A Thomas Muller masterclass helps Bayern Munich seal a convincing 3-1 win over Werder Bremen, at the Weserstadion on Saturday.
Bayern Munich retain their place at the top of the Bundesliga table with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Werder Bremen on Saturday. The win at the Weserstadion helps them preserve their two-point lead at the top, with a possibility of further extending that lead, should RB Leipzig fail to seal a victory against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
It was a relatively slow start to the game for the Bavarians, though, who remained cautious, perhaps in an attempt to avoid conceding an early goal. After a fairly level 15 minutes of the game, Bayern eventually clicked into gears, netting their opener through Leon Goretzka in the 22nd minute.
The goal gave the visitors more control in the game, as they continued to dominate possession. Although the hosts did well to contain Robert Lewandowski, they simply couldn’t prevent the onslaught from the other attackers as Serge Gnabry doubled Bayern’s lead in the 35th minute.
In the second half, it was all Bayern, who were desperate to further add to their tally, with Robert Lewandowski scoring his deserved goal in the 67th minute. The Bavarians, though, were punished for their wasteful nature in the final third as Bremen netted a consolation goal in the 85th minute through to Niclas Fullkrug.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will take a closer look at the Bayern Munich players in their comfortable win over the northern giants this weekend.
Manuel Neuer: 6/10
Manuel Neuer didn’t have anything to do throughout the course of the game as Werder Bremen provided very little threat going forward up until the final ten minutes of the game. He made a good save but couldn’t keep out the rebound strike from Fullkrug. Yet another frustrating afternoon for the Bayern Munich goalkeeper.
21 – @Manuel_Neuer (@FCBayernEN) gathers his 21st victory in Bundesliga against Werder Bremen setting a new record – in Bundesliga history no other player has gathered as many wins against a single opponent. Unique. #SVWFCB pic.twitter.com/QJEx3LXzaz
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) March 13, 2021
Benjamin Pavard: 7/10
Coming back into the side after Covid-19, Benjamin Pavard looked solid in the right-back position. He didn’t make too many mistakes, exhibiting good positional sense while also having no real difficulties in spraying the ball across from the backline. Got caught out of position for the late goal from Werder Bremen, though.
Jerome Boateng: 7.5/10
Jerome Boateng recovered from his injury to start ahead of Niklas Sule at the heart of the four-man backline. It served as a massive boost for Bayern as the defender used his experience and game-reading ability to good effect. His passing game also looked excellent, with the veteran centre-back often looking to thread forward balls to ease the transition.
Lucas Hernandez: 7/10
Lucas Hernandez started ahead of Sule, with Hansi Flick having one eye on the game against Lazio in midweek. The former Atletico defender didn’t disappoint either, complementing Boateng in the defensive unit. He was quite composed with the ball at his feet as well, although one could argue that the Frenchman may have done a bit better for the late goal.
Alphonso Davies: 7.5/10
Alphonso Davies had yet another impressive display in the left-back position. He made life difficult for the Bremen backline with his marauding runs from the backline. His crosses, movements and ability to cover a lot of ground in a quick span of time made it almost impossible for Romano Schmid to provide any kind of attacking threat.
Joshua Kimmich: 7.5/10
Another impressive display from Joshua Kimmich, who bossed the midfield with his composure, passing and aggression. He was always on the lookout for useful passes in and around the final third – helping Bayern dominate the game throughout the ninety minutes. Wasn’t directly involved in any of the three goals, but a performance that offered his side the much-needed stability.
Leon Goretzka: 8/10
Leon Goretzka now has two goals and four assists in Bayern Munich's last five games.
— Stefan Bienkowski (@SBienkowski) March 13, 2021
It is becoming evident as to how important Leon Goretzka really is, to this Bayern Munich. Indeed, the midfielder’s return to full fitness has served as a boon for Flick, and the former Schalke man starred once again in this crucial victory against Bremen.
It was his header that found the back of the net, breaking the deadlock. The midfielder then proceeded to dominate the middle of the park with his aggression and ball distribution. The 26-year-old also made driving runs into the final third, at times – giving his teammates an additional passing outlet during attacking phases.
Kingsley Coman: 7.5/10
Kingsley Coman was a menace for the Werder Bremen defence, especially in the first half. Devilish in possession, the Frenchman offered the unpredictability on the flanks that made it difficult for the opposition to keep things tidy at the back. It was overall a wise decision from Flick to give him the nod ahead of Leroy Sane this afternoon.
Thomas Muller: 9/10
"That was wonderful football!" ?
Just look at that build-up play from Bayern as they double their lead over Werder Bremen ?
THAT Muller assist… pic.twitter.com/NLHzEdXvhx
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 13, 2021
It was a classic Thomas Muller performance in his favourite Ramdeuter position. The forward made smart runs in and around the penalty area, threading useful passes and registering two assists. May have liked to score at least one goal but it was his brilliant attacking display, including an outrageous assist for Serge Gnabry, that was simply way too much for the opposition.
Serge Gnabry: 7.5/10
Gnabry scored the all-important second goal to help Bayern Munich tighten their grip on the game. Apart from the goal, the German offered a lot of movement in the final third, while his willingness to find the back of the kept Jiri Pavlenka busy. He was eventually replaced during the final phase of the game.
Robert Lewandowski: 8/10
It was a bad day at the office for Robert Lewandowski, who was closely watched by Omer Toprak. The Pole certainly had more freedom in the second half and was quite unlucky not to score multiple goals as he was often denied by the heroic Jiri Pavlenka. He did ultimately end up scoring one, though, taking his season tally to 32 – just eight behind the legendary record of Gerd Muller.
Robert Lewandowski scores the 268th Bundesliga goal of his career.
He’s now tied for second all-time, only behind the legendary Gerd Muller’s 365 ? pic.twitter.com/OFW3GuD8qE
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 13, 2021
Substitutes
Jamal Musiala: 6.5/10
A late replacement for Coman. Offered exuberance with all the running and dribbling in and around the final third, throughout the final phase of the game.
Leroy Sane: 6.5/10
A late replacement for Gnabry. His box of trickery helped Bayern continue to keep Bremen defenders guessing.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting: 6/10
A late replacement for Lewandowski. Didn’t do much during the final 15 minutes.
Marc Roca: 6/10
A late replacement for Kimmich. A calming influence in the middle of the park.
Bouna Sarr: 4/10
A late replacement for Davies. Played the Bremen attackers onside, thus availing them the opportunity to find the late goal.
