Bayern Munich smacked aside a hapless Arsenal side on Wednesday night in the UEFA Champions League. The match seemed pretty even when Alexis Sanchez equalized after Arjen Robben’s early goal in the first half. However, as Laurent Koscielny, the man who holds the defense together, limped off in the second half, the Bayern machine set upon a relentless streak of attacks. Thiago ruled the show, scoring a brace while Robert Lewandowski outjumped everyone to make it 2:1. In fact, Thomas Muller found the back of the net, thanks to a mixup from Oxlade-Chamberlain in the end. Here are the Bayern player ratings in their scintillating win over the Gunners.
Manuel Neuer(8/10): Saved the initial penalty from Alexis Sanchez and also did well to get up quickly on the rebounds but unfortunately, his defense let him down as Sanchez took advantage of some slow reactions from the Bayern backline. Neuer also saved a shot from Ozil superbly later on.
Philip Lahm(8.5/10): Had total freedom on the right flank, and showed exactly why should not be retiring! When asked about the space he and Robben was given against Arsenal, he cheekily said, “Perhaps they thought we were too old”.
Javi Martinez(8/10): Was solid at the back and never looked in trouble against Arsenal, even though he could have reacted a bit faster after Neuer saved the penalty. He was also neat and tidy in possession. A great night for the Spanish defender.
Mats Hummels(7.5/10): Had a couple of dodgy moments in defense when he was outpaced by Alexis Sanchez in particular. Apart from that, the former Dortmund man enjoyed a pretty decent game at the back for Bayern.
David Alaba(7.5/10): Not as active as his other teammates were, however, he kept the likes of Hector Bellerin at bay down the left flank. Put some decent crosses in and overall, showed great athleticism up and down the left wing.
Xabi Alonso(8/10): Many experts thought it was a bad idea of starting Xabi Alonso in midfield. However, the veteran midfielder proved everyone wrong by running the entire midfield at ease. He was also given way to much freedom by Arsenal, which he exploited pretty well.
Thiago Alcantara(9.5/10): Hands down the best player in the game, Thiago thrived against Arsenal, with two goals. The first one came from a deflection off Granit Xhaka while the second one was down to pure quality link up between him and Lewandowski. He also bagged an assist, as the massive improvement of Thiago under Carlo Ancelotti continues.
Arturo Vidal(8/10): Used his power and stamina to give Arsenal a tough fight in midfield and eventually, dominance. Also tested Ospina early on with a powerful strike and contributed a lot in the defensive side as well.
Arjen Robben(9/10): Another great outing for the former Chelsea winger. Robben was gifted a lot of freedom in the first period of the game, as he once again scored the typisch goal past David Ospina early on. Showed great understanding on the right as he linked up with fellow pensioner Philip Lahm.
Douglas Costa(7.5/10): Perhaps not as busy as he would have liked but regardless, the Brazilian dynamo showed some extreme pace and acceleration down the left wings, which caused havoc in Arsenal’s defense.
Robert Lewandowski(9/10): Impressed everyone with his all-round performance. His aerial ability gifted Bayern the lead in the second half, while he played a brilliant one-two with Thiago to set up the second. Gabriel and Mustafi clearly struggled to cope with the Polish starman.
