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Bayern Munich recorded a narrow 2-1 win over a resilient Borussia Monchengladbach in a hard-fought match at the Allianz Arena tonight, as the Bavarian giants made it ten wins on the spin. One more win and they would be crowned the Bundesliga champions for the 30th time.
Bayern Munich manager Hans-Dieter Flick made as many as four changes from the previous fixture. Two of Flick's key players, top-scorer Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller were suspended for the game, while Kingsley Coman and Alphonso Davies started from the bench.
In a match that saw a goalkeeping howler from Yann Sommer and an own goal from Benjamin Pavard that levelled the scores, a late goal from Leon Goretzka proved to be the difference for the Bundesliga league leaders Bayern Munich.
Though it was a sluggish display from both sides, Bayern Munich showed their mettle by clinching all three points from the game with four minutes left on the clock.
As this win leaves Bayern Munich just a win away from winning an eighth-consecutive Bundesliga title, here are the hits and flops from the game.
Bayern Munich 2:1 Borussia Monchengladbach| Hits and flops
Hit - Leon Goretzka
In a game that didn't produce many standout performers, Bayern Munich's midfield general Leon Goretzka stood out as the best player in the game. He covered more than 11 km during the game and maintained a pass accuracy of 92%.
Goretzka has been in fine form since the Bundesliga resumed and has scored three goals in six games, the same number of goals he scored before the COVID-19 lockdown.
With Bayern Munich needing a goal to win the game, Goretzka began making runs into the box in the final minutes and found himself in the right position to score the winner in the 86th minute.
Flop - Yann Sommer:
Yann Sommer is one of the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga. What he lacks in height, he makes up for with his reflexes and composure with the ball at his feet. But in this game, Sommer let his guard down and conceded a goal from what should have been a routine box clearance.
Sommer tried too hard to be a ball-playing defender in today's game, and there were telltale signs that it might not have been a good idea. Very early in the game, Sommer made a couple of mistakes. He handled a back pass that should've been a warning sign, but he was intent on showing off his skills with the ball that eventually came back to haunt him.
In the 26th minute, Sommer found the ball coming towards him. Without any opposition player pressuring him, he made a cheeky clearance straight to Joshua Zirkzee, who made no mistake in guiding the ball past the keeper with a one-touch finish.
Sommer did redeem himself by making a brilliant diving save in the 66th minute to deny Serge Gnabry in what was Bayern Munich's best effort of the game till that point.
Hit - Patrick Herrmann:
Patrick Hermann was a constant threat down the right-hand flank for Die Fohlen. He seemed to get the better of Lucas Hernandez, who was in the squad today in place of Bayern Munich's first-choice left-back Alphonso Davies.
The 29-year-old German winger was the target of most of the passes from his teammates. Hermann particularly showed good understanding with Breel Embolo, who came in for Marcus Thuram after the latter picked up an injury early in the game and had to be taken off the pitch in the tenth minute.
It was Hermann's incisive run and cross that led to his team's goal in the 37th minute, via Benjamin Pavard's sliding interception. It must be said in this regard that had the Bayern Munich defender missed the ball, Hoffman was in a good position to finish off the move.
Flop - Mickael Cuisance:
Mickael Cuisance got his first Bayern Munich start since the Bundesliga action resumed, but failed to justify his inclusion after dishing out a forgettable performance. He started in a No.10 role but lacked the creativity and spark required in that position. Thomas Muller, who assumes that role and has had 20 assists this season, is the crucial link between the midfield and Robert Lewandowski.
The 20-year-old miserably failed in that role and just could not pass the ball from the midfield to the final third as seamlessly as expected. Cuisance was pretty much anonymous throughout the game, apart from a few perfectly-weighted through balls and linkup play with Joshua Zirkzee.
Hit - Manuel Neuer:
Throughout the game, both teams struggled to produce decent scoring chances, so the goalkeepers didn't have much to do. Manuel Neuer was hoping for the first clean sheet at the Allianz Arena in this game since the Bundesliga's restart, but an unfortunate own goal from Benjamin Pavard denied him that opportunity.
Though Neuer did not manage a shut-out, he was in fine form during the game and had answers for whatever the opposition attackers had to offer. The Bayern Munich custodian made one crucial save in each half. Neuer denied Breel Embolo from close range in the first half and then deflected Patrick Herrmann's powerful shot from the near post to help keep the hosts in the game.
Bayern Munich have the best defence in the German top-flight this term. For that they have this man to thank.
