Leroy Sane was the only positive as the Bayern Munich defence crumbled against the pressure of Eintracht Frankfurt attackers.
Bayern Munich lost further ground at the top of the Bundesliga table following a 2-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. The defeat at the Deutsche Bank Arena on Saturday should now allow RB Leipzig to bridge the gap at the top to just two points, further hotting up the title race.
Eintracht Frankfurt, meanwhile, continued their march, securing their eighth win in their last their nine Bundesliga matches. It was a game of two halves for the hosts, though, as they completely dominated the first 45 minutes, using the creativity of their two number tens to unleash the left-sided Filip Kostic into empty spaces.
It caused numerous problems for the Bayern backline, who eventually folded when one of Kostic’s crosses found Daichi Kamada for an easy tap in. The Eagles doubled their lead soon after, thanks to a brilliant strike from Amin Younes as Eintracht went to half-time with a 2-0 lead.
Bayern Munich were a different team after the restart, however, showing more hunger in the final third while Eintracht appeared content with defending the pressure. It didn’t take long for the Bavarians to pull one back through Robert Lewandowski, but they struggled to find the equaliser, often appearing wasteful in front of goal.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Bayern Munich players in their disappointing defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt this weekend.
Manuel Neuer: 6.5/10
Manuel Neuer made a couple of decent saves to keep Bayern Munich in the contest, especially in the first half where the Eagles looked almost unstoppable. He couldn’t have done anything to save any of the two goals, though, but was massively let down by the defensive support around him.
Niklas Sule: 5/10
Operating at right-back, in the absence of Benjamin Pavard, Niklas Sule had a nightmare first-half dealing with Kostic. The Serbian’s pace and tenacity made life difficult for the Bayern centre-back, who enjoyed a much quieter second half as the Eintracht attacks died down. Still has a lot to improve on his game though.
Bayern are pretty lucky not be down by 2 or 3 goals, just getting shredded in midfield by Younes, Ndicka stepping up great and Kostic doing Kostic things
— Abel Meszaros (@BundesPL) February 20, 2021
Jerome Boateng: 5/10
Jerome Boateng was another player that struggled to cope with the two Eintracht Frankfurt number tens in Amin Younes and Daichi Kamada. They were simply far too dynamic for him, although he did well to come back in the second half, keeping the SGE attack at bay for the most part.
David Alaba: 5/10
Back in the central defensive role, David Alaba failed to provide any real solidity to the Bayern backline that was completely ripped apart by the home team in the first half. The Austrian international, though, improved as the game progressed and notably played a key role in the build-up from the back.
Alphonso Davies: 5.5/10
Alphonso Davies had his difficulties dealing with the threat of Almamy Toure on the left flank. His electric pace wasn’t useful for Bayern as Eintracht had complete control of the game. As for the second half, he didn’t provide too much quality service going forward, with most of Bayern’s chances coming from the opposite flank.
Joshua Kimmich: 7/10
Joshua Kimmich had a quiet start to the game, struggling to impose his authority against the high-intensity press of Adi Hutter’s men. The German international, though, was one of Bayern Munich’s most promising players when they dominated the game in the second 45 minutes. He created chances and dictated possession, while also threading numerous long balls.
Marc Roca: 4/10
Starting ahead of Leon Goretzka in holding midfield, Marc Roca had a disastrous game. He struggled to influence the game in the middle of the park, often getting hurried and hassled by the two Eintracht midfielders in Sebastian Rode and Makoto Hasebe. He was taken off at half-time.
Huge result for Eintracht Frankfurt. Really had to hold on in the second half but probably deserved all three points. Bayern's reserves – Marc Roca, Maxim Choupo-Moting, etc. – not good enough.
— Stefan Bienkowski (@SBienkowski) February 20, 2021
Leroy Sane: 7.5/10
Leroy Sane had a disappointing first-half, before an inspiring performance after the restart saw him emerge as the best performer for FC Bayern in this game. In fact, he looked like the only bright spark in the final third, often looking dangerous with the ball at his feet and notably registering the assist that led to Robert Lewandowski’s goal in the 53rd minute.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting: 5/10
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was always going to have problems filling in for the absent Thomas Muller and Corentin Tolisso in the number ten role. He missed one good opportunity to score and added no quality whatsoever in Bayern’s offensive play. If anything, he was detrimental to the club’s overall play in the final third, eventually making way for Jamal Musiala during the final few minutes.
Kingsley Coman: 6.5/10
Kingsley Coman also had a disappointing game on the left flank. He looked dangerous in possession but none of his forays down the flank turned into useful penetration for the visitors. Most of his crosses also didn’t find their target, with the Frenchman eventually being taken off during the final ten minutes of the game.
Robert Lewandowski: 6.5/10
Barring from the goal, Robert Lewandowski had a quiet night in the number nine slot. He simply wasn’t involved in the game, much to the credit of diligent defenders like Martin Hinteregger, Tuta and Evan N’Dicka. The Pole will be happy with his goal but very disappointed with the final result as Leipzig look come within touching distance by the end of this weekend’s round of fixtures.
Leroy Sane floored two Eintracht Frankfurt players setting up Lewandowski ? pic.twitter.com/GzSjlELzfc
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 20, 2021
Substitutes
Leon Goretzka: 7/10
Leon Goretzka replaced Marc Roca at the start of the second half, as Hansi Flick tried his best to help Bayern make a comeback. The move worked to an extent, as the German offered much more leadership and accountability in the middle of the park. Unfortunately for them, it was not enough to change the complexion of the game.
Lucas Hernandez: N/A
A late replacement for Coman. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Jamal Musiala: N/A
A late replacement for Choupo-Moting. Did not play enough to warrant a rating and should have started the game instead.
Javi Martinez: N/A
A late replacement for Sane. Operated as a target man, in what was a clear act of desperation from the away side.
