Arturo Vidal Spearheading Bayern Munich's Treble Bid

In the early stages of the 2015-16 campaign, Douglas Costa was the X-factor for Bayern Munich. Later on, Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski proved to be the key forces driving the Bavarians to success. But this spring, an unlikely player has emerged as the spearhead of Bayern's pursuit of silverware: Arturo Vidal.

The Chilean has come up aces for Bayern time and time again this spring, especially in the big games. He was an absolute monster in midfield against former club Juventus in the UEFA Champions League round of 16. And his winning of the ball late in the second leg allowed Kingsley Coman to cross for Muller's last-gasp equalizer.

In the quarter-finals against Benfica, Vidal scored the only goal of the first leg and netted the all-important equalizer at 1-1 in the second. He was also one of the main reasons Borussia Dortmund never looked like giving Bayern much trouble in the teams' scoreless draw in the Bundesliga in March, a game that effectively ended BVB's chances of an improbable comeback in the title race.

Vidal has emerged as a big-game player. Yet in recent weeks, the Chilean has taken his game to the next level; he's actually been the catalyst of the Bavarians' attack on a regular basis.

In Bayern's win against Schalke on April 16, he set up Robert Lewandowski's opener before scoring Bayern's third later in the second half. On Tuesday, he played a great game against Werder Bremen that included winning a penalty that put the result out of the north German side's reach. True, the penalty was controversial as it came from a dive, but the fact remains the incident had a big impact on the game and was yet another example of Vidal playing a key role.

On Saturday, Bayern may have been a bit off the peak of their game. They'd played several games in quick succession and faced stiff resistance from Hertha BSC. Yet with Lewandowski, Muller and others not having it in them to put Bayern in front, Vidal played a decisive role once more, scoring the opener shortly after half-time.

The ball took a harsh deflection, but good players make their own luck by putting themselves in position to make an impact and by taking chances. Vidal shot, the ball took a bounce, and it went into the net. Another decisive moment from the Chilean.

It's quite remarkable that the Vidal we see pushing Bayern toward trophies is the same man Franz Beckenbauer told Sky Sport was "not in shape" and a player Bayern "didn't need" in October (h/t Calcio Mercato).

In fairness to Beckenbauer, Vidal was underwhelming for much of the fall campaign and seemed to lack fitness following the Copa America. He was surrounded by scandal after being caught drink-driving during the tournament, and controversy has followed him ever since.

In February, per Gazzetta World, he hosted a late-night party with several teammates and Juventus stars. And Sport Bild reported he had appeared drunk several times during Bayern's midseason training camp in Qatar (h/t ESPN FC). The report was later retracted, but regardless, Vidal has certainly been a man of controversy.

Yet despite all the headlines and his poor early-season form, Vidal has turned the corner. He's again and again come through for Bayern in the big games, and as the end of the campaign draws nearer, he seems to be getting better and better.

He's proving to be a decisive attacking player on a regular basis, even from a defensive-midfield position. If Vidal maintains this level of form, it bodes well for Bayern's treble ambitions.

@Mr_Bundesliga