Match awards from Bayern Munich’s thrilling 5-2 win over FC Augsburg

Bayern Munich booked their spot in DFB-Pokal’s round-of-16 with a 5-2 win over FC Augsburg. After conceding an early goal, Julian Nagelsmann’s men managed to make a comeback and secured their progression to the next round. Here are the awards from tonight’s thrilling contest:

Jersey Swap: Mads Pedersen

Pederson helped Augsburg take the lead with a stunning left-footed strike in the ninth minute. The Danish international worked tirelessly throughout the match and often troubled Benjamin Pavard and Dayot Upamecano on the left-wing.

Der Kaiser: Dayot Upamecano

Upamecano, along with the rest of Bayern Munich defenders, was under constant pressure from Augsburg’s frontline. However, the Frenchman responded well to the challenges and managed to set the tempo with his fine ball distribution, delivering nine long balls from the back. Except for a few shaky moments, the 23-year old had a commanding presence in his team’s half.

Fußballgott: Joshua Kimmich

Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

Kimmich struggled for control in the opening minutes as he was frequently targeted by Fuggerstadt players during Bayern’s buildup play. However, as the tempo-dictator for his club and country, he is used to dealing with this kind of pressure and after a rough phase, the German midfielder got back in the game and orchestrated his team’s play all over the field. Before his goal, Kimmich had initially sprinted forward to put pressure on his marker — and as a result of his proactive approach, the 26-year old later found himself in a clear goal-scoring position and fired off a thundering shot past Tomas Koubek.

Der Bomber: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

Choupo didn’t have a perfect game but the Cameroon forward was perhaps the hardest-working Bayern Munich attacker on the field tonight. The experienced forward was crucial in helping his team break the deadlock and performed a variety of tasks throughout the match that benefited his teammates in attack.

Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

He was not only seen pinning the Augsburg backline, but he also actively dropped deep and intelligently occupied the empty space when the Augsburg midfield pushed up to mount pressure on the Bavarian backline. Moreover, his presence allowed Sadio Mané and Serge Gnabry to roam freely and make dangerous runs in-behind the opponent’s defense. With two goals and an assist, Choupo once again proved himself as a reliable backup and Bayern officials can thank BFW’s scouting team for discovering him.

Meister of the Match: Alphonso Davies

Alphonso Davies made it all work for his team tonight. With a game-high six interceptions, five dribbles and two goal contributions, the Canadian International put in a complete performance and was Bayern’s best player on the pitch. In addition to making some crucial recoveries, Davies was a constant source of attacking-creativity for his teammates.

While his wing-partner Sadio Mané had a relatively quiet night, Davies provided much-needed control, speed and ball-progression from the left flank. The Canadian took three shots for the first time this season and his efforts came to fruition as he capped off a superb night with a goal in added-time.

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