Bayern Win the Domestic Double
July 4, 2020 The second half had Leverkusen far more involved but two second half goals by Robert Lewandowski, his 50th and 51st on the season, cancelled out the two second half goals by Bayer Leverkusen to finish off the match 4-2.
No Let Down
Any worries about Munich not showing up in the big match surely were put to rest in this match. Leverkusen is a good team. They have played Bayern well this season. But from the opening whistle, there was no doubt that Bayern would win this match. They absolutely dominated the match from the get go and despite a few spells of positive play from Leverkusen in the second half, Bayern never really looked threatened.
The attitude, confidence and will to win shone through in this match. While they will face some tough challenges in any Champions League matches in August, it is extremely heartening to see the players come out like the did today. They never looked worried or not in control of the match. Again this team proved that they have the desire to win every match they play and are not afraid of anything. They also will, for maybe the first time in 7 years, be largely healthy (presumably) come the late stages of the Champions League. A treble is very much a possibility!
Again with the Old
This match once again proved how important the experienced side of this squad are. Jerome Boateng and David Alaba were both excellent defensively in this match. Alaba opened the scoring with an sublime free kick from just outside the box. Robert Lewandowski added two in the second half to finish off the tie.
Kimmich was also a rock in the midfield and while you can’t really count him among the old guard, he always seems to be 10 years older than he actually is. The experience and youth have combined perfectly to provide the right balance for this squad to succeed. Hansi Flick deserves no small measure of credit in regards to the make up of this team. The current form and harmony must be credited to him. They have come together in a way that never happened under Niko Kovac and all of their prospects and form are largely due to his influence.
One more
As mentioned above, this victory leaves Bayern one (massive) title away from another historic Treble. They will have over a month to rest, stay in shape, stay in form and get ready for the challenges that await them in the Champions League. That break will be both an advantage in terms of injuries and stamina and a disadvantage in terms of rhythm and rust.
However, this team seems to have something different about them. They seem focused and ambitious. There is a real sense that they have what it takes to finish this season on the ultimate high. Whether that actually comes to pass in such an unpredictable format in the Champions League is yet to be seen but for the first time in 7 years, they have a real chance to accomplish something exceedingly rare.
