Match awards from Bayern Munich’s big win over Hoffenheim

After just few minutes, Bayern Munich took the lead thanks to Serge Gnabry and just minutes later Joshua Kimmich scored the second goal. After six minutes, it was already crystal clear who was going to be the match winner. After a dubious finish, Bayern is going back to Munich with three points. Without further ado, here are the match awards!

Jersey Swap: Oliver Baumann

In a match like this, it’s sometimes impossible to chose a “jersey swap” since almost nobody from the opposing team positively contributed to their team. One person that slightly stood out today was Hoffenheim’s goalkeeper — Oliver Baumann. He conceded six goals this afternoon but also made some crucial saves. It could have easily been 10-0 for Bayern if Baumann was having a truly bad day; however, Baumann shouldn’t be too proud of today’s performance.

Tip of the Cap: Joshua Zirkzee

The young Dutch attacker played very well today. He was a constant threat to Hoffenheim’s defense and also contributed a lot in the build-up. He scored a good goal after Kimmich’s (half) assist. He fought off his defender before kicking the ball into the net. He also had a few more chances to score a goal but was stymied by Baumann. What fascinated me the most about Zirkzee was that he was often on the wings and tracking back to help out his teammates in defending or build-up play. He implemented a similar style to Robert Lewandowski, but the constant running made him tired, and after the 70th minute he could hardly help out in attacks. All in all, a good match for the youngster.

Golf Clap: Joshua Kimmich and Thomas Müller

Both of them had an amazing game today, so they are tied for the “Golf clap” award. Kimmich is getting more and more comfortable as a defensive midfielder, and today’s performance is one of the better ones he had in a while. He scored the second goal for Bayern after a deflection from about 25 meters. What amazed me the most is his perception of the game and how he controlled its dynamics with ease. When he is paired with Thiago Alcantara, Bayern’s midfield is immediately looking better.

Thomas also looked very good today. He probably could have gotten a goal or one more assist, but he was subbed off early. He managed to get two assists and now has 16 assists total in Bundesliga! It is clear that his form is just getting better under Flick. It will be interesting to see his final goal and assist tally at the end of the season — surely some record-breaking stuff.

Standing Ovation: Serge Gnabry

Another awesome performance by the German winger. It’s good to see him back at his best after a few underwhelming performances. It was beautiful to watch him play today. He pressed Hoffenheim’s defense and won a few balls. His movements drove the defenders crazy. He was credited with Bayern’s first goal today, sending a volley off of Bauman and deflected into the back of the net. He finished the match with four key passes and 89.5% pass accuracy.

Meister of the Match: Phillippe Coutinho

It is so lovely to see when Coutinho plays some good football. In the first part of the match, he struggled. He often made wrong passes and wrong moves. He was often approached by his teammates, who encouraged him to give his all — and it worked. He scored two wonderful goals today. His first was a shot from distance, and the second one a difficult tap-in after Muller’s cross. He had lots of good moves and his partnership with Alphonso Davies was good. Hopefully, this will be a turning point for the Brazilian and a much-needed confidence boost. He is not only playing for a contract at Bayern but also for the revival of his career.

Honorable mentions:

• Leon Goretzka — did very good when he came in. Scored a goal and could have scored two more. His presence was felt today.
• Corentin Tolisso — came in during the half-time break and was consistent in the second half, and also made an assist.
• David Alaba and Jerome Boateng — so much composure and positive attitude. Very stable partnership throughout last two months (or more).
• Rest of the team — Bayern played like clockwork today, and every single player played well. We can thank Hansi for sorting it out.