Paderborn 2-3 Bayern Munich: 5 Hits & Flops | Bundesliga 2019-20
Bayern Munich's expected dominant display against Paderborn didn't come. The defending champions began the game with a flurry of chances but then failed to get out of second gear for the rest of the game.
Bayern had opportunities aplenty to make Paderborn pay, but their inability to make the best of their chances in front of goal was nearly their undoing. There was perhaps little they could've done to prevent the goals that the home side scored, but they could've put the game beyond them before it came to such close margins.
Die Roten were forced to take Lucas Hernandez and Thiago off at half-time which surely affected the control they had on the game, but they did enough to get the three points on the day.
Regardless, there were plenty of positives for Bayern to take away from the game. On that note, let us look at the hits and flops from the game.
#5 Serge Gnabry: Hit
The German winger had an assist and a goal from the game that he will be proud of, but the highlight of his overall play was his movement. He was able to get in between the full-back and centre-back and make the run towards the centre, most notably on two occasions when Joshua Kimmich and Philippe Coutinho found him with similar deliveries.
Bayern were able to create a number of chances despite perhaps not playing the most fluent football, and Gnabry's direct running was responsible for a lot of it. Whether it was dragging players away and providing space for the midfielders to operate with freedom, or running past Robert Lewandowski on a night when the Polish striker was not at his best, Gnabry was able to exploit gaps in the Paderborn defence.
This was perhaps the best of Gnabry we have seen this season so far, which will definitely be bad news for their upcoming opponents.