BFW postseason player ratings: Bayern Munich’s midfielders

Having already reviewed last year’s defenders, we now move on to looking at the midfield. Bayern Munich didn’t have much luck with midfielders last season, but the starters were so consistent that it really didn’t matter. The midfielder list is usually longer — this is the smallest it’s been in some time, which indicates a lack of depth at the club. See if you can find who’s missing in the ratings below.

Starters

Joshua Kimmich

Minutes played: 3,313
Goals: 6
Assists: 14
Rating: A+

Joshua Kimmich is the best midfielder in the world, and probably Bayern’s most important player (alongside Lewandowski and Muller). He has the offensive numbers of a high-level attacking midfielder while playing as a DM, and his quality and consistency surpass anyone else on the squad. The few weeks Kimmich spent sidelined by injury showed just how much Bayern rely on him to control proceedings in the middle of the pitch. He gets a perfect rating for the season he had.

Leon Goretzka

Minutes played: 2,242
Goals: 8
Assists: 9
Rating: A+

On most teams Goretzka would be by far and away the best midfielder on the squad, but because Kimmich exists he has to settle for being #2. The 26-year-old started the campaign a little slowly, but quickly picked up his treble season form and created a rock-solid partnership with Kimmich in the middle. Most teams find it hard to control the midfield with just two players, but the Goretzka-Kimmich partnership managed it easily. He also gets a perfect rating for his season.

Depth

Javi Martinez

Minutes played: 834
Goals: 1
Assists: 2
Rating: B-

Javi played very little football in his final season, but was solid in the few short cameos he got. The goal in the Supercup against Sevilla was the highlight of his year, and Bayern will surely miss a player of his class next season.

Corentin Tolisso

Minutes played: 1,315
Goals: 3
Assists: 0
Rating: C-

Tolisso had another year plagued by bad form and fitness issues. He occasionally showed the glimpses of quality that remind us why Bayern spent over 40m euros on him, but it was overshadowed by painful inconsistency. The Frenchman can consider himself unlucky that his season went so poorly — if he gets another chance, he still has the quality to make the most of it.

David Alaba

Minutes played: 3,783 (not all of them in midfield)
Goals: 2
Assists: 7
Rating: B

David Alaba didn’t play many minutes in midfield, but by the end he was clearly Hansi Flick’s preferred #3 option in the pecking order. The Austrian provided quality depth to a Bayern midfield that was sorely lacking outside of the starter pairing of Kimmich and Goretzka, and if things had gone a little bit differently, he may have been able to claim a starting spot next season. Unfortunately, his chapter at Bayern has ended, but we can’t overlook the job he did for the team in midfield for his final year.

Not rated: Tiago Dantas.

Overall rating: A

Depth was the main problem in the midfield this year. If only Thiago had stayed, or if Bayern had replaced him with someone that had half the quality, we’d be much better off. The dependence on Goretzka and Kimmich is worrying, and it’s sad that Alaba ended up leaving because he legitimately had a shot at becoming a permanent midfielder next season.

The transfer window still isn’t open yet, so hopefully Bayern have some reinforcements lined up.