Bayern Star Hits Top Form In Time For The World Cup

The timing could not be any better for Serge Gnabry. The Bayern Munich striker has scored six goals in his last six Bundesliga games. That brings his overall tally to eight goals and four assists in 15 Bundesliga games as he made an appearance in every one of Bayern’s domestic games so far this season.

With 12 scorer points, Gnabry ranks second among Bayern players, just behind Jamal Musiala (nine goals and seven assists). Across all competitions, Gnabry’s tally is even more impressive, as he has scored ten goals and ten assists in 23 games.

Those numbers will be fantastic news for German national team head coach Hansi Flick ahead of the World Cup. The Germany boss will very much look to the Bayern attack when it comes to putting together his starting XI.

Like has been the case for Bayern, Flick will very much look to build the attack around young Musiala, who, on current form, might be the best player on the planet at the moment.

“[Musiala] improved a lot and played an outstanding first half of the season,” Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann said about Musiala after yet another outstanding game for the Rekordmeister on Saturday against Schalke (2-0). “I hope he plays a great World Cup and then the second half of the season as well. He has extremely quick feet and is very talented.”

The 19-year-old will likely play the same role for Germany as for Bayern. But the same might not be true for Gnabry. Much of Bayern’s success in recent weeks has been due to Nagelsmann making Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting the center-piece of the attack. With a true no.9 in the team, Bayern has a proper outlet and, as a result, has been unplayable.

Choupo-Moting, even though he has played for Germany at the youth level, represents Cameroon, which means someone else will have to take up that role for Germany. The case has been made for Werder’s Niclas Füllkrug and Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko. Both have a strong case, but there are doubts about whether Füllkrug can translate his Werder success to the world stage and whether the 17-year-old Moukoko is ready.

Another option is Kai Havertz. The Chelsea attacking midfielder has sometimes played as a no.9 and has an aerial presence that the other candidates, including Gnabry, lack. But what Havertz lacks over all other candidates is scoring regularly.

Gnabry, on current form, is making the strongest case in this regard. But there would also be a downside to employing the 27-year-old as a no.9. Even though there was a brief stretch at the start of the season where he played with Sadio Mané in a two-man striker formation, Gnabry has been predominantly successful as a right-winger this season.

Trying to replicate Bayern’s starting XI at the start of the season could be an interesting approach by Flick. The German national team coach could field Sané and Gnabry in a two-man attack right in front of Musiala and Thomas Müller, if he is fit on time.

It also allows Flick the luxury to experiment with a formation that looks like Bayern’s attack with either Moukoko, Füllkrug, or Havertz playing the Choupo-Moting role. Either way, Gnabry’s form is excellent news for Flick; it opens up possibilities and further underlines that the attack will be Germany’s strength at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

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