Bayern Munich trudged past a flailing Werder Bremen side with a 3-0 win on the road. In the first half, Harry Kane scored two goals in a three-minute burst. In the second half, the simultaneous substitution of Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies immediately reinvigorated Bayern’s fighting spirit that led to the third and final goal, courtesy of Leon Goretzka.
After Dortmund’s 4-0 demolition of Mainz on Friday, it was important for Bayern to send a message of their own to re-establish a six-point lead upon the Bundesliga table.
Jersey Swap: Romano Schmid
Schmid was the primary attacking force for Werder Bremen, taking three shots while also setting up opportunities for his teammates. According to SofaScore, he finished the game with 0.54 of his team’s 0.98 xG.
Werder Bremen has only scored one goal in the last five matches but can’t hold a clean sheet either. One side of the ball will need to get rolling if Werder Bremen plans to stay in the top division next season.
Jonathan Tah was also deserving tonight but Kim produced one or two more bailout plays on the back end to earn Bayern’s first set of consecutive clean sheets since October. Kim finished with five clearances, three recoveries, two interception, and a blocked shot.
More importantly, Kim is playing with the same level of effort and confidence that he enjoyed before the Achilles injury last season. Vincent Kompany looks to be spoiled by a three-man rotation at center-back, plus the flexibility of Hiroki Itō.
Fußballgott: Leon Goretzka
Thanks to Joshua Kimmich’s continued struggles to return to his best form, Goretzka was the more accurate passer in the central midfield (97%) and did a better job pressuring Werder Bremen (five interceptions). Goretzka was rewarded for his efforts by doubling his season totals in goals and assists.
With his Bayern fate sealed, Goretzka looks more confident in his decision making, spacing, and aggression. Bayern fans will always revere Goretzka for his focus and determination during the 2020 Champions League run and he might be able to yield one more historic run before his time is done.
Karl looked well rested and won a number of challenges on effort alone. He showcased his brilliant quick movements to draw the penalty that led to the opening goal. He used three different moves to beat three different defenders within a stretch of three meters.
The downside to Karl is that he hasn’t figured out how to be effective for more than 30 minutes, whereas Michael Olise’s play tends to strengthen throughout a match. Karl played his second full match of the season but disappeared for most of the second half and was immediately outshone by the introduction of Jamal Musiala, who might have stolen today’s award if he had found the back of the net.
Note: Karl winning tonight’s award is a major indictment of the play from Serge Gnabry and Luis Díaz against a relegation level opponent. Díaz gets a pass due to his recent performances, but Gnabry has been abysmal since signing his two-year extension.
Meister of the Match: Harry Kane
Kane’s pair of precision strikes in the first half gave Bayern an insurmountable lead, especially against a Werder Bremen side that has only scored multiple goals once in the previous eight matches. Kane added his usual deep drops into defense and the build-up, highlighted by his eight recoveries.
Kane is currently on pace to finish the season with 40 goals, challenging Robert Lewandowski’s record 41-goal mark. However, the record that Kane is more likely to break is Paul Breitner’s 10 penalty conversions from the 1980-81 season. Tonight was Kane’s ninth conversion of the Bundesliga campaign.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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