There was hardly any talk of aesthete on Wednesday evening during FC Bayern’s Bundesliga catch-up game against Union Berlin (1-0); rather, various trivialities including coaching scandals, as a result of which Nenad Bjelica was expelled from the interior, heated up people’s minds.
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And yet, on Bayern’s left defense, the “crucial question” arose, as Thomas Tuchel had already been concerned before the game: continue to give Alphonso Davies a chance, despite the principle of performance – or at least use Raphael Guerreiro in his usual position, to give the Canadian a breather?
The course of the game brought about the answer itself! Putting the Portuguese at left back, trusting him for only the third time in the jersey of the German record champions over a full 90 minutes and making him the match winner with the only goal of the day – this was to be Tuchel’s next move in dealing with his ” “Favorite player,” as he once enthused.
Tuchel raves about Guerreiro: “I’m happy for him”
Just 40 seconds after the restart, the ball fell at Guerreiro’s feet after Harry Kane hit the post. The 30-year-old showed off his technical skills and circled the ball into the top right corner of the goal with his strong left instep.
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“He did well today, rewarded himself with a goal, I’m really happy for him,” said Tuchel, praising his protégé afterwards.
Leon Goretzka was also happy for his teammate, for whom he rotated into the vacant position six or eight in the team: “Rapha played on the left and did very well. He’s a different type of player than Phonzie (Davies; editor’s note), but he’s done well!”
So could Goretzka in particular be the beneficiary of the duel between Guerreiro and Davies?
It is doubtful whether Tuchel will rotate match winner Guerreiro from the team against Augsburg on Saturday (from 3:30 p.m., LIVE in the SPORT1 ticker). Especially since Goretzka himself and Joshua Kimmich performed their tasks solidly against the Köpenickers on the double six.
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“Phonzie is lagging behind his top form”
So Guerreiro is only left with the left-back position – and Davies the place on the bench?
“Phonzie is lagging behind his top form. We have internal competition and do what is best for the team,” Tuchel argued in retrospect, per Guerreiro, before the game.
However, the Bayern bosses are likely to have in the back of their minds the contract situation of the Canadian national coach, who is being heavily targeted by Real Madrid. Davies’ contract runs until 2025, so the Munich team wants to extend it as soon as possible so as not to have to sell him in the summer.
Putting Davies on the bench for the long term is unlikely to be a sign of confidence in the fast full-back – and yet Guerreiro is ahead at the moment.
Guerreiro turns it up in the Bayern jersey
And not without reason. The type of player who thrives on his technical finesse, close control of the ball, clever ideas in offensive play and also experience is slowly turning up the heat.
While Davies has not yet scored a goal in the current Bundesliga season despite his strong offensive drive and has already collected his three assists on the first two matchdays, Guerreiro recently impressed in the double six.
Due to the strong training performance, the Protugiese was allowed to continue from the start. Whether alongside Joshua Kimmich or as a leading force alongside the young Aleksandar Pavlovic.
Will Davies remain just the bank in the long term?
But Tuchel also made it clear late on Wednesday evening: “In my opinion, he is not a double six. Basically, we signed him as a left-back. He should also compete with Phonzie if everyone is healthy.” But that’s where hope could arise for Davies.
Because Noussair Mazraoui and Min-Jae Kim are traveling with their respective national teams, and with Dayot Upamecano and Konrad Laimer two long-term absences thinning out the defensive personnel, Tuchel will probably (have to) use both left feet against Augsburg.
But should part of the Bayern hospital be able to return to the pitch in the future: Alphonso Davies will have to fear a Portuguese who has finally arrived in Munich.
2024-01-26 12:07:15
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