4 Bayern Munich Players with Key Roles to Play in 2015/16 Bundesliga Season

Bayern Munich have a truly humungous squad. No matter which way you look at it, the Munich giants have at least one quality player for every position and undoubtedly two or three back-up players who could easily fill in when called upon. 

An embarrassment of riches is what Pep Guardiola must contend with every week, as he figures out a way to win the German Bundesliga and the European Champions League this May. 

Yet among this vast roster of star names there are a select few players who stand out above all else. They're key names who will undoubtedly feature throughout the season over and over again. Guardiola's most important players, with notable roles for the coming season. 

Here is exactly who they are. 

Arturo Vidal

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Arturo Vidal may seem like an obvious candidate for such a list considering the fact that his talents would make him key to any side across the world, yet the Chilean international has a very specific role at Bayern this season.

That is of course to replace the departed Bastian Schweinsteiger in the middle of the park but also something so much more. Vidal has been signed primarily for the purpose of winning the Champions League in Guardiola's third, and most likely last, season in Munich.

Vidal brings a hunger to his box-to-box style of play that simply cannot be matched across the squad. Nobody can really tackle, sprint, dribble past opponents and score quite like the central midfielder. Especially in the crunch games at the end of the season.  

Robert Lewandowski

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Robert Lewandowski is another name who joins this list despite already being a well-established name. Yet although the Polish striker is a fantastic servant for the club, he does indeed represent a large risk to Bayern and Guardiola's coming season.

Although he may be one of the best strikers in the world, Lewandowski is still the only striker in Bayern's squad. Thomas Muller may be able to cover for his teammate in the odd game across an entire campaign, but Guardiola and the Allianz Arena faithful are well aware that the German forward is anything but a penalty-box striker.

When it comes down to it, a large part of any success Bayern hope to pick up this season will depend on firstly the goals scored by this striker and then secondly how many games he can remain fit for. Because there simply is no alternative. 

Douglas Costa

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For the past two or three seasons, every trophy that Bayern have won has had a firmly placed stamp on it that reads "thanks to Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben." When it comes to the Bavarian champions, it's really quite simple: Unless one of the two wingers is fit and on form you very rarely make it past the finish line. 

Alas, the arrival of Douglas Costa has been celebrated in Munich not only for the player's genuine talent but also because it represents a new age. Bayern no longer have to rely on their ageing wide players anymore. A new winger is at hand. 

Of course, Costa's meteoric start to the season may calm down and he may fall from grace altogether in this huge squad. Yet as things stand, his role is one of the most important under Guardiola. Replace Ribery or Robben when one or the other is injured and make up for their match-winning form. 

Philipp Lahm

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Philipp Lahm is a player who undoubtedly stands alone as one of Bayern's key players simply because of his status as club captain, yet the player himself has a huge tactical role to play in this coming season. 

Now that Guardiola finally has his central midfielder of choice in Vidal, Lahm can now move back to his original right-back position and sure up a defensive line that has never truly looked at ease since he left. Bayern may have two world-class left backs and one or two fantastic central defenders, but their only other right back, Rafinha, is no match winner. 

If Lahm can spend more time on the right side of defence in this coming season, then we may well finally see a Bayern side with no notable weak links for the first time under Guardiola