Terrible pitches can’t stop Bayern Munich from being Bayern Munich, and today was truly testament to that. The Rekordmeister faced Schalke at home and sealed the deal with a 6-0 win. It was certainly a walk in the park for the Bavarians, who stay top of the table, ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund by four points (for now).
With that being said, here are our match awards from this much-needed win.
Jersey Swap: Sepp van den Berg
Schalke simply cannot compete with Bayern Munich, even at their most mediocre.
However, with the otherworldly effort from the Bavarians today, it was a surprise the Konigsblauen only managed to concede 6 goals. Despite all the carnage, Liverpool loanee Sepp van den Berg deserves some appreciation. He singlehandedly ran the defense and had an appreciable work rate. Though the Dutchman was simply not enough to handle the explosive Bayern attack all by himself, his efforts were certainly noticed and surely appreciated.
Der Kaiser: Noussair Mazraoui
Mazraoui has to be my favourite full-back on this team. He is absolutely lethal, has an amazing relationship with Leroy Sane and created magic on the right wing. Mazraoui contributed to perhaps the most memorable moment of the game, nutmegging Micheal Fray. The sheer look of horror Thomas Reis had as he witnessed this made it all the more hilarious.
Mazraoui’s game intelligence is so underrated and it’s great that he finally gets the appreciation he deserves. The number of runs he made back and forth, the incredible passes and his attacking contribution along with a clean defensive record are testament to the fact that he has been Bayern’s best transfer this year.
Der Fußballgott: Joshua Kimmich
If you’d asked me a year ago if I’d be ok with Joshua Kimmich playing alone in midfield, I would’ve wailed and screamed and ran. But not anymore.
Kimmich was an absolute beast in midfield, playing a bit deeper in Goretzka’s absence but still being incredibly impactful. His passing was fantastic and his defensive involvements today were noteworthy. To be fair, he played a huge part in holding Schalke back.
Der Bomber: Serge Gnabry
In a game where finishing was the most dire requirement, Serge Gnabry provided the most. His attacking involvement has been irreplaceable and dare I say, he has proven himself to be a must-retain member of the squad over the summer transfer window. His passing wasn’t phenomenal by any means — it was just decent. There was also that instance when Gnabry was caught ball-watching and did a double take when Mazraoui made a cross into the box. As such, Gnabry wasn’t the best player on the pitch, but he was certainly the most important player. He compensated for the concerning lack of involvement in the final third by the other attackers. His hold-up play certainly deserves the attention it does, as much as his finishing does. All in all, the chef did a brilliant job and I wish to see more of this.
Meister Muller of the Match: Thomas Muller
It’s Thomas Muller’s world and we’re all just living in it.
My mentor Ineednoname and I have spoken about Muller’s importance on more than enough occasions, but as far as this game was concerned, I’d like to draw your attention to his impact. The sheer fluidity in attack, the carefully planned passing and positioning and the sheer number of beautiful chances Bayern Munich created can be credited to the Raumdeuter.
Bayern Munich created a billion good chances, and this would’ve been impossible in his absence. The unpredictability and dynamic movements up front were all orchestrated by Muller and everyone was perfectly positioned to threaten Schalke. The attack couldn’t possibly be this lethal in Muller’s absence and I simply cannot emphasize this enough. But, that’s enough for now. Hopefully, Tuchel recognizes this too.
Can’t get enough analysis of this game? Wanna know why Thomas Muller turns everything he touches to gold, or why Noussair Mazraoui is such a gem of a footballer? Or are you curious about Musiala’s recent struggles and how they can be fixed? Well check out our postgame podcast where we talk about that and more! Listen to it below or on Spotify.
As always, we appreciate all the support!