First up in a new series focussing on star players from the past and the present in the Champions League is Bayern Munich and Germany’s midfield general, Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Following Bayern Munich’s underwhelming display against Arsenal in the second leg of the last 16 meeting earlier this month, many pundits were quick to revise their opinions about a side that had been tipped to go all the way following their devastating display at the Emirates first time out.
Not surprisingly the RTE pundits were particularly withering, with Eamon Dunphy describing the Germans as ordinary and singling out the normally excellent Javi Martinez for extra criticism.
The fact that Bayern may have simply had an off day never came into the reckoning, nor did the possibility that they might have been affected by complacency having built up such a commanding advantage from the first leg.
A more valid reason for their limp showing in the Allianz Arena, however, was the absence of German international Bastian Schweinsteiger, the man who makes the Bavarians tick and is the outstanding presence in a midfield overflowing with international talent.
Without Schweinsteiger – suspended from the first leg – Bayern lacked balance in midfield, with Martinez seeming a little ill at ease being pushed out of the holding role he has become accustomed to and Toni Kroos unable to apply the influence he had brought to proceedings in North London.
While Schweinsteiger’s absence cannot excuse the incredibly flat Bayern performance it is still understandable why they were not themselves because, as he is for the German national side, he is the heartbeat of Jupp Heynckes’ outfit.
Given where he comes from it might not be very politically correct to refer to Schweinsteiger as a dictator but it is an apt description nonetheless.
Of all the teams in Europe, only Barcelona have commanded more possession on average than Bayern Munich (approximately 63 per cent) this season and the control exerted by the Bundesliga side owes a lot to Schweinsteiger’s reading of the game, his desire to get on the ball and his clever use of it when he does.
A lot of conspiracy theories surrounded Pep Guardiola’s choice of Bayern as his next club but there are echoes of Barcelona in how Bayern play football and Schweinsteiger can be Pep’s Xavi in that almost everything goes through him and how both sides attempt to counteract each other if they meet in this season’s Champions League will be fascinating to watch.
Schweinsteiger wasn’t always destined to follow the path towards the player he has become; he started out life as a brash winger, short on pace but high on technical skills and possessing a brilliant delivery from open play and from set-pieces.
With Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben posing a huge threat from the wings, Schweinsteiger was reinvented as a central midfielder by Louis van Gaal and he has thrived in the role for club and country since starring in the 2010 World Cup for the national side and inspiring Bayern to reach the Champions League Final in the same year, and again last season.
Schweinsteiger has been part of the furniture for Bayern and Germany for so long that it is hard to believe he will only turn 29 this year.
With five Bundesliga titles and five domestic cups and 98 caps and 24 goals (see his latest against Kazakhstan on Friday above) for Germany his CV is already an illustrious one but the lack of an international title with Germany and a Champions League with his club remain glaring omissions.
If he can wield his influence and get Bayern playing like we all know they can, he could well have righted one of those wrongs by the time the current Champions League campaign comes to an end.
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