Jamal Musiala was impressive again as Bayern Munich registered a 4-0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern Munich signed off the calendar year of 2021 on a positive note as they brushed aside Wolfsburg 4-0 at the Allianz Arena. The victory helps them momentarily extend their lead at the top to nine points, with Borussia Dortmund playing Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
It was a clinical performance from the German Rekordmeister, who dominated the struggling Wolfsburg side right from the beginning. Perhaps more importantly, they were efficient in front of goal, with Thomas Muller scoring an early winner in the seventh minute. The Bayern defence did look shaky shortly after the goal, but Manuel Neuer was on hand to save Wout Weghorst’s close-range strike.
After that point, Wolfsburg never really managed to threaten the Bayern Munich defence. While they did remain defensively resilient, a 57th-minute strike from Dayot Upamecano broke the shackles once again, allowing the hosts to run the opposing ragged with their intense pressure.
Bayern Munich scored their third of the night two minutes later, through Leroy Sane, before Robert Lewandowski added the final gloss to the scoreline in the 87th minute. It was enough to seal all three points and inflict a seventh successive defeat in all competitions for their opposition. Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will rank the Bayern Munich players in their win over Wolfsburg on Friday.
Manuel Neuer: 6.5/10
As mentioned earlier, Manuel Neuer’s early save to deny Wout Weghorst was a crucial moment of the game that prevented Wolfsburg from potentially levelling the score. The Bayern Munich goalkeeper was barely troubled after that point, as the opposition only mustered one more shot on target throughout the entirety of the game.
Benjamin Pavard: 7.5/10
Benjamin Pavard continued his great run of form with another clinical performance at right-back. He was defensively solid in dealing with the threat of Renato Steffen while providing optimum support going forward. It has been a brilliant end to 2021 for the young right-back, who has endured a difficult year.
Dayot Upamecano: 8/10
Coming in for the injured Niklas Sule, Dayot Upamecano redeemed himself with an improved display against Wolfsburg. His pace and athleticism enabled him to keep up with the Wolves attackers, denying them the opportunity to level the scoreline in the first half. The centre-back also netted his first goal for Bayern in the second half, capping off a rock-solid display.
Dayot Upamecano makes it two!
His first career goal for Bayern ? pic.twitter.com/tiiGgyce2M
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 17, 2021
Lucas Hernandez: 7.5/10
Lucas Hernandez provided excellent defensive cover for Upamecano, with the duo collectively helping Bayern Munich retain their clean sheet. In truth, though, the former Atletico Madrid star was barely troubled by the Wolfsburg attack that was missing a host of key players, including Lukas Nmecha.
Alphonso Davies: 7.5/10
Alphonso Davies did not fail to impress either, on the left-hand side of the Bavarian backline. He used his pace wisely, using it to not only add more thrust in the offensive department but also keep up with Ridle Baku on the flanks.
Marc Roca: 8/10
Marc Roca produced a truly commendable display in the middle of the park for Bayern. He was secure in possession, barely conceding any unnecessary turnovers. More importantly, the Spaniard looked confident with his passing and tackles, thus making it more difficult for the likes of Aster Vranckx and Maximilian Arnold to dominate the proceedings.
Jamal Musiala: 8.5/10
Jamal Musiala continued his majestic run of form with yet another supreme display in midfield. The youngster was more involved in the offensive side of things, as he often established himself as an additional passing option in the final third. He was a bit unlucky in front of goal but capped off the performance with a late assist to set up the fourth goal from Lewandowski.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget how young Musiala is considering how much impact he’s had already and how much promise he’s shown.
— Bayern Central (@bayerncentral) December 17, 2021
Serge Gnabry: 8.5/10
After being involved in five goals in midweek, Serge Gnabry looked confident right from the beginning. It was his long-range effort that troubled Koen Casteels in goal, with Muller taking advantage of the failed parry to score the early opener. Aside from that, the former Arsenal winger was a menace in the final third with his direct style of play.
Thomas Muller: 9/10
Thomas Muller had an excellent game in the final third. His keen sense of positioning allowed him to net an early goal for his team, while the playmaker also registered the assist for the second goal from Upamecano. A goal and an assist was an ideal way to cap off the 400th Bundesliga game of his career.
Leroy Sane: 8.5/10
Leroy Sane was another danger man for Wolfsburg, particularly with his quick feet and ability to drift past opposition defenders. The former Manchester City constantly tried to create a goal threat and was eventually rewarded with his 59th-minute effort that found the back of the net for Bayern’s third of the night.
Robert Lewandowski: 7.5/10
It was a frustrating game for Robert Lewandowski, who was being unable to find the back of the net despite several opportunities. The striker was either wasteful or was denied by Wolfsburg ‘keeper Casteels.
But the Pole found his moment in the 87th minute as he capitalised from a chance created by Musiala to score a fourth of the night. Lewandowski has now broken Gerd Muller’s record of scoring most Bundesliga goals in a calendar year while levelling Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2013 record of scoring 69 goals in a year.
ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI BREAKS THE RECORD FOR THE MOST BUNDESLIGA GOALS IN A CALENDAR YEAR ?
Gerd Muller's previous record of 42 had stood for 49 years ? pic.twitter.com/iggCkEfSIb
— GOAL (@goal) December 17, 2021
SUBSTITUTES
Marcel Sabitzer: N/A
Sabitzer made his return to the pitch late in the game after coming back from a brief spell on the sidelines. He did not play enough to warrant a rating, but the midfielder will be raring to get back into the thick of things during the second half of the campaign.
Bouna Sarr: N/A
A late replacement for Gnabry. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Omar Richards: N/A
A late replacement for Davies. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Tanguy Nianzou: N/A
A late replacement for Hernandez. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Malik Tillman: N/A
A late replacement for Pavard. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
