Bayern Munich 3-1 Schalke 04 - 5 talking points

#2 - Niko Kovac finally finds his preferred midfield duo

The preferred midfield pairing

Bayern Munich have an array of options to choose from at the center of the park. Thiago Alcantara, Leon Goretzka, Javi Martinez, Corentin Tolisso and if need be, Joshua Kimmich are all capable of slotting in to the two holding midfield roles in Niko Kovac's preferred formation but recently, the Goretzka-Thiago pairing seems to be his go-to choice. They complement each other brilliantly as Thiago, with his technical ability, incisive passing and ability to maneuver in half-spaces runs the show and Goretzka being the terrific box-to-box athlete that he is, tidies up defensively and ventures forward if an opening arises. The dynamic duo ran the show from start to finish as Schalke couldn't get to grips with them. Kovac singled out Goretzka for praise after the game and later went on to explain that Bayern Munich's midfield was set up as a double-pivot, with Goretzka and Thiago shielding the defense.