Hertha Berlin 0-1 Bayern Munich: 5 Talking Points as Kingsley Coman settles tight contest | Bundesliga 2020-21
A first half strike by Kingsley Coman helped Bayern Munich to a narrow 1-0 victory away to Hertha Berlin on a wet and snowy night.
The visitors started the game on the front foot, and got the first chance of the game when a penalty was awarded for a foul on Leroy Sane by Hertha Berlin goalkeeper Rune Jarstein.
Robert Lewandowski stepped up to take the resultant spotkick but the Hertha keeper made amends for his error with a low save to his right.
Bayern Munich, however, went ahead soon after when Thomas Muller played Kingsley Coman in and the France international's shot flew into the top corner, although it was aided massively by a deflection off Niklas Stark that confused Jarstein.
This jolted the hosts into life, with both sides creating good chances, although they failed to take them. This ensured that the Bavarians went into the break ahead.
The second half continued in the same fashion, but neither side managed to get on the scoresheet, with poor decision-making in the final third hampering both teams.
Hertha Berlin had a last-gasp chance to grab an equalizer when Mateo Guendouzi played Matheus Cunha in. The Brazilian raced through on goal, but his chipped shot sailed agonizingly wide with only Manuel Neuer to beat.
Bayern Munich ultimately held on for the victory to temporarily move 10 points clear at the summit. Here, we shall be having a rundown of five talking points from the tightly-contested fixture.
#5 Bayern Munich head off to Club World Cup in a positive mode
Winning the UEFA Champions League last August granted Bayern Munich the right to represent Europe in the FIFA Club World Cup.
They will enter the tournament at the semifinal stage, where African giants Al Ahly wait, with a place in the final on offer for the winner.
That game against the Egyptians takes place on Monday and Hansi Flick's side will jet off to Qatar full of confidence, having won their 5th consecutive fixture.
Though the win was far from convincing, the most important thing is that Bayern Munich got the job done and this victory will put them in a confident mode, ahead of their clash with Al Ahly.
#4 Hertha Berlin let down by indecisiveness in the final third
While a narrow scoreline sometimes does not tell the full story, in this case, it can be suggested that it flattered Bayern Munich.
Hertha Berlin gave as good as they got for 90 minutes, with beautiful team work and interplay seeing them carve open the visitors' defense on several occasions.
However, Hertha Berlin were let down when it mattered most, as indecisiveness and poor play in the final third cost them dearly. The best chance of the lot fell to Cunha in the final minute of regular time and despite having the right idea, the 21-year-old lacked the proper technique to execute his chipped shot.
Chances come at a premium against teams like Bayern Munich and manager Pai Dardai would be furious that his team failed to make them count.
With just one point separating Hertha Berlin from the relegation zone, garnering points is essential to the club's survival hopes.
Hertha Berlin had multiple chances to get an unlikely point against the defending champions but failed to do so. Hopefully, this wasted opportunity does not come back to haunt them.