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In a game that saw a massive overhaul of the lineup from its normal setup, Bayern Munich were in a fight for three points.
The only starters from Saturday’s game against Stuttgart who kept their posts today were David Alaba and Lucas Hernández. The team traveled to Madrid without the services of Manuel Neuer, Robert Lewandowski and Leon Goretzka. Therefore, some massive changes were made to this lineup, with Bright Arrey-Mbi’s debut in Bayern Munich’s first team.
After conceding an early goal, Bayern’s toothless attack had trouble scoring chances. A late substitution attracted some of the regular starters and proved to be the difference for Bayern Munich, leading to a penalty and a draw for The Reds.
Swap Jersey: Marcos Llorente
The Spanish midfielder was all over the pitch today and revealed his impact on the game. His passing precision was key, and his movement with the ball on the field helped Atlético score their first goal of the game. In addition, he pushed his style in the game as Atleti’s main engine throughout the game. His performance was fantastic for the Spanish and led to astonishing results throughout the match.
The Emperor: David Alaba
In the odd three / five formation that Bayern threw this game, David Alaba’s role as central defender helped keep this team’s defense intact. It was an effort we hadn’t seen from him in a while when it came to effort and consistency. Another highlight should be how well he worked with Niklas Süle on his right side. After this match, I wouldn’t be surprised if Hansi Flick decided to start playing the two together in central defense more often.
The god of football: Jamal Musiala
Musiala’s play from the start was one of the few bright spots for this team in the first half. His passing precision was fantastic and he made several key passes to strengthen Bayern’s small attack. To that we must add a beautiful knitting career that almost ended in a shot on goal and that closes a very good first half.
His second half was equally impressive. After Thomas Müller came in at 61 ‘, Musiala’s role shifted towards deep passes and covering the baseline. His physicality and intelligence came into play several times; especially when he made a beautiful career to remove an opportunity from Llorente in the network.
The Terrorist: Thomas Müller
His substitution in minute 61 marked a turning point for this Bayern Munich squad. The team began moving the ball across the field through the Raumdeuter’s performances. He made several shots at the net in the first 20 minutes he was on the field, although none really scared Jan Oblak. Then, in the 85th minute, a beautiful dribble by Müller in the area made Mario Hermoso cut it off and the referee signaled the penalty spot. It was cleanly put away and Bayern’s undefeated streak in Europe lives to see another day.
Master of the Match: João Félix
In a game where there was absolutely no Bayern attack, we were left with the man who scored the first and only goal of this game. Felix’s goal in the 16th minute came from a beautiful low cross by Marcos Llorente. Alexander Nübel had performed well up to this point, but no one could have saved Felix’s effort. In addition to that goal, Felix was on fire for the rest of the game, hanging around the area and putting up big chances. His shooting and fantastic first-half play set the tone for the early game, and here we give him MOTM.
Other notable performances
- Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting: EMCM never seemed like a threat to Atlético’s bottom line, failed to save opportunities (or even take advantage of them in some cases), seemingly absent in the only position Bayern needed to step up tonight.
- Douglas Costa: He challenged the baseline several times, but only made one shot on goal. A great rebounding performance from Stuttgart, but not exactly what we needed.
- Leroy Sane: In a game where he was the only high-quality attacker, he really missed a chance to make an impact on the game. 1 shot in the first half, none in the second half. A disappointing display of him.
- Serge Gnabry: After coming in at 61 ‘, he didn’t do much to build the play or put chances at the net until 82’. I’m surprised Kingsley Coman hasn’t been replaced.
- Bright Arrey-Mbi: His Bayern Munich debut saw the youngster playing primarily as a left back. He needs more time to develop, but his game didn’t result in conceding a goal either.
