The Perks Of Being A Wall: Post-match awards for Bayern's 1-0 win over FC Köln

Tip Of The Cap: Joshua Kimmich. It is safe to say that he has earned the trust of manager Pep Guardiola completely. He led the team in touches and passes moving the ball out of his own end with relative ease. His defense against counters wasn't the greatest, but it seemed to be more of a formational problem for the entire defense. When you balance that out with his nearly 95% passing accuracy, Kimmich's play deserves credit.

Golf Clap: Robert Lewandowski. His goal was a masterful strike at an impossible angle that proved to be all his side needed. After seeing a poor clearance attempt, he pounced on the opportunity that allowed Bayern to relax and play their game. How Lewa had anything left in the tank after going the full 120 minutes not three days prior is unfathomable, but he did not seem to lose a single step. He showed good movement and interplay with his fellow attackers proving again that he is more than simply a target striker. It also deserves mention that his league leading 25th goal set a new single season record for a non German Bayern player.

Standing Ovation: Thiago Alcantara. Whatever offense Bayern could muster in this match came largely through Thiago Alcantara. His passing, vision, dribbling and creativity opened up runs from his teammates that led to a couple shots on goal, and his own shot, while poorly cleared by Koln, led to the lone goal from Robert Lewandowski. After playing the role of hero against Juventus, Thiago followed through with another strong performance.

Meister Of The Match: Manuel Neuer. To put it simply, this game would have been a draw or worse for Bayern if not for some remarkable saves from Manuel Neuer. He hasn't been tested much this season, but in a game where his team was gassed both emotionally and physically, he stepped up and kept Koln out of the back of his net, allowing Bayern to keep all three much needed points and earning his squad a breather. His final save may have been his best, coming right at the end of stoppage time and from point blank range. with the final whistle blowing right after his subsequent throw it is pretty accurate to say that that save handed Bayern two points.

Jersey Swap: Marcel Risse/Frederik Sorensen. Koln was largely outmatched for much of this game talent wise, but when they smelled blood in the water, they pounced with a very dangerous, if fruitless, counter attack. Much of that was due to the stellar play on the wing from Marcel Risse. On the flip side of that coin is 23 year old Danish international Frederik Sorenson. The 6'4 defenseman managed to shut down one of the top wingers in the Bundesliga in Douglas Costa and then did the same with his replacement Franck Ribery. His footwork, pace and size gave Bayern fits along the left side of the pitch all game long.