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Bayern Munich 2-2 Hertha Berlin: 3 best players for Bayern

Niko Kovac, Bayern Munich manager
Niko Kovac, Bayern Munich manager

In the first Bundesliga match of the season, defending champions Bayern Munich failed to make a bright start after drawing 2-2 against Hertha Berlin.

Bayern were dominant in the first 30 minutes of the game as they had the majority of possession and piled pressure on Hertha. Thomas Muller nearly put his side in the lead in the 7th minute after his right-footed shot whistled past the post. Eventually the Bavarian side’s labours paid dividends when Robert Lewandowski poked the ball into the net in the 24th minute after a low cross from Serge Gnabry.

The lead was not sustained for long as former Watford player Dodi Lukebakio’s powerful shot bounced off the back of Hertha captain Vedad Ibisevic to level the score in the 36th minute. In just 3 minutes, Hertha Berlin scored again after Ibisevic played a deft lob pass to Marko Grujic, on loan from Liverpool, who rounded Bayern’s Manuel Neuer to give Hertha an unexpected lead.

The second half was less eventful until Lewandowski was given a golden opportunity to score his second goal after VAR spotted the striker being wrestled down to the ground by Grujic. The Poland international converted the spot kick with ease.

In the end, Hertha were able to hold out for a draw despite constant bombardment from Bayern players, hungry for a winner, as the match ended 2-2. Let us look at three players who performed well for Bayern in the opening Bundesliga match of the season:

#3 Corentin Tolisso

Corentin Tolisso in action for Bayern
Corentin Tolisso in action for Bayern

After playing the first 4 matches last season, Corentin Tolisso ruptured the cruciate ligament in his right knee, which ruled him out for the rest of the 2018-19 season. He certainly would have wanted to prove himself this season after such a long time on the sidelines. Bayern manager Niko Kovac gave him an opportunity and he took it with aplomb.

Tolisso was the box-to-box midfielder with Thomas Muller alongside him and Thiago sitting in front of the back four. He was effective in both defence and attack. With regards to defence, he closed down several of Hertha’s players in order to win the ball back for Bayern. For instance, he raced down the pitch and not only managed to retain the ball from Lukebakio but also started an attack of his own.

He linked up well on the left-hand side with Kingsley Coman and David Alaba, essentially forming a triangle of passing between three players which the Hertha players found difficult to break down. This connection allowed Coman and Alaba to put crosses into the box for Bayern players to attack.

Overall, it was an encouraging performance from the Frenchman and hopefully fans will get to see more of him this season.

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