Race for Bayern Munich's Next Attacking Combo Remains Open After Olympiakos Win

It's often been said that Bayern Munich lack a Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Actually, the German giants have in recent years been characterized by combinations of star players. There was the duo of Luca Toni and Franck Ribery. Then Bayern signed Arjen Robben, and the club leaned upon the Dutchman and Ribery when the going got tough.

Ribery is now 32 and has spent most of the last 12 months injured. By the looks of things, he's on his way out of the spotlight. Robben turns 32 in January, and although he hasn't yet shown signs of slowing down, he will eventually, and that change will likely come quite fast. At the very least, he'll need to be rotated more, and newcomers will be more confident in the prospect of asserting themselves in his position than they would be if he were 28, for example.

There very much is an open casting call for the role of Bayern's next great attacking-midfield combination. And Wednesday's 3-0 win against Olympiakos gave some food for thought.

Thomas Muller grabbed headlines for scoring his 29th and 30th goals in the Champions League, putting him level with such greats as Kaka and Samuel Eto'o on the tournament's all-time top scorer list and just five behind his legendary namesake, Gerd Muller. He also became the first Bayern and first German player to score in eight different Champions League campaigns.

Yet despite Muller's incomparable brilliance, by the very nature of his playing style, he never was and never will be the man Bayern directly rely upon in attack. Speaking to Suddeutsche Zeitung in 2011 (article in German), he described himself as a "Raumdeuter," which translates roughly to "space interpreter" or "space investigator."

Like a poacher who needs a playmaker to provide service, Muller needs flashier players to run around and create the space that he so expertly runs into. If opponents focus on him specifically, Muller's greatest quality instantly becomes largely diminished.

Against Olympiakos on Wednesday, Muller happened to be the hero. His opener on 52 minutes was actually a badly hit cross that he admitted (via Deutsche Welle's Alex Chaffer) he never intended to be an attempt on goal, and his second came from a penalty when the result was already decided.

On the wing opposite Muller was Bayern's other attacking midfielder, Douglas Costa. Before the opener, and even after the key goal that broke the tension, most attacks came via the Brazilian. Yet for all the quantity, there was something left to be desired in terms of quality.

However brilliant he's been in the Bundesliga, Costa didn't make a noticeable impact in Greece. Maybe he will in the coming weeks.

Instead, the surprise stars of Wednesday's action were substitutes Kingsley Coman and Mario Gotze. The former set up two goals in just half an hour on the pitch, and the latter scored in a 13-minute outing. It was a big moment for Coman when he, not Gotze, came on to replace Lewandowski. And he took his chances brilliantly, racing to the ball before crossing for Gotze's goal to make it 2-0, and winning a late penalty following an inspired bit of footwork just inside the edge of the box.

CHRISTOF STACHE/Getty Images

Although still 19 years old, the on-loan Juventus forward apparently has some real quality to offer. He seems to have the right attitude to succeed, and his hunger to perform will drive him forward, especially as he competes for a spot in a Bayern lineup that is far from set in stone.

After his initial snubbing, Gotze's introduction came with a bit of humor from German magazine 11 Freunde, which tweeted: "Guardiola: 'Show the world you're better than I think!'," a reference to Joachim Low's famous words to Gotze before the substitute came on and scored the winner in the 2014 World Cup final ("Show the world you're better than Lionel Messi," via the Guardian).

Yet, just as Coman did, Gotze took his opportunity brilliantly. His first touch from the Frenchman's pass was immaculate, and much like he often has in a Germany shirt, the 23-year-old finished with the precision of a striker.

As Ribery's comeback date continues to be pushed back and speculation grows as to whether he will be the same player he once was, the race to fill his spot and contend for the eventual vacancy that Robben will leave is heating up.

Costa has been excellent overall and should have an advantage, but his form has cooled off a bit since the international break. Coman and Gotze both have brilliant potential, and they took some positive steps on Wednesday. Along with Costa, they'll compete to be the future of Bayern's attacking midfield. As of now, the race is wide-open.

@Mr_Bundesliga