Thomas Muller Hat-Trick Leaves Pep Guardiola with a Selection Headache

As a team, Bayern Munich made a statement in their last match before the international break, hammering Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday by a 4-0 margin. But it wasn't just the collective whole that proved a point: Thomas Muller was at the top of his game as he netted a hat-trick. And now coach Pep Guardiola will have something to think about during the upcoming internationals.

Guardiola has perhaps an embarrassment of riches in attack. In Robert Lewandowski, he has a 30-goal-per-season striker who once put four past Real Madrid. To the left he has Franck Ribery, a Ballon d'Or finalist in January who has been the heart of the Bayern attack since 2007. On the right, he has Arjen Robben, World Cup bronze-ball winner and scorer of the decisive goal in the 2013 Champions League final.

In floating roles are the more versatile Mario Gotze and Muller, who can be and have been used on both flanks, off a main center-forward and even as the lone striker. The former is widely regarded as one of the best talents Germany has ever produced and made his stamp on history this summer with his World Cup final winner. The latter has been directly involved in 198 goals for Bayern since 2009-10, more than any of his teammates during that same period, and is a World Cup Golden Boot winner.

Since Gotze joined Guardiola in arriving to Munich in 2013, a selection headache was inevitable. The recent signing from Dortmund had teething problems in his first season and in the early stages of the current campaign, one or two attackers were always unavailable due to injuries or post-World Cup fatigue. But now, Guardiola has a real challenge in deciding with whom he should continue in his front four.

Muller's hat-trick on Saturday doubled his goals tally in the Bundesliga, where he previously had only found the net three times in nine appearances. He's scored nine and assisted seven more in all competitions, leading the team in direct involvement in goals. Robben, despite missing eight games, is sharp as ever when he plays, his masterclass in Bayern's 7-1 hammering of Roma being a reminder of his quality. Bayern have won every game in which he's played: Their record when he is absent stands at four wins, three draws and one loss in eight fixtures.

Like Robben, Ribery has also struggled with injuries. And yet, he's scored in most matches in which he's played, even when used in a brief outing. Per Transfermarkt, he has recorded four goals and two assists in just 379 minutes. In other words, he scores or assists every 63 minutes on average.

With direct involvement in 13 goals, Gotze's tally is only exceeded by Muller's. He's developed consistency this season and carried Bayern through Ribery's time on the sideline, making a strong case for full-time starting status ahead of the Frenchman.

The only Bayern attacker who has lagged behind the rest is the one who has played in the most games, Lewandowski. He's scored seven and assisted five more goals in all competitions, but even that impressive tally is subpar when compared to Gotze, Robben, Ribery and Muller. At the same time, the Poland international is a unique asset to Guardiola's team, a natural center-forward. The only alternative in such a role, Claudio Pizarro, is 36 and injured.

Muller also may have been droppable with all his teammates healthy, if not for any other reason than the fact that his style typically requires others to do more work on the ball and break down defenses before he makes the decisive pass or scores himself. But his hat-trick on Saturday was a reminder that when on form, he can decide matches on his own.

Bayern have been a nightmare for any tactical analyst this year, but it seems consistent that their shape has involved Lewandowski as a main striker with no more than three attacking midfielders as support. Philipp Lahm, Xabi Alonso and Juan Bernat have been regular starters ahead of a more-or-less three-man defense. To play Lewandowski, Gotze, Robben, Ribery and Muller would require dropping a more defensive player, a choice that would leave either the midfield or defense severely understaffed with five forwards on the pitch.

Based on style, Lewandowski is a unique asset and one who is difficult to drop. With Muller and Gotze up front last season, Bayern often looked flaccid in attack. And although the German record champions put six past Bremen with Lewandowski on the bench earlier this season, it's no coincidence that the Pole has played in more games than any of his attacking colleagues.

If there are any comparisons to make among the other attackers, perhaps the most valid is with Gotze and Ribery. Despite their increased prolificacy in front of goal this season, both are by nature creators more than finishers. They are sometimes at the end, but far more often at the beginning of attacking sequences near the penalty box. Gifted dribblers with both explosive pace and exceptional agility, they can one-touch pass their way through defenses and have the mental gift to create play.

Robben and Muller are more similar to one another than either is to Ribery or Gotze, although their comparison is far less close than that of Ribery and Gotze. What both have in common is that despite being adept passers of the ball, they have the mindset of finishers. The Dutchman is more capable of creating play on his own, but is more the architect of his own opportunities to score than those of other teammates. He's shed his "selfish" image in recent years, but will never be regarded for his passing as he is for his scoring.

Robben is perhaps the most decisive Bayern attacking player and stands among the world's elite in that category. Like Ribery and Gotze, he can create chances from nothing. But despite a weak right foot, he leaves defenders in his wake and is a much more direct player than either. It's hard to imagine such a lethal player being dropped at this point.

That leaves Muller, who might suffer somewhat in a team without a world-class creator but nonetheless is perfectly at home in this Bayern side. He's not as technically gifted as Gotze, Ribery or Robben, lacks Lewandowski's aerial ability and skill in finishing and can't create like Gotze or Ribery, but his goals return is second to none. He's consistently led Bayern in terms of combined goals and assists since his breakout 2009-10 season, and at 25, is unlikely to decline at any point in the near future.

Moreover, Muller is a symbolic reminder to Guardiola and football as a whole that technique may be exciting to watch, but functionality is the game's trump card. The final score is what matters, and Muller affects that above all.

Thus is the dilemma Guardiola faces. To play Lewandowski, Robben, Ribery, Muller and Gotze at the same time would be to throw off-balance the team he's worked tirelessly to bring to its current level. It may work against lesser Bundesliga sides but is no way to prepare a team for tough fixtures in the latter stages of the Champions League. And at the same time, all five of his world-class attackers are fit and in-form, and none at this point can justifiably be dropped. Guardiola is faced with a real conundrum, but at least it's a matter of choosing four of five fantastic options. It's a situation any coach would envy.

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