The Minnows Darmstadt failed to hold the grudge of FC Bayern on Sunday as the Bavarians somehow edged past a strong home defence to reclaim their status as table toppers. Carlo Ancelotti’s men found it difficult to breach the home defence for most parts of the game and it took a moment of magic from Douglas Costa to see his side over the line.
Douglas’ long-range effort found the back of the net in the 70th minute, a goal that took Bayern back to the summit of the table. Here are the player ratings for the Bavarians, as they went past a sturdy Darmstadt.
Manuel Neuer (7.5/10): Wasn’t tested much, as the German international captain watched on as a spectator for most period of the game. However, Neuer made a brilliant double save to keep out Vrancic’s free kick and Marcel Heller as Bayern somehow managed to held on to their fragile one-goal lead.
Rafinha (7.5/10): Offered some great threat to the Darmstadt defence from the right flank. Mostly saw himself frolicking around the opposition half while managing a mammoth 103 touches. But was guilty of leaving too much space behind, which Heller took advantage of.
Javi Martinez (7.5/10): Solid in defence, the Spanish International wasn’t really tested by the opposition strike force. Made six defensive actions throughout the game, which was most by any Bayern player on the night.
Mats Hummels (7.5/10): Managed a really good partnership with Javi Martinez to keep out Darmstadt at bay. A focused and steady performance from the former Dortmund man, who was also dangerous from the set pieces.
David Alaba (8/10): Spent most of his time charging around the left flank, with crosses and runs in behind. This caused the opposition plenty to think about. The Austrian also proved to be a great defensive asset on the left.
Xabi Alonso (9/10): Frequently a subject of a lot of criticism from his own fans, Xabi Alonso proved his worth with a strong performance against Darmstadt. The former Real Madrid man racked up highest numbers in all departments. Four tackles attempted, five interceptions, 127 touches and 108 passes were the most by any player on the field.
Arturo Vidal (7/10): It wasn’t the best of the nights for the Chilean midfielder as he failed to influence the middle and spent most of his time far away from the action, something we don’t generally associate him with. We may argue, the performance of Alonso overshadowed his work ethic on the pitch.
Thiago Alcantara (8.5/10): Proved to be the bright spot in the Bayern midfield. Thiago complimented the work of Alonso and Vidal perfectly to keep the opposition midfield out of the equation and roll the ball around quite comfortably. An excellent showing once again, from the Spanish International.
Thomas Muller (6.5/10): Carlo Ancelotti once again tried to fit in the German international in his preferred 4-3-3 formation but failed once again, as he offered very little from the right-hand side. Operating as the right sided forwarded, Muller didn’t seem to be in his groove at all.
Robert Lewandowski (6.5/10): The Polish striker failed to capitalise on his fiery form, struggling to make an impact against a compact Lily defence. Lack of movement from Thomas Muller meant Lewandowski needing to carve out his own space to operate, which he couldn’t. By the full-time whistle, Lewandowski found himself as the most dispossessed player on the pitch.
Douglas Costa (9/10): It was a glittering evening for the Brazilian winger. His dangerous movement and pace proved to be a handful for the Lilies’ defence. His shot from a long distance turned out to be the difference between the two sides.
