Why Absent Stars Are Under Most Pressure for Bayern Munich After Frankfurt Game

Bayern Munich marched on in their quest for another Bundesliga title on Saturday with a convincing 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt at the Allianz Arena. 

Just days after a nervy penalty shootout win over Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal and a week after a 1-0 win over Borussia Dortmund, Pep Guardiola's side look as though they have finally regained their confidence following a shock defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach. 

What was more astonishing about the nature of the win over Frankfurt was the manner in which the Bavarian giants contended with 15 first-team players missing through injury, as Guardiola chopped and changed his side to accommodate what little talent he had available to him. 

On paper, this may have looked like a routine win for Bayern, but it certainly represented much more to the players, considering the resolve they showed on the day.

Such resilience was notable across the team, but we begin with the defence, where Pepe Reina stepped in for a jaded Manuel Neuer and did an exceptional job convincing the world that he isn't already in semi-retirement in Munich. The former Liverpool shot-stopper orchestrated his defence well and even made a number of key saves throughout the match.

A makeshift defence featuring Dante and Rafinha as the central pairing looked like a nightmare for most Bayern fans prior to the clash, yet even they passed with flying colours. Dante in particular looked like his old self and far from the bomb scare he has tended to represent this season.

Jerome Boateng will walk back into this team, and Holger Badstuber should still be considered the ideal partner alongside his compatriot, but the Brazilian may have just done enough to make Guardiola reconsider his spot below Mehdi Benatia on his list.

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

In midfield, there was a partnership of Philipp Lahm and Thiago Alcantara in front of the ever-composed Xabi Alonso. The two returning stars looked like they'd been battling hard throughout this campaign and anything but two athletes who'd spent the best part of a year out injured.

It will be interesting to note just how Guardiola approaches the return of Bastian Schweinsteiger from injury, with Thiago and Lahm both performing admirably in the few games they've played since returning from their respective long-term injuries.

Schweinsteiger, at the moment, is one of the first names on his manager's teamsheet each week, but if there are more games like this, the Spaniard may have to change that. 

If redemption was the name of the game on Saturday for much of the Bayern team, then their leader was undoubtedly the revitalised Mario Gotze, who looked like his former, world-beating self at the heart of Guardiola's attack.

Much was made of the absence of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, yet the 22-year-old was at the heart of everything on Saturday and managed to set up one of the three goals when we wasn't constantly hounding the Hannover goal with his own efforts.

Never the most obvious or exceptionally confident player—at least in the colours of Bayern—Gotze certainly seems much more at home when play flows through him and not shipped out to the wing.

So much so that it wouldn't be beyond the realms of reason to suggest the Germany international plays better when either Robben or Ribery aren't on the pitch and playing his game for him.

Ultimately, such a match will be lost among the avalanche of success that is undoubtedly heading Bayern's way come the end of the season, yet taken in isolation, we can appreciate just what this win over Frankfurt meant for Guardiola's team.

When the big guns are out of action, the Bavarians' B team can still shine in the Bundesliga. And that may just shake things up for Guardiola when it comes to his future selections.

@Sbienkowski