Raphaël Guerreiro reminded everyone of what made the difference as FC Bayern celebrated their 1-0 win over Union Berlin in front of fans in the Südkurve (south terrace) on Wednesday.
The Bayern full-back swung his left foot whilst in conversation with teammate Frans Krätzig, re-enacting his superb outside-of-the-boot finish with 46 minutes gone.
It proved the decisive goal in the rearranged Matchday 13 fixture as Bayern moved back to within four points of Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
Tuchel praises Guerreiro
Guerreiro's strike was reward for a supremely committed performance on an individual level, and representative of Bayern's collective desire to show the neccessary reaction to Sunday's home loss to Werder Bremen.
"He played really well, I'm really happy for him," said Bayern head coach Thomas Tuchel of his Portuguese star.
Although Bayern asked all the questions as they went in search of a second goal, Union lived up to their reputation as 'the Iron Ones' with a dogged defensive display.
"It was a decent game, a solid performance. When you score a second goal, opposition heads tend to drop. That makes things easier. It got a bit heated towards the end," commented Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka. "But we hardly allowed any chances," he added of a key improvement on the Bremen reverse.
Raphael Guerreiro celebrates his winning goal against Union Berlin.
While Werder were allowed to hit Bayern on the break, any such attempts by Union were nipped in the bud. The record champions hoovered up the second balls and were effective in the transition. That's three big checks alongside 'focus', 'discipline' and 'determination'.
"I've no issue with the game, the result or the performance. We gave away one chance at the end - that was a moment of panic - but we were very stable otherwise. We controlled the game, and played with more freedom and flexibility than last time out," observed Tuchel.
Successful Dier debut
Debutant Eric Dier also did his bit after coming on to replace the injured Dayot Upamecano at the start of the second half.
"I've received a really warm welcome from the club. My teammates and the coach are fantastic, and I'm proud to have made my debut today. I'm very happy," enthused the Englishman following a composed and energetic cameo.
"It was in at the deep end for him, but you could feel his presence and experience straight away," added Tuchel.
It's fair to assume Dier will deputise for 'Upa' once more, when Bayern go to Augsburg on Saturday. The Frenchman is set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a torn thigh muscle against Union. "He was in top form, it's a blow for us all," lamented Tuchel.
The unwanted injury news only adds to the pressure, but the fact Bayern can withstand it is nothing new. The battle for the 2023/24 Bundesliga title continues apace.
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