Aleksandar Pavlovic in action for Bayern Munich. The 19-year-old Munich-born defensive midfielder … [+]
With Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich out with illness, the 19-year-old Aleksandar Pavlovic received his second start of the season from Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel after he had already played 75 minutes against Heidenheim earlier this season. But the start against high-flying Stuttgart was special, and the Munich-born defensive midfielder of Serbian heritage impressed.
Pavlovic controlled the midfield in impressive fashion, finishing the game with 70 touches, 86% completed passes, two chances created, and one assist. Indeed, Pavlovic would have finished the game with two assists after a freekick found defender Min-Jae Kim, but the South Korean’s headed goal was ruled offside.
At that point, Bayern Munich was already up by a goal thanks to a tapped-in finish by Harry Kane (2’). With Pavlovic bossing the midfield, that score, however, should have been higher after the first 45 minutes. Not only was a goal by Kim ruled offside, but Thomas Müller too, had a goal waved off just before halftime.
Stuttgart, in the meantime, controlled the midfield in the first half, playing 405 passes versus Bayern’s 153 passes. Also, where Bayern completed just 83% of their passes, the visiting Swabians managed to complete an incredible 92% of their passes.
It isn’t about having the ball but what you do with it. In fact, it almost felt like Stuttgart, coached by Sebastian Hoeneß, was playing right into Tuchel’s tactics. Hoeneß has underlined his desire for his side to have the ball no matter the opponent. That tactic seemed to work well for Tuchel, who, dating back to his time at Chelsea, has long seemed like a coach more comfortable with the opponent owning possession.
That philosophy is also one of the reasons why Tuchel has been adamant about his club signing a more traditional no.6 to supplement the more attacking-minded Kimmich and Goretzka. Interestingly enough, in the 19-year-old Pavlovic, Tuchel may have had that player all along.
Aleksandar Pavlovic (l.) celebrates with Harry Kane (r.). The Bayern Munich defensive midfielder was … [+]
Not surprisingly, Tuchel was happy with the performance by his side. “It’s not a matter of course against such an opponent,” Tuchel said after the game to DAZN. “We were a bit passive at the beginning, but then we improved from minute to minute. With every duel won, we had become more confident on the ball. The win is absolutely deserved. Despite the absences, we wanted to stay positive and focus on the team spirit. Everyone ran a few extra yards today; that was great.”
Indeed, Pavlovic continued his impressive performance in the second half. Not only was the defensive midfielder a key part of keeping Bayern’s defensive block tight, but he also continued to be an attacking threat of set pieces. In the 55th minute, Pavlovic delivered the freekick that would allow Kane to double the lead, and then in the 63rd minute, Kim scored from his corner.
Indications are that Bayern will still spend big this winter by signing a new no.6, with Fulham’s João Palhinha still among the preferred targets. Palhinha was on the verge of joining Bayern last summer for around $70 million. The Rekordmeister is expected to pay a similar price for either Palhinha or another player in this upcoming transfer window.
But should they? After all, Bayern has earmarked a significant double-digit million-dollar figure in the Bayern Campus, the home of the club’s academy, from which Pavlovic has now emerged. With that in mind, it might be a better investment by the club to keep developing Pavlovic rather than spending big on a new no.6.
Will that happen, though? That is unlikely. Tuchel doesn’t have the best track record of developing young talent at PSG and Chelsea—although he did do it at Mainz and Dortmund. The Bayern bosses have long dreamed of seeing more local players break into the first team, and Pavlovic, together with Frans Krätzig, might finally fulfill that dream.
Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth and on Threads: @manuveth
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
