Match Awards: Bayern roll past Gladbach

Jersey Swap: Josip Drmic

Gladbach started very strong in this one. I can’t lie and say there wasn’t a moment of “Oh no. Not again.”. Gladbach likes to play well against Bayern. The visitors dominated possession early and were rewarded for their efforts with a fantastic goal scored by Drmic. He spun Niklas Süle like a top before curling his shot into the back of the net out of the reach of Sven Ulreich in the Bayern goal. Then, however, Bayern said, “We’re not going to play around any longer.” and proceeded to dominate the match. Still, Gladbach can look back fondly on a wonderful opening half hour.

Tip Of The Cap: Robert Lewandowski

Before the game, Lewandowski and Jupp Heynckes probably had a conversation where the manager said, “I’m going to give you a rest. You’ll only get about 20 minutes today.” Lewandowski laughed and said, “Hey boss, that’s all I need.” That was 100% all the time he needed. Lewandowski scored once and should have had a second goal, but he put his near-wide open shot just wide of the post. The goal was his 27th of the season, and with four more league matches to go, he looks dead set on surpassing his career high of 30 (twice).

Golf Clap: Mats Hummels

Hummels is an absolute machine. There was a stretch in the second half where it seemed like Hummels broke up ten straight Gladbach attacks. With Süle seemingly venturing into the attack at will, Hummels took a more “control” approach to the match and helped establish Bayern’s stranglehold on proceedings after halftime. That Mats Hummels is a pretty good defender.

Standing Ovation: Thiago Alcantara

When Thiago gets into a mood, you can tell. He starts dancing with the ball at his feet and lands pinpoint passes near and far at any location on the field. He is a great player, and Bayern remain lucky to have him in the squad. The maestro grabbed a goal and was unlucky to not nab a couple of assists on the day. What a performance.

Meister Of The Match: Sandro Wagner

For years, Bayern have struggled to find a true number two behind Lewandowski. It’s a tough gig. You know you’re not going to be first choice, but you need to score goals in the appearances that you do get. This season, it appears that Bayern may have finally found their guy. He joined in January and has seven goals in the Bundesliga so far, including a brace today. He seems to have accepted the role with delight, taking on the challenge full steam ahead.