In the first of our three-part series, we look at Bayern Munich’s defense. Now, it’s time to switch gears and examine the midfield to see how well they perform on an individual level.
Spoiler alert: It turns out, not so good.
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midfield
Tom Bischoff
Minutes played: 689
Number of goals scored: 0
Assists: 3
Tom Bischoff had a rough first half of the season, mostly because the coach preferred to use him as a stopgap option at left guard rather than his natural position. When he played in midfield, his performance was outstanding! As a left back, he was average at best and often well below average. This rating does not reflect his quality as a midfielder.
grade: 5.0/10
Leon Goretzka
Minutes played: 1,108
Number of goals scored: 0
Assists: 0
Leon Goretzka is the worst player on the team right now, bar none. The fact that he gets so much playing time is a travesty and shows how thin the midfield really is. When Goretzka plays, he’s not a non-factor – he’s a positive detriment to the team. For someone who has always defended his performance, Leon has really become untenable this year. He hides in the field, sidesteps the ball, passes sideways or backwards, never doing more than a slight jog.
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His tenure at Bayern Munich is over.
grade: 1.0/10
Alexander Pavlovich
Minutes played: 1,319
Number of goals scored: 1
Assists: 1
Aleksandar Pavlović’s results are mixed Hinlundso it’s difficult to fully assess his performance. He is not a player who seizes his chances, but his presence is often crucial in maintaining harmony in the midfield. On the other hand, he has an unfortunate habit of missing certain games, such as the Pokal match against Union Berlin. If he wants to develop further, he must improve his consistency.
grade: 7.0/10
Joshua Kimmich
Minutes played: 1,938
Number of goals scored: 1
Assists: 7
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Joshua Kimmich is another tough guy to rate. If you grade him based on his performance in September and October, he’s pretty good. If you look at his performance from November to December, his performance was poor.
Kimmich suffered an ankle injury in recent international matches and then played through the injury in Germany’s win over Slovakia. You get the sense that he never fully recovered, and insisting on playing without rest didn’t help.
Kimmich is a controversial figure among the fan base right now, so opinions on him can be extreme. According to statistics (via FBRef), he ranks in the 99th percentile among midfielders (in the top 5 leagues) in pass attempts and progressive passes, which illustrates why he is so important to the system. On the other hand, for a so-called “defensive” midfielder, his defensive statistics are poor – ranking 4% in tackles, 28% in interceptions, and 22% in blocks.
Statistics describe a player’s importance to the offense more than to the defense. Kimmich’s non-penalty assists rank in the 98th percentile among players at his position. While the corners he took enhanced his team’s performance, it was the open game where he really shined. Kimmich might benefit from a true defensive player as his partner – perhaps someone like Tom Bischoff. Someone who can do the dirty work while focusing on his strengths.
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He’ll also benefit from a break, he’s not as young as he once was. Bastian Schweinsteiger abused his body in the same way, and by the time he was 32, he was at the end of his strength. Kimmich could be a huge asset to Vincent Kompany and Bayern Munich, but only if he looks after himself and plays within his capabilities.
grade: 6.9/10
Overall midfield rating: 6.0/10
The midfield has struggled this season, especially after the November international break. Vincent Kompany has a chance to fix this problem in the second half of the season – mainly through more rotation, more Tom Bischoff and less Leon Goretzka. A healthy Joshua Kimmich would also help a lot.
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Kompany can also make tactical adjustments to the system to improve things in the midfield. An inverted full-back would help – Laimer is already a midfielder and could definitely partner with Olise. The return of Jamal Musiala will also take some of the pressure off as he has the ability to take the ball off the defense and advance it down the field.
However, what the midfield really needs are reinforcements. Leon Goretzka has to go and he needs a player who fits the system to replace him. Unfortunately, Bayern are not the kind of team that does business in the winter, so some midfield issues (mainly defensive) will continue into next season.
If you’re looking for more Bayern Munich and Germany national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, available on Acast, Spotify, Apple or any of the leading podcast distributors…
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