Bundesliga

The three players that ensured Bayern Munich's ninth consecutive Bundesliga title

Bayern Munich claimed their 31st Bundesliga title after Borussia Dortmund overcame league challengers RB Leipzig on Saturday

 
4:29pm on Saturday 8th May 2021
By
Stefan Bienkowski

Bayern Munich won their 31st Bundesliga title and their ninth in succession on Saturday after Borussia Dortmund overcame RB Leipzig by three goals to two.

A brace from Jadon Sancho and a third from Marco Reus meant that Bayern went into their Saturday evening game with a seven point lead over RB Leipzig with just two match days remaining.

The title will mean the world to Bayern head coach Hansi Flick before he departs the club in the summer.

But which three players were pivotal to Bayern once again dominating another Bundesliga season?

Robert Lewandowski: 7.8

It goes without saying that Robert Lewandowski is one of - if not the very best - centre forward in all of European football and as such the Poland international and his goals have been absolutely crucial to Bayern’s league campaign.

The 32-year-old goliath has bagged an incredible 36 goals in just 26 appearances for the club in the Bundesliga this season. Add to that another six assists for the senior striker and it suggests that Lewandowski has either scored or created 48% of Bayern’s goals in the Bundesliga.

However, along with just the sheer quantity of goals, Lewandowski has also provided countless important strikes for Bayern that have come when the team looked certain of dropping points or losing games entirely. Lewandowski has led from the front and often dragged Bayern to this title.

Joshua Kimmich: 7.4

With Thiago Alcantara’s move to Liverpool in the summer, Bayern knew they needed their central midfielders to fill in the gaps left behind by the Spaniard and in no small measure that’s exactly what Joshua Kimmich has done for Flick’s side.

Despite technically being a defensive midfielder, Kimmich has grown into one of the undisputed leaders in this Bayern side and very directly pushed the team forward with three goals and 10 assists in just 26 league games.

Like Philipp Lahm before him, Kimmich does the easy things so well and quietly offers a confidence that encourages the players around him.

Leon Goretzka: 7.3

While Kimmich has taken on a more playmaking role for Bayern this season, the man covering the space behind him has also shone and in many ways stepped up a level as a central midfielder.

In Leon Goretzka Bayern have found a truly gladiator in the middle of the pitch that embodies everything an ambitious club would want in their box-to-box midfielder.

Not only can the German international tackle and bully any towering forward off the ball in his own half, but with five goals and five assists in the Bundesliga this season Goretzka is also just as pivotal in the opposite end of the pitch too.

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