Bayern Munich are back in the Bundesliga after a successful draw stage at the Champions League, facing Hamburger SV away from home. This was far from Bayern\u2019s best game and in fact, there are alarming red flags from this performance. Nonetheless, the Bavarians bagged their point. Here are the standout performers from tonight\u2019s nerve-wracking fixture.<\/p>\n
Jersey Swap \u2014 Luka Vu\u0161kovi\u0107<\/p>\n
One could argue that the referee is a worthy candidate of the Jersey Swap.<\/p>\n
However, credit where it is due, must be handed to the Hamburg side. A young, ruthless and ambitious Hamburg took advantage of their home pitch and drove Bayern to madness. Luka Vu\u0161kovi\u0107, the 18-year-old centre-back on loan from Tottenham Hotspur was THE standout player from HSV. The buildup on the goal he scored was fantastic but the header he took was phenomenal.<\/p>\n
The Croatian has talent, skill and the passion to take him places. This is certainly a player to watch for.<\/p>\n
Der Kaiser \u2014 Alphonso Davies<\/p>\n
The only reason one needs to give Davies the award for tonight is that incredible game-saving goal line clearance.<\/p>\n
At the 75th minute, Hamburg were on a near-perfect counter, ready to score, and it was slotted in by F\u00e1bio Vieira into an open net. When not even Manuel Neuer was available to make that save, Davies dove into the box and slid it away.<\/p>\n
Davies had decent recovery runs, pushed high up (as always) and handled counters pretty decently. Additionally, a few instances where he did win the ball back were noteworthy. While this is far from his best, it is enough for a man returning from an ACL tear.<\/p>\n
Der Fussballgott \u2014 Manuel Neuer<\/p>\n
Forget Manuel Neuer as a keeper for now. For the sake of this discussion, the sweeper-keeper is a midfielder.<\/p>\n
The Bayern midfield tonight was disappointing to say the least. Joshua Kimmich had a subpar performance and Aleksander Pavlovi\u0107 was not able to run his typical one-man show at midfield. In this scenario, it was in fact Neuer, who quietly emerged a reliable figure at midfield.<\/p>\n
The 40-year-old was rather high up the pitch and while that had its disadvantages, he had some crucial infield moments. He helped with distribution and picked up a few loose balls from Hamburg. He helped regain possession and break counters on more than one occasion. These contributions gave Bayern the semblance of a midfield. Despite being victim to the high line, Neuer managed to find balance in being a keeper and playing high up the pitch.<\/p>\n
Der Bomber \u2014 Harry Kane<\/p>\n
In a gloomy game like this one, it is often veterans like Kane who make it watchable. Following the unfortunate penalty, Kane had to make up for the deficit and so he did. And then happened the goal at the 42nd minute. Bayern had been pushing aggressively the whole time. Kimmich received the ball close to the box and slotted it across the sea of players to Kane, who then used literal brute strength to score.<\/p>\n
Kane put up a solid shift, making up for an otherwise mediocre Bayern side. His stints of defensive work were crucial and he was involved in creating multiple chances. Even when under pressure, Kane held his own and ensured possession was maintained.<\/p>\n
He may not be scoring left, right and center like one would expect but he\u2019s doing more than he was ever asked for and that is what makes him so incredibly special.<\/p>\n
Meister of the Match \u2014 Luis D\u00edaz<\/p>\n
The first half of the game missed D\u00edaz and it was evident. The attack was incredibly lackluster until he was subbed on in the second half. There is hardly a difference maker like D\u00edaz who was immediately impactful. His goal in the second half came in under 50 seconds of being on the pitch.<\/p>\n
It was the result of some lovely linkup play between Michael Olise and Serge Gnabry. Olise gave a cross to the Colombian who turned quickly and shot following a perfect, well-timed run. D\u00edaz provided the finishing touch and cohesion to Bayern\u2019s subpar attack. There is only so much that Kane could do without a man to support him, and who better than D\u00edaz?<\/p>\n
With that being said, Bayern should no longer start without him if this is how they plan on playing.<\/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 are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast<\/a>, Spotify<\/a>, Apple<\/a>, or any leading podcast distributor\u2026 <\/p>\n