After an incredibly slow game, here’s the match awards.
Jersey Swap: No one
WSG Tirol just looked happy to be there. No one in white made any significant plays, did anything impressive, or anything at all to be noticed. Bayern Munich wasn’t exactly perfect either, but yikes, Tirol really need to work on their game. There were multiple mistakes from everyone, at times everyone seemed extremely scattered, and it was just unimpressive overall. One thing, though, their counter-press seemed to be on point for the most part. A place where Bayern thoroughly lacked today, Tirol made up for it.
Der Kaiser: Javier Fernández
The kid is just 17 years old, but played the full 90 minutes like a complete pro. The Spanish youth player is definitely going places, and it was clear from his play throughout the game. Perhaps Bayern has found its long term replacement for Mathijs De Ligt in Fernández, and they could not have found a better option. Alongside Eric Dier, the two made a formidable partnership at center-back, and if all goes well with the youngster’s future, perhaps he can cement a place in that position.
Fußballgott: Gabriel Vidović
Not a midfielder in technical terms of today’s formation, but Vidović and the rest of that second line of attackers seemed to be tracking back to defense. He put in a good shift, proved by his goal, and played his time on the pitch with energy. While he didn’t have the ball very long throughout the game, he did have a big impact whenever he did. He had a beautiful cross into the box, that, if connected, would have resulted in the perfect goal. It is testament to what he can do at the left wing or as a midfielder.
Der Bomber: Nestory Irankunda
The Australian winger instantly showed his doubters and played very very well today. It was evident that he was playing to win. The 18-year old (wow…just 18) worked very hard with the ball to set up João Palhinha’s wonder strike and the credit for that goal should go to him. All in all, after today’s game, Bayern could potentially have found themselves a Kingsley Coman replacement should the Frenchman leave.
Meister of the Match: João Palhinha
Today was just his day. With an absolute thunder strike for a goal, a 90% pass accuracy rate, and a very successful time defending, Palhinha is justifying his 50 million euro price tag. There were very few moments where the Portuguese man seemed unsure of what to do or unsteady on the ball. Kompany may have found his main man at midfield, leaving Leon Goretzka to sweat his place in the XI.
What did you think of our award selection? Who else deserves a shout? Let us know in the comments below!
The Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show has our thoughts and analysis of Bayern Munich’s 3-0 win over WSG Tirol, who stood out, who missed out, and what takeaways fans have as the preseason friendly slate concludes. Check it out on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
