Bayern are back in business! After a week full of off-field issues, the Bavarians were in a buoyant mood ahead of the Oktoberfest as they steamrolled FSV Mainz 4:0 in the Allianz Arena. The win takes Bayern second in the table, with Dortmund and Hoffenheim yet to play this week. Robert Lewandowski bagged a brace while Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller chipped in with one each to propel Bayern to an easy afternoon against the 05-ers.
Here are the Bayern Munich players rated in their win over Mainz.
Manuel Neuer (8/10): A relatively peaceful outing for the Bayern captain. Although Neuer did make a world class save to keep out Robin Quaison, who probably had Mainz’s best chance of the game. A deserved clean sheet for the 31-year-old.
Joshua Kimmich (10/10): An absolutely amazing performance from Kimmich today. He was a real menace going forward and almost all of his crosses were on target. Kimmich had a part in all but one of Bayern’s goals as he bagged three assists against Mainz. A complete man of the match performance from the Bayern Munich starlet.
Jerome Boateng (7.5/10): Started the game after a comeback from injury this week. Boateng was solid in defence, and his passing was also tip-top. He was replaced by Niklas Sule on the hour mark.
Mats Hummels (7.5/10): Looked sloppy at times but a solid defensive display nonetheless, from the former Dortmund captain. It was a feast to once again witness the defensive partnership of Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels.
Rafinha (7.5/10): A fairly quiet but an effective performance from the Brazilian fullback. Rafinha wasn’t exactly as impressive as Kimmich on the left flank, but he was solid enough to earn a proper rating against Mainz.
Arturo Vidal (8/10): Made his comeback to the pitch after being a couple of games out on the sidelines. The Chilean midfielder completely dominated the midfield, alongside his partner in crime Thiago. He also came close to scoring on a few occasions but was unfortunate to hit the bar on both occasions.
Thiago Alcantara (9/10): Showed his class against a hapless Mainz midfield. Thiago was faultless in the middle, as he drove his side to a more effective build-up game and also helped Bayern create chances from midfield. Managed almost 100 passes with a stunning accuracy of 94%, Thiago was truly a beast against Sandro Schwarz’s men.
Arjen Robben (8.5/10): Caused a lot of trouble for the opposition defence, especially in the first half. Robben was constantly making in-roads into enemy territory with his cutbacks, dribbling, and dangerous shots. He got rewarded for his effort with a goal inside the first half.
Thomas Muller (8/10): Vindicated Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to have him in the starting lineup as the German International had a significant effect in the final third. Though not as impressive as his teammates, Muller created quite a lot of openings inside the area and was also rewarded with a goal, which broke the deadlock.
Kingsley Coman (7.5/10): Didn’t make that much of an impact as he had hoped for at the start of the game. Coman was presented with a lot of opportunities to score but the French International wasn’t able to profit from it, mostly due to some bad luck.
Robert Lewandowski (9.5/10): After some ill-comments regarding the Bayern transfer policy, only to receive a treatment from Rummenigge later on, Lewandowski made no sure the board won’t have any complaints about the Polish International, as he bagged a brace which solidified Bayern’s dominance over the 05-ers. He’s now back in the fray, as the leading goal scorer in the Bundesliga with five goals to his name already this season.
Subs
Niklas Sule (7.5/10): Replaced Jerome Boateng inside the hour mark. The ex-Hoffenheim defender was brimming with confidence as he made some crucial tackles to help Bayern keep out the opposition. He was also a threat from set pieces as well.
Franck Ribery (8/10): Was subbed on Arjen Robben in the 61st minute of the game. Ribery was equally influential as his Dutch counterpart, especially with his marauding runs in behind the defence. Had a couple of impressive shots on target but both of them were saved by Rene Adler.
Sebastian Rudy (8/10): Came on for Arturo Vidal in the 71st minute. Rudy instilled more confidence in the Bayern midfield and came ever so close to scoring. His neat volley, unluckily, hit the frame of the goal to deny the former Hoffenheim midfield, his first goal for the Bavarians.
