One of the most exciting, and perhaps most surprising, stories of the new season has been that of Philippe Coutinho and Bayern Munich. The Brazilian, who joined Bayern on loan from FC Barcelona over the summer, has so far been a major hit in Bavaria. Coutinho has elevated the Bavarians to a whole new level. Thanks to his great work, Bayern Munich should feel totally confident heading into tomorrow’s massive Champions League match against Tottenham.
Philippe Coutinho and Bayern Munich Should Feel Confident Against Tottenham
The Little Magician
Few would have predicted at the beginning of the summer transfer window that Philippe Coutinho would join Bayern Munich. Die Roten had their sights firmly set on Manchester City winger Leroy Sane. The 23-year-old’s unfortunate anterior cruciate ligament injury, however, meant his move to Munich was foiled at the last minute.
With Sane out of the picture, Bayern scrambled to bring in both Ivan Perisic and Philippe Coutinho on one-year loans. While Perisic has proven a great addition in his own right, Coutinho is no doubt the player who has lifted the Bavarians to a whole new level.
As evidenced by his man-of-the-match performance against SC Paderborn on Saturday (his second consecutive of such displays), the “Little Magician” is exactly the type of player Bayern have needed to pull together all the pieces of their attack.
Coutinho Makes Bayern Better
Playing in a free-roaming number 10 role, Coutinho wanders around the attacking third, prepared to create a chance for himself or his teammates at a moment’s notice. His ability to play out wide allows Bayern’s wingers to either cut inside or look for space in behind the defense as they wish.
Fans were given a glimpse of just how beneficial this might be 15 minutes into Saturday’s match. Cutting in from the left flank, Coutinho sent a sublime cross over and behind the defense that was met with a first-touch finish into the back of the net by Serge Gnabry. Gnabry returned the favor 10 minutes into the second half, teeing up Coutinho for his second goal of the season.
Coutinho’s great play with Robert Lewandowski has, however, been the most exciting aspect of his play. The Poland international is in incredible form, and it seems he will only get better and better as he grows more comfortable playing alongside his new teammate.
Lewandowski’s expert positioning and Coutinho’s incredible playmaking abilities combine to suggest Bayern may very well possess one of Europe’s most deadly attacking duos.
Tottenham’s Struggles
If Coutinho’s phenomenal start to life in the Bavarian capital and Robert Lewandowski’s red-hot form were not enough to make Bayern clear favorites tomorrow, Tottenham’s woeful season so far will definitely do it.
Tottenham have struggled to put together any semblance of form over the last few months. Their tepid 2-1 win over Southampton on Saturday directly followed a loss on penalties to Fourth Division side Colchester United in the EFL Cup. A 2-1 defeat to Leicester City preceded that loss, and that loss itself came after a disappointing 2-2 draw against Olympiacos in the Champions League.
The Hotspurs have only 11 points from seven Premier League games this season. League-leaders Liverpool FC already have a 10-point advantage over the side they defeated in last season’s Champions League final. Some Tottenham fans have even suggested the club would be better off sacking Mauricio Pochettino.
Whether their current woes are simply down to poor form or there is a more deeply-rooted issue at the club, one thing is certain: Bayern Munich have nothing to fear tomorrow.
Bayern’s own excellent form, sparked by their new superstar playmaker, should be more than enough to spur them to an away victory over a Tottenham side that is in total disarray.
Main Photo
