Thomas Müller's importance to the FC Bayern cause has never been in doubt, but the 34-year-old played as if he had everything to prove in the 2-1 win at Wolfsburg on Wednesday.
Kicking off the festive season in style - just a day after penning a one-year contract extension with his boyhood club - Bayern's jolly No.25 delivered two fabulous assists for Jamal Musiala and Harry Kane.
Müller extends assists record
"Thomas played brilliantly, he was one of the decisive factors in the win," enthused Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund after Müller chalked up a record-extending 166th Bundesliga assist.
Bayer Leverkusen are still four points out in front, but have played a game more than Bayern, who can be quietly content with their 38-point haul after 15 rounds of fixtures.
Kane continues to play his part. The England striker hit top bins with a superb long-distance strike against Wolfsburg, swelling his Bundesliga tally to 21 goals whilst showing himself to be so much more than a taker of chances.
"He's an absolute leader and a top player for us. We're happy that he's in the spotlight like this because he deserves it," commented head coach Thomas Tuchel, echoing sentiments shared by all members of the Bayern dressing room and fans alike.
Kane simply brings the best out of everyone - Musiala included. As well as opening the scoring at the Volkswagen Arena, the German talent became the first U21 player in Bayern history to reach 100 Bundesliga appearances, usurping Uli Hoeneß and "Katsche" Schwarzenbeck in the annals.
Team performance trumps all
Although the goals were impressive, Bayern's win in Wolfsburg was, above all, a triumph of the collective. "It's about willpower," Tuchel affirmed prior to the game, and he wasn't disappointed.
With Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka missing again through illness, Raphaël Guerreiro and Aleksandar Pavlović deputised seamlessy in the centre of midfield. Bayern enjoyed 70 percent possession, barely allowing Wolfsburg - who scored very much against the run of play on the stroke of half-time - room to breathe.
Tuchel praises huge effort
"We played a good first half and fought our way back into it in the second. I'm happy for Aleks Pavlović, who used his second game to show that he's ready to play at this level," explained Freund.
In many ways, Pavlović was emblematic of the "huge effort" Tuchel spoke of in his appraisal of Bayern's second-half display. "Huge credit to the players. In the end, it was a tough battle after the break because we lost control after conceding," he admitted. "That's why we had to ensure that we defended cleanly right through to the end, and we managed to do that."
Victory in Wolfsburg was Bayern's third in a row after wins over Manchester United and VfB Stuttgart. The perfect response to the Matchday 14 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern's mini streak is also proof that moral is high and the record champions are firmly on the right path.
Smells like team spirit
"The reaction to the defeat in Frankfurt was great. Hats off to the team. These are all things we can build on. The challenge will be to remain consistent. We trust the quality and also the spirit that we have in the team," added Tuchel.
Bayern put their rediscovered winning formula to the test in a friendly against Basel on 6 January, before resuming their Bundesliga title defence at home to Hoffenheim six days later.
The editorial team would like to thank all Bayern fans for their support this past year. Sending season's greetings and all the very best for 2024!
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