in open play. A quick step to the side to talk about Harry Kane and Michael Olise, who arguably handed Gnabry this award themselves. Kane was more than comfortably handled by Arsenal’s defense, and spent so much time dropping back that he hardly qualifies for an attacking award. Olise on the other hand may have tried his best, but Riccardo Calafiori completely pocketed him towards the end of the game, and honestly didn’t have much of an impact at all.

Meister of the Match: Lennart Karl

Jamal Musiala is shaking in his boots. You’re going to be hearing the name Karl a lot from now on, and this author has no regrets. With the magic of the number 42 jersey, Karl’s audition at the Emirates was more than successful. Disappointing result to the side, his emphatic first time finish was simply a joy to watch in the moment. He outshone his fellow attackers in the ratings, and it was very obvious why. Admittedly, he did have some moments where he may have been overconfident, or perhaps made some decisions that could be attributed to his lack of experience (he’s literally 17), but he also looked fearless in a hostile stadium and that counts more than anything. Tonight’s goal and his overall threat to Timber & Co. is more than just a one game performance, it looks like Karl’s talent is here to stay.

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…