Four observations on Bayern’s trouncing of Hamburg

Sometimes attitude really is everything

Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Bongarts/Getty Images

Who knows what Hamburg’s coach Bernd Hollerbach really had planned when his team took the field against Bayern Munich. He seemed angry when Bayern scored three goals in the opening twenty minutes, abruptly yanking an uninjured Dennis Diekmeier for Vasilije Janjicic (never a good sign). If there was a plan, though, it didn’t matter, because Hamburg simply laid down on the pitch and died. Hamburg was sluggish and sloppy. And their own apathy made playing against Bayern even harder. As if their play throughout didn’t illustrate this clearly enough, Hamburg’s two late penalties did.

Franck Ribery showed Hamburg the precise opposite: his opening goal was vintage Ribery skill-and-grit, and he blasted past Filip Kostic—ten years his junior—on an amazing sprint brought to an abrupt end Diekmeier with a nasty foul, the latter’s last action before being taken off. Ribery came to play, and it showed.

A sight for sore eyes: a well-rested Robbery of old

Bayern’s offense came roaring in from out on the wings—both wings—like it has not done in what feels like a long, long time. Franck Ribery swooped in, snatched up an errant pass and drove it into the net. Late in the game, Ribery outdribbled three defenders and beat the keeper to nab a brace!

Robben was fast and dangerous on the right, serving Joshua Kimmich the hockey-assist that led to Robert Lewandowski’s 2:0 goal. Robben was rewarded later with a beautiful goal in the second half Bayern’s veteran wingers were as fresh and eager as Hamburg’s defenders seemed tired and dispirited.

Having sat out Bayern’s away game against Freiburg last weekend, they both seemed to have benefited from the rest, especially Franck Ribery. If Jupp Heynckes can keep these two egos rested and fresh, perhaps they just might find that extra gear when Bayern need it in the Champions League.

If there ever was a good time to miss a penalty

It was bound to happen sooner or later: Lewandowski missed a penalty kick. Hamburg seems to have collectively felt that something was lacking in their abysmal defense, so Kyriakos Papadopoulos (who somehow managed to avoid his 10th yellow card after all) fouled Thiago in the penalty area. Lewandowski stepped up to take it, trotted forward, stutter-stepped as usual, and shot the ball over the goal. It was his first missed penalty in a long time. But not to be outdone, Kostic shoved Joshua Kimmich to the ground in the 90th minute, giving Lewandowski a second chance. There was no doubt about this one: right into the net. Lewandowski will be fine.

Scraping bottom: Sebastian Rudy

Photo by Günter Schiffmann/AFP/Getty Images

It really seems as if Sebastian Rudy has no place in this squad. Even against the worst team in the Bundesliga, Rudy probably would not have seen any time on the pitch had not Corentin Tolisso—who relieved Arturo Vidal at halftime—suffered a scary injury to his shin. Thrust awkwardly into the role of a central attacking midfielder, Rudy played pretty poorly. He garnered just 16 touches, but at least he made all 12 of his passes. Rudy fired off yet another impressive-looking, but off-target long-range shot, a sight that’s growing all too familiar from the frustrated midfielder. Rudy may be the only player that Jupp Heynckes has thus far failed to reach. He certainly has only gotten worse since Heynckes took over. But with Javi Martinez glued to the central defensive midfield, Rudy has nowhere to play.