Bayern Munich and the Allianz Arena played hosts to RB Leipzig in what turned out to be a cold horrific night for the visitors. Die Roten Bullen came with better momentum after winning their previous two fixtures, while the home side, on the other hand, came into the game on the back of two disappointing draws, making this fixture a very tricky one.
However, some tactical errors from Leipzig allowed Bayern to find its rhythm and bury the Bulls within an hour’s time. This game showed that unless you have mastered the press like PSG, for example, throwing in the low block and counter attacking is the best bet against Bayern Munich. Die Roten possess too much vision, pace and finesse that can crush teams for the smallest mistakes in space management. Here are the Match Awards from this rout:
Jersey Swap: Maarten Vandevoordt
On a night when the opponent has conceded six goals, it is difficult to hand the jersey swap to the goalkeeper. Yet, clinical saves made by Maarten Vandevoordt kept the scoreline to a single digit. Bayern had Leipzig’s number all night and Martin Demichelis’ men could hardly do much to change the flow of the game.
Vandevoordt made big saves, and some of them very early in the game. Early saves are really important. They allow your team a free reset to settle into the game. Going down early with an opponent like Bayern still being fresh is a nightmare.
The Belgian keeper made 11 saves, including some crucial ones that should have been goals. The save against Michael Olise at point blank range, the Bischof rocket, and the save against Harry Kane were truly impressive from the shotstopper. Despite conceding six goals, he had a decent night, wherein the opponents had 17 shots on target.
Der Kaiser: Dayot Upamecano
Bayern’s defensive rock showed some different aspects of his game against his former club. The backline were busy in counter pressing high up the pitch and sweeping up balls to regain possession against a Leipzig side that was slower than Bayern.
Aside from leading the defense in the press, Upa was vital in blocking and shutting out rare counter attacks. The consolation goal scored by Andrija Maksimović in stoppage time was a rare moment when the Frenchman was not centrally positioned, highlighting how important he is in the box. The club has to bring in reinforcements in central defense to aid and assist Upamecano.
Fußballgott: Joshua Kimmich
The stand-in captain had a standout performance. Kimmich was a machine for his side. His ability to reset and repeat all night is simply unhuman. As the central cog for Bayern, he saw the ball the most, with a game high of 116 touches.
The German did not tire when presented with the opportunity to slice the Leipzig side apart with his through-passes. Kimmich made 20 passes into the final third, including a spectacular pass to assist Díaz for his first goal. An industrious showing from the midfielder, whose ability to scale his output is seemingly endless.
Der Bomber: Harry Kane
The talismanic striker for Bayern had himself a night from the false nine position, as he turned into a provider more than finisher. With Leipzig offering plenty of space for the wingers to attack, Kane dropped slightly deeper to orchestrate the attacks. Kane was involved in half the goals, with two assists and a goal to his name.
One unreal stat that stands out from today’s game is the chances created by the England captain. With just 21 passes made all night, Kane created four chances. That is one goal scoring chance created for every five passes made. Talk about efficiency!
Meister of the Match: Luis Díaz
The hattrick hero of the night! Luis Díaz completely deserved his accolade for all the work the Colombian put in. The winger has had a slow start to the season, missing chances and often looking disconnected with his teammates on the pitch.
However, today was a completely different story. Díaz was in sync with his midfielders and fellow attackers, while leaving his marker Lukas Klostermann in the dust all night. Most of his runs were timed perfectly with the passes directed towards him. This resulted in Bayern getting behind the Leipzig backline repeatedly and creating several chances for the home side.
Díaz had literal bombing runs into the box several times, and despite having an xG of just 0.52, he scored three goals and came close to getting more. It was a sensational night that will boost the confidence of the winger for the games ahead.
Honorable Mentions:
Michael Olise:
Olise is a tight contender for Bomber. Creating a game high five chances, the right winger was a vital ball-carrying force who weaved through the traffic, before playing clever passes that found his teammates. The Frenchman got an assist and a goal, but missed out on two close chances.
Aleksandar Pavlović:
The 22 year-old executed a wonderful finish with his left foot to join in on the goal scoring fest. Pavlo complemented Kimmich, and the duo did a great job in resisting the press from Leipzig before starting fresh attacks.
Nathaniel Brown:
Nene Brown is slowly turning into a reliable mainstay for Bayern at left-back. Despite being an attack-minded full-back, the newcomer balanced his attacking and defensive duties well. His assist to Kane was on platter right at the mouth of goal. More service like that is very welcome, especially against more stubborn teams.
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