Clean sheet! Clean sheet! Bayern Munich earned only the second shutout of the Thomas Tuchel era in a cathartic, but still nervy win over bottom-dwelling Hertha Berlin. Let’s look back at how the media received the performance.
The gulf in class was vast. Bayern controlled and dominated, all without scoring for over an hour — surely conjuring nightmares among many a fan about getting sucker-punched on the counter. But Hertha look resoundingly good for relegation. They didn’t square up the Bavarians and play as bravely as many an inferior opponent has this season, preferring instead to park a deep bus and ask a highly motivated Bayern team to unlock them.
Which, courtesy of Joshua Kimmich, they did. Here’s how kicker rated the game:
- In what world does Kimmich not get top marks? Man put his team on his back, though. An unreal performance, two scintillating assists from eleven chances created — the latter a Bundesliga record since the statistic was tracked, according to OptaFranz. The man is unstoppable.
- Hertha just couldn’t get a sniff. Florian Niederlechner and Dodi Lukebakio had their moments running at the Bayern defense on the counter, but it tended to be one man on three or four defenders. Always likely to go nowhere. Surely Werder Bremen provide a stiffer test for Yann Sommer & co.
- (No comment on the full-back ratings)
- It was redemption season for Serge Gnabry. Bayern’s crosses have been going nowhere for several matches now, but Gnabry’s header from inside the box shows that maybe there will be something to this eventually.
- Bayern under Tuchel clearly need a box scoring threat. Sadio Mané had a rough day, again, but he really came pretty close. Narrow missed headers on crosses have also to do with the supply, and a luckier day might have seen him bury one. There’s a few games yet for Mané to make his mark.
- Of the outfield players, Jamal Musiala really did have a tough day. Deployed on the wing (ish? it was a fluid front) and later in central midfield after Leon Goretzka’s substitution, the young maestro failed to influence the game. It’s starting to become an area of concern.
- It’s a shame Ryan Gravenberch couldn’t get a rating for this game. He showed up with something to prove and it’s just in time, too. He should get the start next week with Goretzka suspended.
- Take a bow, Kingsley Coman. After talking about adding dimensions to his game at the start of the season, the Frenchman now has seven goals in the league — the most in his eight-season tenure in Bavaria to date.
Interested in an in-depth discussion about this game and the Bundesliga title race in general? Then why not check out our newest podcast episode? Listen to it below or on Spotify.
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