Bayern Munich Player Ratings vs RB Leipzig: 8.5/10 for MOTM Davies; Musiala & Sane get 8 each

Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies impress as Bayern Munich secure a 4-1 victory over competitors RB Leipzig.

Bayern Munich move to second place in the Bundesliga table with a 4-1 victory over fellow title challengers RB Leipzig on Saturday. It has been an entertaining day in the Bundesliga, with Borussia Dortmund earlier sealing a 4-3 win over Bayer Leverkusen in another crunch encounter.

As for this one, it was a brisk start to the game for RB Leipzig as they showed intent and aggression. But a rather unnecessary handball from Kevin Kampl saw them concede a tenth-minute penalty, essentially offering Bayern Munich a way to not only take the lead but also settle themselves in the game.

They did exactly that with Robert Lewandowski netting the opener from the spot, and the Bavarians protecting their one-goal lead until half-time. Leipzig continued to show intent in the second half, but the situation was made worse as substitute Jamal Musiala’s impactful presence saw the visitors net twice inside five minutes, thereby extending the lead to three goals.

It looked game over for Die Roten Bullen, who had very little chance to come back from such a tall deficit. However, an absolute wondergoal from Konrad Laimer helped them pull one back and keep the audience on the edge of their seats for the final thirty minutes.

Unfortunately, the hosts could not fashion out another breakthrough and instead conceded the fourth late in the game to lose three valuable points. And here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Bayern Munich players in their comfortable 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig this weekend.

Manuel Neuer: 7.5/10

Manuel Neuer had to be alert in between the sticks, notably keeping out Dani Olmo’s late first-half effort. Aside from his saves, the Bayern Munich goalkeeper showcased immaculate positioning to render multiple Leipzig long balls useless. A truly magnificent performance, although the German international will be disappointed to have missed out on the clean sheet.

Benjamin Pavard: 7/10

Benjamin Pavard started the game well, offering good attacking support to Serge Gnabry. But he had to settle himself to a more defensive stance and didn’t disappoint either, considering he was coming on the back of a long injury layoff. His return will indeed hand Nagelsmann some much-needed defensive depth.

Dayot Upamecano: 7/10

Dayot Upamecano was not a rock at the back in the Bayern Munich defence, as Leipzig did cause a lot of problems in the final third. That said, the Frenchman remained resilient for the most part, avoiding any errors against his former club on his former stomping ground.

Lucas Hernandez: 7/10

It was a pleasing sight for Bayern Munich fans to witness the return of Lucas Hernandez. They have not lost a Bundesliga match in which the Frenchman has started the game and that record continued, thanks in part to a rather decent defensive performance from the former Atletico Madrid star.

Alphonso Davies: 8.5/10

Alphonso Davies was the undisputed star player for Bayern Munich in this encounter. Coming back from an injury himself, the Canadian international caused all sorts of problems to Leipzig using his raw pace and ability to cover a lot of ground. He was involved in the attacking game as well, notably assisting Jamal Musiala’s goal.

Leon Goretzka: 7/10

Leon Goretzka offered aggression and drive in the Bayern Munich midfield which was crucial in helping them compete against the Leipzig press. In possession, the former Schalke prodigy made his presence felt, but he was taken off rather early as Julian Nagelsmann opted to have him rested for midweek’s Barcelona game.

Joshua Kimmich: 7.5/10

Joshua Kimmich had an excellent game in the middle of the park, as he always had the upper hand over the likes of Kampl and Laimer. He offered stability to the Bayern Munich midfield, showcasing his experience and temperament before capping off a wonderful display by registering an assist for Choupo-Moting’s late goal.

Serge Gnabry: 6.5/10

Serge Gnabry was faring well on the right hand side. He wasn’t overly dominant over the Leipzig defence but did make things difficult for Angelino on the flanks. Unfortunately, his night was cut short after an injury that forced him off late in the first half.

Thomas Muller: 7/10

Thomas Muller was once again not the best player on the pitch for Bayern Munich. But the German international worked hard in the final third, often getting himself into good positions to open up more spaces for his teammates. His experience will be key as Bayern take on Barcelona next, in the Champions League.

Leroy Sane: 8/10

Leroy Sane is really starting to kick into his preferred gear, as he once again made a solid impression, this time playing for Bayern. The winger looked threatening, especially in the second half, using his quick feet to keep Nordi Mukiele occupied throughout the game. Also scored a goal in the second half that will go a long way in lifting his confidence.

Robert Lewandowski: 7/10

Robert Lewandowski didn’t have many chances come his way, despite a rather open start to the second half. Fortunately for him, a penalty conceded by Leipzig early on in the proceedings offered a perfect opportunity to continue his remarkable scoring record. But like Goretzka, he was taken off early to be rested for the Barcelona clash.

Substitutes

Jamal Musiala: 8/10

Jamal Musiala replaced the injured Gnabry and made an instant impression. He scored with the second goal for Bayern just two minutes after the restart before setting up Sane for the third. The German international is certainly one of the most exciting young players in world football.

Marcel Sabitzer: 6/10

Marcel Sabitzer made an appearance against his former club by coming on for Goretzka around the hour mark. Was involved in a couple of rash challenges while his goalbound effort was saved by Peter Gulacsi.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting: 6.5/10

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting once again showcased his talent with an impressive cameo in the final thirty minutes, scoring the late goal for Bayern to seal all three points.

Niklas Sule: N/A

A late replacement for Pavard. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.

Josip Stanisic: N/A

A late replacement for Muller. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.