Bayern 2 Braunschweig 0 Post Match Awards And Player Rating

Tip Of The Cap - Rafinha: Rafi has very quietly improved himself into a well rounded defender and this game was a perfect example. He played a full 90 minutes of virtually mistake free football, drew a few fouls and most importantly, didn't commit any himself. He was a big part of the build up play with Robben on the right side which generated a few scoring chances and tracked back well in his own end to clear away Braunschweig counter attacks.

Golf Clap - Bastian Schweinsteiger: Once again, he was paired with Xabi Alonso in the midfield, but it was Schweinsteiger who took over, playing box to box, creating chances and controlling the midfield. He picked up an unfortunate yellow card for a hard tackle that looked worse than it actually was, which was probably why he was subbed off in the 77th minute. Aside from that, Bastian was quite simply a bully against a Braunschweig midfield that could not keep up.

Standing Ovation - Mario Götze: Götze's interplay with Franck Ribery and David Alaba was the main source of attack along the left side of the pitch for what seems like the 10th game in a row. His goal to make this game 2-0 was an absolute beauty. His dribbling skills, body control, balance and finishing ability were all clicking to perfection and it was easy why some call him "The German Messi". It hasn't always been this pretty for Mario this season, but when he is on, it is a remarkable thing to watch. If he can do this on a more consistent basis, Bayern's chances to win the treble will be pretty dang good.

Meister Of The Match - David Alaba: The 22 year old is very quietly turning into a super star and his ability in deadball situations is only a small part of that. His box to box play is outstanding. He is able to come bombing down the left, and fit enough to track back on a counter and not leave Manuel Neuer hanging out to dry. When Ribery was subbed off for Juan Bernat, that left side trio didn't miss a beat and Alaba was the reason. And that goal? When the ball first left his foot it appeared to be heading right into the floodlights, only to curl down at the last second to glance off the cross bar and into goal. It was jaw dropping, and it may not have even been his best free kick goal of the last week.