Tip of the Cap: Rafinha. He has not received the same kind of love he got under Pep Guardiola, but Rafinha continued to show he is a good alternative to Philipp Lahm. The naturalized German made some exciting breaks forward and picked out the head of Arturo Vidal for the goal. He also got on well with Arjen Robben despite not having much time with him in recent seasons.
Golf Clap: Arturo Vidal. Not every pass was perfect from him in his first October start, but Vidal was very active for the entire game. He helped take attention off Robert Lewandowski at times while also starting the play during others. He wasn’t exactly the destroyer he is known to be, but with the way Gladbach were conceding possession, he didn’t need to be.
Standing Ovation: David Alaba. He was one of the main reasons Gladbach had trouble keeping the ball, racking up three tackles and six interceptions. He also was a very strong presence going forward and but in a lot of dangerous service into the penalty area. He seems to have more confidence on both sides of the ball when he knows Arturo Vidal and Douglas Costa are there to cover him.
Meister of the Match: Douglas Costa. Douglas was clearly the best player on the field in his first start since September. His quickness and rapid movement helped disorganize the Gladbach defense, and his sharp service nearly lead to a goal or two. He was clearly on the same page with Robben in attack and combined extremely well with David Alaba.
Jersey Swap: Jannik Vestergaard. A bad scoreline could have been a lot worse had Vestergaard not been present in Gladbach’s penalty area. He tallied nine clearances, often standing between a dangerous Bayern player and the service that player was trying to finish off. The young Dane left Werder Bremen to be part of an improved defensive core, but so far that core has not manifested itself at Gladbach.