A fundamental aspect of Bayern Munich’s game is having a defensive minded midfielder in the pivot, while the other one can roam around the pitch and play a more advanced role. Many players have come and gone through Bayern’s doors but neither of them came close to being the Javi Martinez replacement that the Bavarians sorely missed. Enter João Palhinha.
“He has now made his step. João comes from the Premier League, a different league,” Max Eberl said (as captured by Twitter account @iMiaSanMia). “You have to take that into account. He needed time to adapt to everything – to how Vinnie wants to play. New club, new city, new language, coach, team, everything new. It just takes time.
“We defend very high, man against man,” Eberl continued. “So, when the opponent plays a long ball and it becomes a 1v1 duel, you need a number 6 who has the defensive mindset, who switches back immediately and helps the defender – and that’s João.”
