German champions Bayern Munich ended their Bundesliga Hinrunde 2017 campaign on a positive note as they edged past VfB Stuttgart. Even though the performance was nowhere near perfect, Thomas Muller’s late winner will give Bayern the much-needed confidence before their all-important clash against Borussia Dortmund later this month.
The hosts, Stuttgart, really did manage to scare off the Bavarians today with some aggressive pressing and great athleticism. However, at the end of the day, Bayern’s overall quality proved just too much for the Swabians as they once again slumped to a 1:0 in the Bundesliga.
Here are the Bayern Munich players rated in the win over their Sud rivals.
Sven Ulreich (8.5/10):
The former Stuttgart goalkeeper received a rather unpleasant welcome from his former sets of supporters. However, it didn’t affect Ulreich’s performance one bit, as he made some wonderful saves to keep his side in the contest.
Joshua Kimmich (7.5/10):
Didn’t look as menacing as we are generally accustomed to. In fact, the young defender had a rather tough time defending against the likes of Chadrac Akolo and company.
Jerome Boateng (7/10):
Not the most impressive performance from the German International.
Mats Hummels (8.5/10):
Looked very good at times, especially with his long balls and laser passes. Also made a few great tackles during his time on the pitch. Was subbed off, later on, making way for Niklas Sule.
Rafinha (7.5/10):
Deputized David Alaba in the left back position, who was given a rest this weekend. Rafinha is okay overall but could have greatly improved his offensive output.
Corentin Tolisso (7/10):
Had a real tough time making his mark on the proceedings as he often struggled with his touches, decision making or sometimes, just awful luck. He was rightly subbed off in the second half.
Javi Martinez (7.5/10):
He was overwhelmed at times, but overall, the Spaniard had a decent game in the centre of the park.
Arturo Vidal (7.5/10):
Played almost as a striker in the final phase of the game but apart from that, the Chilean battled his way against the collective force of VfB Stuttgart throughout the game.
James Rodriguez (8/10):
Was the creator-in-chief for the Bayern Munich attack, against Stuttgart. The Colombian superstar was a key figure in terms of Bayern’s creativity in the final third.
Kingsley Coman (8/10):
The Frenchman continues to perform well under new coach Jupp Heynckes. His assist for Thomas Muller’s goal proved very vital for the Bavarians at the end.
Robert Lewandowski (7.5/10):
Stuttgart coach Hannes Wolf experimented a very subtle gameplan of cutting all the services to Lewandowski, which forced the Polish to scour the area to find an opening but to no avail. Although he did put in a great shift in attacking areas.
Subs
Thomas Muller (9/10):
Came in for Corentin Tolisso and made a big impact, when he expertly controlled Coman’s ball with a great first touch and then produced a stunning finish to score Bayern’s winner in the 78th minute.
Niklas Sule (NA):
Replaced Mats Hummels in central defence after the former Dortmund captain picked up a knock later in the game.
David Alaba (NA):
Was subbed in for Kingsley Coman to bring more solidity into the flanks.
