Rating Bayern Munich Players on Their Champions League Performances vs. Man City
Bayern Munich certainly left it late to confirm their first win of the Champions League season against Manchester City on Wednesday, thanks to an unexpected volley from centre-back Jerome Boateng in the final minute.
Pep Guardiola's side fought hard and certainly deserved something from the game at the Allianz Arena, but that's not to say that each player put in a dazzling performance.
Whichever way you spin it, Manuel Pellegrini's side looked strong and would have been devastated at giving up a point they undoubtedly felt they deserved.
Alas, it's now time to dive into the post-match data to rate the performers for Bayern on the night.
Manuel Neuer: 7
1 of 12
In truth, Manuel Neuer had very little do over the course of this Group E game, with Bayern successfully defending their goal for the duration of the match.
Such a clean sheet will go a long way for the German international, following a run of domestic games that have seen the Bavarian side concede silly goals against weaker opposition.
Neuer was called into action occasionally, proving once again why he is widely regarded as the best in the position in the sport. Rarely needed but always on guard.
David Alaba: 8
2 of 12
Despite being asked to play as a centre-back, David Alaba was undoubtedly one of the brightest sparks in Bayern's attack.
Often found whizzing through the middle of the park at incredible speeds, the Austrian international clearly took plenty of enjoyment from Guardiola's decision to let him loose from his usual left-back responsibilities.
Forcing a strong save from Man City goalkeeper Joe Hart in the first half, following a late run and powerful shot, Alaba may well have ended the game with a goal from another strong performance.
Jerome Boateng: 9
3 of 12
It seems impossible to believe that Jerome Boateng was once regarded as the weak link in previous Bayern back lines.
With a certain sense of irony, it was against his former club on Wednesday night that we saw another powerful performance from the German defender that ended with him scoring the winning goal for his side.
Fantastic volleys aside, Boateng was brilliant in his mopping up of the Man City attack. A performance made all the more impressive when we consider that he was playing alongside two defenders who had rarely played in such a formation or scenario together.
Mehdi Benatia: 7
4 of 12
Due to an unfortunate injury to Holger Badstuber during the previous weekend's match against Stuttgart, Guardiola was forced to start new signing Mehdi Benatia in one of the most important games of the season.
Yet to the Catalan coach's credit, the Moroccan defender slotted in as though he were a seasoned regular and put on a perfectly acceptable performance.
Benatia was eventually substituted for the experienced head of Dante in the final minutes of the game, yet the former Roma star had already proven himself to the Allianz Arena faithful.
Xabi Alonso: 8
5 of 12
Much has been said about Xabi Alonso's perfect start to life at Bayern since he made the move from Real Madrid in the summer transfer window—it continued on Wednesday.
Playing in his favoured holding position at the base of the midfield, Alonso orchestrated most of Bayern's forward plays when he wasn't slotting into the back line.
Such a performance shows exactly why Guardiola was so keen to bring the Spanish international to Munich this season. Alonso plays football to the delight of his new coach, and it seems to be working for Bayern.
Philipp Lahm: 7
6 of 12
In the central-midfield position that, for the time being, seems to be his permanent role, club captain Philipp Lahm put in another strong shift against the might of Man City's midfield.
Up against the industrious Yaya Toure, Lahm made short work of finding space and bursting forward from midfield with the Ivory Coast international often left chasing his shadow.
The World Cup winner has never been one to steal the headlines, and he certainly wasn't Bayern's best player on Wednesday night, but it was another performance that allowed things to tick along for his team. Exactly what makes Lahm the player that he is.
Rafinha: 6
7 of 12
Guardiola has been keen to implement his new 3-4-3 formation this season, yet—as we saw on Wednesday—it hasn't exactly clicked into place as of yet.
One player who certainly didn't look up to scratch was Brazilian full-back Rafinha, who seemed to struggle with the concept of playing as a wide midfielder rather than his usual position.
The former Schalke player has never had trouble bombing forward, yet it was the space that he so regularly left unguarded that City tended to exploit. Not the best performance we've seen from this backup defender in Bayern colours.
Juan Bernat: 7
8 of 12
On the opposite wing to Rafinha we had young Juan Bernat once again play as something of a wing-back for much of the game for his new club.
The 21-year-old Spaniard has looked lively since moving to Munich from Valencia in the summer and put on a solid performance against his direct opponent, compatriot Jesus Navas.
Despite playing in a new position so removed from his usual left-back role in such a game, Bernat looked composed and perfectly capable of holding on to the ball until he was ready to make the perfect pass. A Guardiola superstar in the making.
Mario Gotze: 7
9 of 12
Mario Gotze has been far from sensational for Bayern this season, yet due to the fitness of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben, Guardiola was essentially forced to start the young German in his attacking lineup on Wednesday night.
However, the former Borussia Dortmund star did take to the task and certainly thrived whenever given the opportunity to attack an unguarded Man City defence. Opportunities fell to Bayern throughout the game and rarely did Gotze have little say in the build up of such plays.
When the match began to stretch late in the second half, we may have seen the German midfielder grow shy of the ball, but apart from that, it was another strong performance from Gotze.
Thomas Muller: 6
10 of 12
As irregular as Thomas Muller is, it seems only fair that there are rare occasions the German forward simply can't seem to do anything right in front of goal.
Despite making all the same runs, the same jinking passes and ultimately arriving in the right place at the right time to finish off a move, Muller simply couldn't put the ball into the back of the net.
Guardiola also noticed fairly early on and decided to bring on the more direct skills of Robben late on in the second half. Not a bad game from Muller, but also not one that he'll want to remember.
Robert Lewandowski: 6
11 of 12
Things aren't exactly going to plan for Robert Lewandowski at the moment. Despite a much heralded arrival in Munich, the Polish striker has only scored one goal in his first five games for the Bundesliga champions.
Clearly still adjusting to Bayern's style of play, Lewandowski was once again at odds with his midfield supply, and Man City managed to keep him relatively quiet throughout the 90 minutes of football.
If not for Boateng's late goal, one wonders just what criticism would have fallen upon the striker for once again failing to find that elusive goal.
Substitutes
12 of 12
Arjen Robben
The Netherlands international has always been a key player for Bayern whenever they venture into the Champions League, and that was never more apparent than when he came on against Man City. At a point in the game when Bayern looked utterly dejected, Robben injected a much needed lease of life into their attack.
Rating: 7
Claudio Pizarro
Pizarro's arrival late in the game should say all that has to be said about Guardiola's confidence in Lewandowski at the moment. Thrown on with just minutes to go, the Peruvian international failed to really make much use of limited time on the ball.
Rating: 5
Dante
Guardiola had hoped Dante would help solidify a defense that has wavered in the final moments of games this season, yet the Brazilian made a real mess of things when shepherding a ball back to Neuer in his only real involvement in the game.
The central defender thought he'd done enough to put Sergio Aguero off the scent, yet with one stretch of the leg the Argentine striker prodded the ball past him and Neuer in goal. The shot ultimately went wide, but it was a move that would have undoubtedly confirmed the result of the game if it had gone in.
Rating: 4
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
