UCL 2019-20 Talking Points: Can Serge Gnabry become one of Bayern's great?
The German Champions slotted seven goals past the Premier League club in an important UCL tie.
It was Heung-min Son who handed the lead to the hosts before the floodgates opened and Serge Gnabry scored four and Robert Lewandowski joined the party with two, leaving the hosts in awe. The Bavarians were deadly in front of goal with some world-class finishing on display.
It will be a tough defeat in the UCL to swallow for Tottenham Hotspur considering how good they were in the first half. However, incessant lapses in defence and allowing space to Bayern forward led to the massacre.
While Gnabry and Lewandowski will take most of the plaudits for their attacking impact and goals, Joshua Kimmich stood firm on both fronts. He scored a long-range stunner to bring his side on level terms in the first half and did put in a great shift when slotted back in defence later in the second half.
Here are the talking points from the UCL game on Wednesday night.
[KH_ADWORDS type="3" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]5. Will Bayern's defensive frailties hinder their progress in Europe this season?
Despite the win, the German champions have not been their best at the back. Players lost the ball in dangerous positions allowing the Tottenham to run in behind and put pressure on Manuel Neuer. While Niklas Sule was pretty neat with his defensive duties but his partner Jerome Boateng was often caught out of position allowing the likes of Heung-min Son and Moussa Sissoko to take advantage.
Even in their latest Bundesliga clash, the Bavarians conceded twice against newcomers Paderborn stating that there is a lot of work still required on the defensive side of things.
4. Can Serge Gnabry establish himself in Bayern's great attacking folklore?
The former Arsenal reject has been a metronome for Bayern since last season but this time, he has turned up the screws. The German international simply toyed with Serge Aurier on the left flank and was exquisite with his finishing in front of goal. They were hardly able to contain Serge Gnabry as he simply came up with one of his career-best performance.
While a lot of Bayern faithful were unsure about Gnabry carrying the legacy of Robben and Ribery have been proved wrong. The 24-year old has shown that he has the calibre to performance against the best teams in Europe and these four goals in a crucial Champions League fixture away from home proves that "The Chef" is here for some business.
[embed]https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/status/1179137218880970753[/embed]3. A game of two halves for Tottenham Hotspurs?
The Lillywhites started strongly and due to mistake from Corentin Tolisso, Spurs were ahead via Son's goal. However, Bayern clawed their way back and ended the first half 2-1. But it was a meaningful half for Mauricio Pochettino's men, had a horde of chances which they simply squandered. Pochettino's men were dropping deep later in the first half and they kept out Bayern quite well until Robert Lewandowski came up with a ruthless goal.
Until the second half Spurs were decent defensively, but in the second half they were very poor. There was no cohesion in midfield and even in the backline. Gnabry and Coman mostly got the better of their counterparts on the flanks coupled with their clinical finishing in front of goal. Spurs, who were known for their cohesion in the UCL as well as in the league as a unit last season, seems to have lost it coming to this season.
2. Is Joshua Kimmich more suited in defence or in midfield?
Joshua Kimmich has mainly featured as a right-back for Bayern over the years but he can also excel in midfield as well - Though the midfield used to be his primary position before joining Bayern in 2015.
Kimmich is known for composure on the ball and ability to pick out a man in the box from his crosses. However, his abilities in midfield mainly possess interceptions and breaking of play. The German international is decent in both departments as he also scored a world-class long-range goal in the first half proving that he is up for the task even in midfield.
However, after slotting back to the right-back position, the Bayern defence looked more solid and compact. He moved the ball really well and worked tirelessly helping his midfielders and wingers.
[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News | Article Continues Below"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]1. Pochettino vs Levy: Who is to be blamed for Tottenham's condition?
Mauricio Pochettino guided this Spurs side to Champions League finale without even spending a penny in the transfer market. Despite the remarkable feat, the Argentine required support from his board to trust him on this period of transitions. Players like Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Christian Eriksen are already under the speculations to leave the club and losing three of his crucial players will be a big blow for the side.
Therefore Daniel Levy needs to trust his manager if he wants Pochettino to steer the ship to safer shores during this uncertain period. But from past references, it is clear that board and Pochettino do not share a great relationship especially when it comes to transfer dealings. With time running out thick and fast, the Lillywhites find themselves in a big deep hole this season and only collectively they can steer their way through.