No Puns, Just Thiago: Post Match Awards And Player Rating

Tip Of The Cap: David Alaba. His goal alone is probably enough to get him on this list, but David Alaba did so much more in this match. Playing as a hybrid left back/attacking mid, he ran Arsenal ragged. His assist on Arjen Robben's goal was the result of a very deft touch that made the defense come unglued. To think that this young man only recently turned 23 should put a great big grin on all Bayern fans faces. The sky is the limit for him.

Golf Clap: Javi Martinez. There is a reason why Bayern dominated this game in all phases of the match. Their back line was brilliant. This is largely due to the big, fleet footed center back Javi Martinez as the 27 year old seems to have found his way back into form after a long layoff. He played about as stout a defense as anyone could expect. He used his strong ability to dispossess his opponents, and anticipate where the passing lanes were to break up any attacks before they could really start. It was simply a solid, maybe unheralded, but nevertheless important performance.

Standing Ovation: Thomas Muller. Sure his goals aren't pretty. Sure, he may be guilty of "goal poaching", whatever the heck that means. The fact remains, Thomas Muller scores goals. He just does. Some will say that he's more lucky than good, but as the Roman philosopher Seneca said "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity". There is nobody more prepared or harder working than Thomas Mueller, and his score sheet is the result of that. Take a bow, Tommy, you had a heck of a game.

Meister Of The Match: Thiago Alcantara. Is there anything Thiago Alcantara can't do? He had a game high seven tackles, five interceptions, a whopping 125 passes including a perfect eight for eight on long balls, three for three on through balls, and a game high four passes that led to shots on goal. Sometimes you have to make a subjective narrative to defend your choices for Meister Of The Match and sometimes the statistics do the talking for you. Just in case the point hasn't quite sunk in, Thiago was an absolute beast on the field. He assisted, defended, crossed, dribbled, mowed the pitch, painted the stadium, polished Pep's dome, and drove the team bus. Bayern certainly made a wise decision in extending his contract earlier this year.