Robert Lewandowski bagged a stunning hat-trick as Bayern Munich tore apart Hertha Berlin 5-0 at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern Munich signed off for the upcoming international break in style, securing a thumping 5-0 victory over Hertha Berlin. The win helped them get level on points with Bayer Leverkusen in the embryonic Bundesliga table.
It was by far the most dominant performance from the Bavarians under new coach Julian Nagelsmann this season as they looked very comfortable in possession. They ran rings around the opposition backline, with Hertha Berlin having nothing to answer for their undisputed quality going forward and in midfield.
As a result, Bayern’s early opener in the 6th minute wasn’t a surprise by any means. The goal even allowed them to further strengthen their grip in the proceedings, as they netted their second in the 34th minute, heading into half-time with a comfortable 2-0 lead.
Hertha tried to show fighting spirit after the restart but looked clueless in the final third. Moreover, their desire to pull one back saw their defence getting further exposed by the mighty Bayern frontline, with Jamal Musiala sealing all three points by scoring in the 49th minute.
After this point, the Bavarians simply enjoyed the game, with Nagelsmann even using the opportunity to bring in some out of form players onto the pitch. The move worked wonderfully as substitute Leroy Sane assisted Robert Lewandowski’s goal in the 70th minute before the Polish international eventually completed his hat-trick 14 minutes later.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will rate Bayern Munich players in their domineering performance over Hertha Berlin, at the Allianz Arena this weekend.
Manuel Neuer: 7.5/10
Manuel Neuer’s wait for a clean sheet finally came to an end and deservedly so, with the German international making a vital first-half save to deny Davie Selke. He didn’t have to do much afterwards, with Hertha Berlin ending the game with a total of just three shots on target. Neuer now beats Oliver Kahn’s record of 204 clean sheets in the Bundesliga and now with 205, he has now kept more clean sheets than any other ‘keeper in German top-flight history. A legend in his own right.
?New Record?
Manuel Neuer has now officially the most Clean Sheets in Bundesliga History (205) Surpassing the Legend Oliver Kahn (204) .
The Greatest Goalkeeper of all Time? pic.twitter.com/ql3Hv7sMAX
— Albi?? (@albiFCB7) August 28, 2021
Josip Stanisic: 7.5/10
Josip Stanisic returned to the team sheet at the expense of Bouna Sarr. The youngster wasn’t as involved going forward, but he offered stability in possession. His seemingly improving positioning sense is helping him get ahead of Sarr in the pecking order and it won’t be surprising to see him become a real asset to the Munich defence.
Dayot Upamecano: 6.5/10
Dayot Upamecano had a decent outing in the Bayern Munich defence, as ever. His imposing physique made it difficult for the Hertha Berlin attackers to make any impact going forward. However, the Frenchman had to make way for Tanguy Nianzou at half-time, though it doesn’t appear any injury was involved in the decision-making.
Niklas Sule: 7.5/10
Niklas Sule was the real leader for the Bayern Munich defence this evening. He was a real obstacle for the likes of Davie Selke and Stevan Jovetic, with the former Hoffenheim prospect winning all of his headed duels. The German looked quite good on the ball as well, establishing himself as the beating heart of the Bayern backline.
Alphonso Davies: 8/10
Alphonso Davies’ excellent start to the season continues as he was yet again influential going forward. The Canadian seems to have adopted Angelino’s role in Nagelsmann’s setup, with his penchant for making attacking runs forward and dribbling past players aiding the Bayern attackers in the final third, with the left-back notably assisting Muller’s early opener.
Joshua Kimmich: 9/10
Joshua Kimmich was one of the best performers in this fixture, controlling the game right from the beginning. His distribution, understanding of the game and delivery from set pieces was top-notch, as ever. But what was particularly impressive was the midfielder’s determination as he fought for every ball even until the 90th minute.
Leon Goretzka: 8/10
Leon Goretzka had an excellent game in the Bayern Munich midfield. He looked like his older self, making those trademark, driving runs into the opposition area and linking up well with Kimmich in the middle of the park. This performance will go a long way in lifting up the spirit of the former Schalke prodigy, after a rusty start to the campaign.
Serge Gnabry: 7.5/10
Serge Gnabry had a major role to play in the build-up to the early opening goal. The former Arsenal starlet was indeed impressive with his ball-carrying, but he lacked the essence that others had going forward. It was not a bad performance by any means, but the forward was outshone by some of his teammates.
Thomas Muller: 8.5/10
One of those teammates was certainly Thomas Muller. The German international was too hot to handle, being involved in everything that happened in the final third, starting from the all-important opener. His movement, link-up play and chance creation excelled on the night, with the forward notably assisting Musiala’s goal by winning possession all by himself.
Jamal Musiala: 8.5/10
Jamal Musiala vindicated Nagelsmann’s decision to start him over Leroy Sane by producing yet another impressive display in the final third. The youngster was virtually unplayable with the ball at times, taking on the opposition at every turn and creating a lot of chances for his team. He was eventually rewarded with a goal early in the second half. An excellent way to head into the international break, where he will play for Germany.
Robert Lewandowski: 10/10
Robert Lewandowski returned to the starting eleven, replacing Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. The striker had a couple of off games heading into this contest but showcased his true quality with a monstrous performance against Hertha Berlin. Indeed, the Pole was involved in every little thing for Bayern in the final third, exhibiting incredible spirit and determination to find the back of the net.
3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ goals at Bayern.
Robert Lewandowski never stops scoring ? pic.twitter.com/OdWq8lDjzN
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 28, 2021
Lewandowski’s ingenious dummy led to Muller’s opener early on in the game before he scored one himself around the half-hour mark. In the second half, it was more about power and precision, with the former Dortmund star capitalising on two late chances to complete his hat-trick. He is already up and running, it seems.
Substitutes
Tanguy Nianzou: 8/10
Tanguy Nianzou made a real impact after replacing Upamecano at half-time. The youngster offered good support to Sule at the back while providing the excellent cushioned header for Lewandowski to finish his hat-trick late in the game.
Leroy Sane: 7.5/10
Leroy Sane, too, made an impressive cameo appearance in the second half. He looked effective in possession, notably assisting Lewandowski’s goal in the 74th minute.
Kingsley Coman: 7/10
Kingsley Coman marked his return from injury with a substitute appearance midway through the second half. Wasn’t as impressive as Sane or Nianzou but could have scored a goal.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting: N/A
A late replacement for Muller. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Bouna Sarr: N/A
A late replacement for Stanisic. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
