Bayern Munich are truly having a season to remember. Their win streak continued as they won the mid-week DFB Pokal fixture against FC K\u00f6ln. Back in the Bundesliga, Bayern faced Bayer Leverkusen at home on Matchday 9. Though their attacking prowess and clinicality have dropped following several major departures in the summer transfer window, they still remain strong in midfield and play possession based football. However, Leverkusen were simply unable to put their skills to use as they struggled against an in-form Bayern, who showed no signs of slowing down and walked home with yet another victory. Here are the awards from the incredibly smooth win, now putting Bayern at 15 wins in a row.<\/p>\n
Jersey Swap: Mark Flekken<\/p>\n
This was a difficult game for the goalkeeper, but there is no other standout player. Ernest Poku, attempted earnestly to poke and prod Bayern, but could not bring any attacking output. For a game that reflects back at Leverkusen\u2019s complete failure at defending and attacking, there are only these two players who held little to no fault in how things went down. There was only a single shot on target from Christian Kofane, which too was promptly handled by Manuel Neuer.<\/p>\n
Tom Bischof terrifies me. In a good way.<\/p>\n
The 20-year-old has pretty much championed the entire defense, looking so smooth that one might think his natural position was left-back. The youngster is pretty much entirely press-resistant and probably did not lose the ball even once. The left-wing may not have been very good at attack, but Bischof\u2019s defending was absolutely the highlight on that flank. This more than made up for subpar midfield performances. Phenomenal at distribution, excellent pace, blocked nearly all Leverkusen attempts. What more could you ask for? Oh, and an assist too!<\/p>\n
As a massive defensive midfield nerd, some of Bischof\u2019s moves being rather reminiscent of Thiago Alc\u00e1ntara made my day.<\/p>\n
This is the kind of performance that warrants a sure-shot position in the starting lineup every single week.<\/p>\n
Honorary mention to Kim Min-Jae who too had a lovely solid performance.<\/p>\n
Der Fussballgott: Aleksandar Pavlovi\u0107<\/p>\n
Both Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka were marginally better than usual, but there was still something missing. Particularly with Kimmich, one can attribute his performance to fatigue. The performance of Pavlovi\u0107, however, was solid as always. The youngster made a near-immediate impact on his substitution, positioning himself excellently, picking out the best players to pass to and providing to the attack. His defensive abilities make him the perfect stabilizer and one can only imagine how phenomenally he would mesh with a player like Bischof.<\/p>\n
We dream and wait for the Bischof-Pavlovic midfield duo. VK, my man, make it happen, I believe in you.<\/p>\n
Nicolas Jackson had his best-ever Bayern game, but competing for this award with Lennart Karl is difficult.<\/p>\n
Karl is truly the future. The Franck Rib\u00e9ry regen, who somehow also carries Arjen Robben\u2019s skillset made sure to keep Leverkusen on their toes. Despite the attempts of Bayer Leverkusen\u2019s players at defending him, he somehow always managed to beat them. The right-wing was responsible for the majority of the attack today, and it was all thanks to the brilliant combination of Konrad Laimer and Karl.<\/p>\n
If Laimer trusts a winger enough to constantly pick him out for a pass, you can be assured of the quality of that player. He\u2019s done it with Michael Olise, Luis D\u00edaz, and now Karl.<\/p>\n
The youngster is simply fearless; he will drop into any space, run any amount of distance if it is to retrieve the ball. While he did not secure an assist or a goal, he was crucial in ensuring a constant attacking threat.<\/p>\n
Both Nicolas Jackson and Serge Gnabry had excellent games, but the award goes to the youngster who did not let die Werkself rest.<\/p>\n
Meister of the Match: Konrad Laimer<\/p>\n
No amount of praise is enough for the Austrian, who can pretty much do anything. Out of seemingly nowhere, Laimer turned a world-class crosser in this game, providing some of the best passes to Karl. It was in fact one cross that assisted Nicolas Jackson\u2019s goal. He created nearly every major Bayern chance. What he lacks in defensive metrics, he more than makes up for, being the most intelligent and attacking-minded player on the pitch.<\/p>\n
There is not much to say that has not already been said about Laimer. However, the assist leading to Jackson\u2019s goal is simply proof enough of the quality he provides from that position.<\/p>\n
What do you think about the awards? Who else do you think deserved a shout? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n
If you want more takes on the match, let\u2019s talk about how it all played out on this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works \u2014 Postgame Show:<\/p>\n
A look at Bayern Munich\u2019s starting XI selections\u2026who stood out, who struggled, and more.A rundown of the scoring and substitutions as we walk through the flow of the match.Some final takeaways on the match.Support Bavarian Podcast Works on Patreon!<\/p>\n
If you like our podcasts and want more, or just want to listen our episodes ad-free, then support us on Patreon! Every single dollar will be used to help boost the coverage of the team we all love. Mia San Mia.<\/p>\n