David Alaba impressed in the holding midfield position in Bayern Munich’s entertaining 3-3 draw with Arminia Bielefeld on Monday.
Bayern Munich lost vital ground at the top of the Bundesliga table following a 3-3 draw with newly-promoted Arminia Bielefeld on a cold Monday night at the Allianz Arena.
As the scoreline suggests, it was an entertaining game to watch, not in the least thanks to a snow infested pitch that made it increasingly difficult, especially for the home side to distribute possession and dominate the game. On the other hand, it served as an advantage for Arminia Bielefeld who netted twice before half-time, exploiting the poor defence of Bayern.
The snow was cleared away before the start of the second half, however, and indeed, the Bavarians found it much easier to dominate the game. They pulled one back through Robert Lewandowski two minutes into the second half but conceded one more shortly after – making it 3-1 for Arminia.
The newly-promoted outfit does deserve credit for showing immense courage as they didn’t completely park the bus even after restoring their two-goal cushion. It turned out to be a costly move for Uwe Neuhaus’ men as Corentin Tolisso scored Bayern’s second just before hour mark before Alphonso Davies pulled things level in the 69th minute.
The defending champions failed to find the last breakthrough and were even lucky as a late goal from Sergio Cordova was ruled out due to offside. Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will take a closer look at the Bayern Munich players and how they performed in their draw with Arminia Bielefeld on Monday.
Manuel Neuer: 5/10
It was a disastrous game for Manuel Neuer who had no answer to any of the Bielefeld’s two goals in the first half, especially from the set-piece effort that led to the second. The Bayern Munich goalkeeper could have done very little to save the third though and he was let down by poor defensive support from his teammates.
Bouna Sarr: 4/10
Replacing Benjamin Pavard as part of Hansi Flick’s radical changes to the starting eleven, Bouna Sarr failed to repay his manager’s faith. The right-back failed to mark Michel Vlap for the first Arminia goal and was easily overrun by Andreas Voglsammer, who produced the assist to Christian Gebauer for the third goal. Not a good look for the Bayern newcomer, who may not have an extended future in Bavaria.
I feel bad for Bouna Sarr, he’s really struggling. Is he a bad fit or does he need more time?
— Tlalane (@tlalane) February 15, 2021
Niklas Sule: 5/10
Niklas Sule struggled to perform in the absence of a more experienced defensive partner in David Alaba or Jerome Boateng. The second goal from Arminia, in particular, saw him fail to keep Amos Pieper in check while the defender also could have done much better in clearing the cross from Voglsammer for the third. Not the best of performances from the centre-back.
Lucas Hernandez: 6.5/10
Lucas Hernandez fared much better than Sule in the Bayern Munich. He offered more mobility and was very aggressive in winning back possession for his team. He also offered a lot of composure on the ball, playing a key role in the build-up and couldn’t have done anything to stop any of Arminia’s three goals.
Alphonso Davies: 7/10
Alphonso Davies was by far the best defender for Bayern Munich in this game, though not quite exactly for his defensive work. It was his offensive aid in the final third that made life difficult for the Arminia Bielefeld defenders. His forays down the flanks were useful indeed, with the left-back capping off his fine display with the all-important equaliser midway through the second half.
Corentin Tolisso: 6.5/10
Corentin Tolisso was given a rare starting opportunity in the absence of Leon Goretzka while Joshua Kimmich was rested. The Frenchman didn’t disappoint either, working the ball in midfield and constantly aiding the attackers with his forward passes. Although he wasn’t as effective as he would have hoped, the midfielder did score the second goal for FC Bayern.
David Alaba: 7.5/10
David Alaba created more chances than any other player against Arminia Bielefeld (4) and got an assist.
Rolling back the years. pic.twitter.com/wcgKFvzl3j
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 15, 2021
David Alaba was one of the better performers for Bayern Munich in this game. The Austrian international orchestrated the play in the middle of the park, in the absence of Kimmich and Goretzka. He also created a lot of attacking chances and even registered an assist that led to Lewandowski’s goal two minutes into the second half. His likely departure from Allianz Arena this summer could indeed be a massive blow for the Bavarians.
Leroy Sane: 6.5/10
Leroy Sane had a frustrating first half as the winger struggled to penetrate the Arminia defence that remained strong. As the pitch was cleared up, however, the German found it easier to move his feet around and keep the opposition occupied. He notably provided a delightful cross that led to Tolisso’s goal, ultimately taking Bayern one step closer towards a comeback.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting: 5.5/10
Playing Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in the supporting role was an interesting choice from Flick. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out as the attacker barely provided any creativity and was primarily used as a distraction object for the Arminia defenders, as Lewandowski made all the incisive movements in the final third in search of a goal.
Kingsley Coman: 6/10
Kingsley Coman is always a dangerous presence on the far side, with his pace and trickery. His mazy runs in the final third produced a host of nervy moments for the Arminia defence, but the Frenchman will once again be disappointed with his poor end product.
Robert Lewandowski: 7/10
Even for Robert Lewandowski that's special ?? pic.twitter.com/dSXZVOfF6e
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 15, 2021
After a forgettable first-half, Robert Lewandowski returned to scoring form with an excellent goal in the 47th minute. It was his 25th goal of the campaign, which takes him on-par with Gerd Muller’s record. The Pole, however, may have done a little better in regards to his overall finish in this match.
Substitutes
Joshua Kimmich: 6.5/10
Joshua Kimmich replaced the ineffective Sarr just before the hour mark and slotted in as a right-back. He offered a lot of energy and creativity going forward during the final stages of the game. He was the only substitute employed by Hansi Flick.
