Bundesliga Best XI and Worst XI see which Bayern players made the cut
Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga, but the season was not very successful for various reasons. For significant portions of the season, there was inconsistency on the field, a coaching change, unrest off the field, a front office nuke job, and a general sense that things were not nearly as good as they could have been.
Bayern Munich was better represented on ESPN’s Worst XI than its Best XI when it attempted to compile its Best XI and Worst XI for the Bundesliga.
Let’s look at this…
Bundesliga Best XI on ESPN
Only Serge Gnabry and Joshua Kimmich from Bayern Munich were included in the Bundesliga Best XI:
FREDERIK RONNOW (UNION BERLIN) is the goalkeeper.
DEFENDERS: RAPHAEL GUERREIRO (BORUSSIA DORTMUND), WILLI ORBAN (RB LEIPZIG), NICO SCHLOTTERBECK (BORUSSIA DORTMUND), and JEREMIE FRIMPONG (BAYER LEVERKUSEN)
JUDE BELLINGHAM (BORUSSIA DORTMUND), JOSHUA KIMMICH (BAYERN MUNICH), and SERGE GNABRY (BAYERN MUNICH) are the midfielders.
FORWARDS: RANDAL KOLO MUANI (EINTRACHT FRANKFURT), and CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU (RB LEIPZIG).
URS FISCHER (UNION BERLIN) is the manager.
From the standpoint of Bayern Munich, Matthijs de Ligt might have outperformed every defender on the list. While both defenders undoubtedly had “good” seasons, De Ligt was “great.” It’s possible that his slow start in league games cost him some plaudits.
One might contend that Yann Sommer or Benjamin Pavard should also have been considered.
Despite not having his finest season, Kimmich deserved the award, and Gnabry covered up periods of consistency by scoring 14 goals and dishing out six assists in 34 Bundesliga games. With those goals, he moved up to fifth place in the league for goals scored.
Bundesliga’s Worst XI on ESPN
However, the ESPN Bundesliga Worst XI did have a distinct appearance and feel reminiscent of Bayern Munich:
GOALKEEPER: BAYERN MUNICH’s MANUEL NEUER
DEFENDERS: MAKOTO HASEBE (EINTRACHT FRANKFURT), DAVID RAUM (RB LEIPZIG), MAXENCE LACROIX (VFL WOLFSBURG), and JONJOE KENNY (HERTHA BERLIN).
JULIAN WEIGL (BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH) and RYAN GRAVENBERCH (BAYERN MUNICH) are midfielders.
ASSANE PLEA (BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH), SARDAR AZMOUN (BAYER LEVERKUSEN), SADIO MANÉ (BAYERN MUNICH), and PATRIK SCHICK (BAYER LEVERKUSEN) are the forwards.
DANIEL FARKE (BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH) is the manager.
It is a little harsh to include Gravenberch among the Bayern Munich players. It was unrealistic to expect him to play frequently, so neither he nor anybody else should have been held to that standard. His reputation was undoubtedly damaged by the numerous media complaints he made.
Mané was a disappointment this season. There is no way to sugarcoat that reality. The unfortunate ski excursion that Manuel Neuer took probably significantly impacted his ranking.
