Wolfsburg 2-3 Bayern Munich - Jamal Musiala showcases his special talent
Bayern Munich needed a big reaction after their Champions League elimination at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in midweek when they came up against Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Although Hansi Flick’s side were still suffering with a number of injuries to key players, the Munich side were able to rely upon the emerging talent of one player: Jamal Musiala.
Wolfsburg 2-3 Bayern Munich: Player Ratings, Match Statistics
How Musiala performed against Wolfsburg
As the German champions showed in both legs against PSG, Flick’s side desperately lacked a clinical touch in front of goal. However, it only took Musiala 15 minutes to show why he should have perhaps started both games.
After a strong run into the box from Alphonso Davies, Musiala then latched on to a loose ball when the Canadian was tackled by a nearby defender. The German international then jinked in between two Wolfsburg defenders and fired the ball into the back of the net.
The young star then popped up again around 20 minutes later in a similar position but entirely different circumstances. Rather than have the ball presented to him on the ground, Musiala instead had been tasked with leaping into the air to get on the end of a floated cross from Thomas Muller.
However, with seemingly little trouble, the forward got his head to the cross and watched it loop over the Wolfsburg keeper and into the far corner of the net. It was unquestionably a header than any target man would have been proud of.
The forward had an opportunity to bag his hat trick in the second half when a Muller shot rebounded to his feet, but despite the deaftest of touches, Musiala watched his shot get cleared off the line by a nearby defender.
How good has he been this season?
If it seems as though Musiala is Bayern’s most clinical forward at the moment then that’s because he basically is.
With Robert Lewandowski still injured, the Bavarian giants have struggled to make up the goals elsewhere as the likes of Muller, Leroy Sane, Kingsley Coman and Maxim Choupo-Moting have struggled to raise their game and compensate for the Polish striker’s absence.
However, in Musiala Bayern have found an exceptional, young player that undoubtedly has a tremendous eye for goal. The player’s brace against Wolfsburg put him on six league goals for the season, along with a further goal in the Champions League putting him on seven in all competitions.
Indeed, when we then break that down into how often Musiala is actually scoring, it confirms just how clinical he has been when offered the opportunity to show it. With a goals per 90 average of 0.83, only Lewandowski can boast a more impressive return per match than Musiala at this point in the season.
The 18-year-old talent may not yet be a confirmed starter for Bayern, but he has already shown that he’s one of the club’s most clinical players.
Wolfsburg 2-3 Bayern Munich: Player Ratings, Match Statistics