Soccer - A "good boy": Pavlović earns a pat on the back
Which defensive midfielder will FC Bayern Munich bring in for big money this winter? Coach Thomas Tuchel is known to want a so-called "holding six", i.e. a primarily defensive-minded player in front of the defense. In the 3-0 win against VfB Stuttgart in the top match of the Bundesliga, the inexpensive home-grown Aleksandar Pavlović filled the difficult job alongside Raphael Guerreiro very well and filled the gap that had arisen in the center after the absence of internationals Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka due to illness.
"It was a turbulent preparation for the game," said coach Thomas Tuchel after the all-important win in the final home game of the year. Pavlović did a good job, Tuchel said. The youngster also shone as the scorer of two Munich goals from free-kicks and corners. Nevertheless, Tuchel did not want to hype him up. "We proved today that we trust him. But let's leave the church in the village."
Tuchel praised the German Serb Pavlović, who joined FC Bayern as a seven-year-old, for becoming increasingly confident and dominant as the game progressed. And then he was also "involved in the set-pieces" with the headers from Harry Kane and Minjae Kim to make it 2:0 and 3:0. Pavlović is "a good boy", said Tuchel.
The talented midfielder received plenty of praise from his prominent team-mates in the Bayern dressing room. "There have already been a few pats on the back," he revealed. "Minimally, there's always a bit of nervousness," said Pavlović after his astonishingly composed performance: "But then you're in your movie, you block out everything else and just play soccer."
The record champions recently signed the home-grown player to a contract until 2027. He wants to establish himself more and more with the professionals, just like Thomas Müller once did. "He's a very nice guy, he's a Bayern legend, you can only look up to him," Pavlović said of Müller as a role model.
"The squad is small, but on the other hand it gives people from the second tier a chance to show what they can do. They did an excellent job," said President Herbert Hainer and also praised Pavlović. "We'll sit down over the next few days and think about what we're going to do in the winter." However, nothing will be done just to replenish the squad.
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Source: www.stern.de
