Kingsley Coman and Manuel Neuer starred in Bayern Munich’s crucial 3-2 win over rivals RB Leipzig this weekend.
Bayern Munich extended their lead at the top of the Bundesliga table thanks to a 3-2 win over RB Leipzig on Saturday. The victory helped them move nine points ahead at the top, prior to Borussia Dortmund’s Sunday evening encounter against Bayer Leverkusen.
As the scoreline suggests, it was a hard-fought win for Bayern, who started the game well, showcasing their strength going forward and exuding dominance. At the same time, their lacklustre defence was a major weak point, especially when Leipzig tried to break on the counter.
Domenico Tedesco’s men executed a rather risky strategy of playing the ball out from the back in order to lure the first line of Bayern press. But it didn’t exactly pay off as two of the Bayern goals originated from individual errors from Leipzig defenders inside the box, including the opener from Thomas Muller.
The visitors did well to level the scoring twice, through goals from Andre Silva and Christopher Nkunku, but they were undone by a Peter Gulacsi error in the second half, as the goalkeeper conceded a turnover inside his own half. Bayern capitalised on the moment to launch a quick counter-attack, with Serge Gnabry’s effort on goal deflecting off of Josko Gvardiol to find the back of the net.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Bayern Munich players in their narrow win over Leipzig this weekend.
Manuel Neuer: 8/10
Manuel Neuer was one of the top performers for Bayern Munich in this crucial victory over Leipzig. With the opposition providing a real threat on the counter, the goalkeeper had to remain alert, and more often than not, he came to the rescue, denying the Leipzig players the opportunity to add to their tally.
Manuel Neuer equals Oliver Kahn's record for the most wins by a single player in Bundesliga history (310) pic.twitter.com/ueZgy2HrYu
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) February 5, 2022
Benjamin Pavard: 5/10
Benjamin Pavard had a poor game against Leipzig. He was one of the weakest links in the Bayern Munich backline, allowing the likes of Nkunku and Dani Olmo to run rings around him at times. The Frenchman certainly needs to improve his performances if he is to remain a part of the side for the long term.
Niklas Sule: 7.5/10
Niklas Sule was a rock at the back at the heart of the Bayern Munich backline. The German international utilised his tall and muscular frame to keep Andre Silva at bay. His anticipation and game-reading abilities were also on the fore, thus making life difficult for the Leipzig attackers, especially during the final phase of the game.
Lucas Hernandez: 7/10
Lucas Hernandez was another relatively solid defensive outlet for Bayern Munich. His aggression, athleticism and pace made him a real asset to the German champions, as the defender kept Olmo quiet for a large period of the game.
Serge Gnabry: 7.5/10
Operating as the right sided wing-back, Serge Gnabry was a constant menace with his attacking runs. His pace and tenacity made life difficult for Angelino, forcing the Leipzig wing-back to recheck his runs and move into deeper areas more often than he would have liked. Deserves credit for Bayern’s winner, even though it was marked as an own goal from Gvardiol.
Joshua Kimmich: 7.5/10
Joshua Kimmich was the hub of the Bayern Munich midfield. He was neat and tidy in possession, barely conceding any turnovers while evading the opposition press expertly. Kimmich was also a threat from set-pieces and offered useful forward balls that helped Bayern Munich appear more potent in the creative unit.
Kimmich’s stats from today’s match against RB Leipzig:
7 SofaScore Rating ?
90 Minutes ✅
91.8% Pass Accuracy ?
1 Key Pass ?
1 Successful Dribbles ?
5 Long Balls ?
1 Tackle ?
5 Ground Duels Won
3 Interceptions
1 ClearanceA very important role played in the victory ?? pic.twitter.com/h6F4dTU63h
— KimmichXtra ?? (@KimmichXtra) February 5, 2022
Corentin Tolisso: 7/10
Corentin Tolisso was the less pragmatic partner for Kimmich in midfield. The Frenchman was given the license to drive forward and help out the attackers in the build-up. He even won the turnover that led to Bayern’s opener but was also complacent, at times, on the ball. He was taken off around the hour mark.
Kingsley Coman: 8/10
Kingsley Coman was one of the best performers in the contest, running rings around the Leipzig defence with his marauding runs forward. His speed made life difficult for Lukas Klostermann on the flanks, with the winger being directly involved in two of the three Bayern goals on the night. It was indeed a wise decision from the board to renew the Frenchman’s contract earlier this year.
Thomas Muller: 7.5/10
Thomas Muller showcased his brilliant technical skills and clever sense of positioning to find the weak points in the Leipzig defence. He was also at the right place at the right time to score the all-important opener while creating spaces for his teammates with his movement. The German international is truly making a case for being the best playmaker in the world right now.
? Thomas Muller has now scored or assisted in 18 of his last 24 starts for Bayern Munich across league and European competition
? What a ridiculous season he is having #FCBRBL pic.twitter.com/CRebubf5ok
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) February 5, 2022
Leroy Sane: 7/10
Leroy Sane was a useful creative outlet in the final third for Bayern. His movement, combined with his ability on the ball, kept the Leipzig defenders guessing throughout the evening.
Robert Lewandowski: 7.5/10
Robert Lewandowski missed a couple of good chances on the evening, notably in the late stages of the game where he could have made it 4-2. However, the Pole deserves credit for the opener as it was his shot that led to Muller’s goal, before the striker himself scored the second for the Bavarians, just before half-time.
Substitutes
Jamal Musiala: 7/10
Jamal Musiala added the youthful exuberance in the Bayern midfield after coming on for Tolisso around the hour mark. He did well to keep the midfield ticking and occasionally marched forward with the ball.
Dayot Upamecano: 6.5/10
Dayot Upamecano came on for Hernandez in the late stages of the proceedings. He was solid enough to help Bayern Munich retain their slender advantage.
Marcel Sabitzer: N/A
A late replacement for Muller. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Tanguy Nianzou: N/A
A late replacement for Muller. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
