Four observations from Bayern Munich downing Gladbach 3-1

Bayern Munich hosted Borussia Mönchengladbach in a crucial match to stay within distance of league leaders Bayer Leverkusen. The Bavarians managed to overcome their bogey team 3-1 (Aleksandar Pavlović, Harry Kane, and Matthijs de Ligt) and win both matches against them for the first time in seven years. What are the takeaways from this game?

Bayern actually played well

This is not something you would normally hear, especially when talking about a Thomas Tuchel-coached team. The evident absence of “U-ball” where Bayern just pass it around without making much threat clearly shows that Bayern can play attractive football after all. Now, if only they could translate that into more good results.

Leroy Sigh-né

It appears that Sané is still in his funk because he was quite poor in this match. He had two good chances to score early on, but he hit the bar and then a shot straight at the goalkeeper. Given that Bryan Zaragoza has just come in, the 28-year-old must pull himself together because he is at risk of being dropped for literally any of the wingers available. The only positive from Sané today was his tracking back and his assist for Matthijs de Ligt’s goal.

Alphonso Davies is back?

Let’s look at someone who played well today: Real Madrid-linked Davies. The Canadian proved the haters wrong by delivering a masterclass performance at LB, showing Bayern what they will miss if he bolts for Spain. Davies was active in attack and solid going back and made some crucial tackles to keep the scoreline as it is.

We hope his injury isn’t serious.

Pavlović is HIM

Bayern academy boy Aleksandar Pavlović continues to impress and step up when a hero is needed. Bayern somehow found themselves on the back foot and had to find a way back into the game, and that’s where he made the difference. Thomas Müller found him in space, and he just smashed the ball home. Two goals in two games, both of which might end up being crucial goals. What a moment for the 19-year-old.

Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich’s 3-1 victory over Gladbach? Want to hear what went right, what could have been better, and everything in between? Well…we have the perfect thing for you! Check out our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show on Spotify or below:

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