Hinrunde player ratings: Bayern Munich’s forwards

It’s finally here — the last part of our Hinrunde player ratings, and probably the most anticipated part. Bayern Munich have scored a lot of goals this season, but sometimes it felt like the attackers we had were just not enough. Finishing has been a problem, and under Niko Kovac there were issues with chance creation as well.

So how did the individual players fare? Well let’s take a look:

Strikers:

Robert Lewandowski: A+

Minutes played: 2,162
Goals scored: 30
Assists: 5

Those scoring numbers don’t lie — Robert Lewandowski is the most important player at Bayern Munich. In the season so far, he has failed to score in only 5 games that he started — Bayern lost 3 of them. If that isn’t a sign of dependence on single player, then I don’t know what is.

Fiete Arp: N/R

Minutes played: 0
Goals scored: 0
Assists: 0

The Arp Train never left the station.

Note: Joshua Zirkzee didn’t play enough minutes to be considered. He gets an A+ in our hearts.

Wingers:

Serge Gnabry: B+

Minutes played: 1,641
Goals scored: 11
Assists: 8

Serge Gnabry has had a weird season. His goal+assist numbers are great, and there was that unforgettable night where he blasted 4 past Tottenham Hotspur at their own stadium (briefly overtaking Harry Kane as the top scorer at Spurs’ home ground). However, he’s had some tremendous lows as well, games where he’s struggled to get involved or have any impact.

The young German needs to add more consistency to his game if he really wants to be the successor to Arjen Robben.

Kingsley Coman: B-

Minutes played: 1,502
Goals scored: 4
Assists: 5

Kingsley Coman had yet another unfortunate Hinrunde marred by poor decision making and a devastating injury. The Frenchman has struggled mightily with his final ball this season (more so than before) leading to some sections of the fanbase to call for him to be benched. Coman’s upside is that he is like a magnet for defenders, drawing them near and creating holes for his teammates to exploit, in addition to being a diligent defender that regularly helps in the defensive phase of the game.

With Sane unlikely to arrive until next summer, Coman has another half season to show Bayern what he’s made of.

Ivan Perisic: C

Minutes played: 953
Goals scored: 4
Assists: 6

Halfway through the Hinrunde, Bayern fans were wondering, “Why did Inter give us Perisic for so cheap?” Well, safe to say we aren’t wondering any more. While Perisic has been a decent super sub, the Croatian has looked abject in every game that he has played as a starter. Concerns about the final ball aside, he lacks any ability to draw in defenders, his passing is erratic, and his pressing is poor.

Unless some miracle happens over the winter break, Perisic is going back to Italy in the summer.

Attacking midfielders:

Thomas Muller: A

Minutes played: 1,403
Goals scored: 5
Assists: 13

This may be controversial for some sections of the fanbase, but Thomas Muller has been one of Bayern’s most important players this season. Despite being benched for over a month by Niko Kovac, he still leads the team in assists, and has been crucial in Bayern’s hardest games. It’s Muller’s goal against Bochum that kept the club in the Pokal. He has goals and assists against Leipzig, Gladbach, Dortmund, and Leverkusen.

Philippe Coutinho: C+

Minutes played: 1,427
Goals scored: 7
Assists: 7

Again, this may be controversial, but Philippe Coutinho has done little to justify his transfer so far. 90% of his contribution came against the bottom four teams in the Bundesliga, and he has yet to have a good game against a team that is placed higher than 14th. Considering how many minutes he’s gotten, you have to ask if the expectations around his transfer are pressuring the coach to play him.

Overall offensive rating: B+

While there is room for improvement, Bayern’s offense remains a pillar of the club and one of the main reasons Kovac lasted as long as he did. Finishing remain’s the team’s greatest weakness, but hopefully when the big games come around Bayern will be able to rise to the occasion. No one wants to see this team create a million chances against Chelsea only to lose 1-0.