Bayern Munich had a perfect day in the final Bundesliga game of the season, as they wrapped up a seventh straight league title and in the process, allowed two club legends to sign off on their time in the German league in style.
Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben both came off the bench to score the last goals of the league campaign for the German champions, who edged Borussia Dortmund to the title by beating Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1. Both are set to leave the club after the season-ending DFB-Pokal final next Sunday, and they couldn’t have dreamed of better finishes to their time in the famous red shirt.
Here’s a look at how the ‘Robbery’ duo performed in FC Hollywood’s title-clinching win.
KEY STATS
ROBBEN
Goals – 1
Assists – 0
Shots – 4
Shots on target – 3
Passing accuracy – 80%
Dribbles – 0
Chances Created – 0
Minutes – 24
RIBERY
Goals – 1
Assists – 0
Shots – 1
Shots on target – 1
Passing accuracy – 89%
Dribbles – 3
Chances Created – 1
Minutes – 30
30-SECOND REPORT
Both players started on the bench in a must-win game for Bayern, something that would have been unthinkable a couple of years ago. It’s a sign of the German champions’ quality that they could afford to make that particular call, as Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry have more than earned their elevation to first-choice status ahead of the veteran duo.
But once Coman and Gnabry had done their job, with the former scoring and the latter producing an all-action display that nearly included a goal as well as Bayern took a 3-1 lead, it was time to give Robben and Ribery their farewell. The Frenchman came on first, and scored a superb solo goal, producing a typically mazy run and clever finish to make it 4-1 before Robben came on and scored a fifth to add to the party atmosphere at the Allianz Arena. A fitting send-off for both.
GOT RIGHT
Robben
Robben’s movement was perfect, not just for his goal in which he got himself into position for a tap-in. There was a late free-kick in which, despite the entire Frankfurt defence knowing Bayern would try to work the ball to the Dutchman. Robben was able to find some space and fire off a shot, though it was charged down.
Ribery
Ribery came on as a second-half substitute and finished with the joint-most dribbles of any player on the pitch. A vintage performance from the Frenchman, whose silky skills were on display for his goal – the dink at the end of a brilliant solo run was sublime.
GOT WRONG
It’s hard to say either got anything wrong. Robben could have had his second goal with a better finish, his shot hitting the trailing leg of Kevin Trapp. And perhaps he could have attempted one final trademark move, but there was no sign of a classic cut in from the right and shoot move. Apart from that it was a perfect day for him and his colleague – even nitpicking wouldn’t be enough to find a flaw in Ribery’s display.
1️⃣7️⃣ #Bundesliga titles between them.
— #MEIS7ER (@FCBayernEN) May 18, 2019
Legendary. #Robbéry ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ZLXrlcSaYH
VERDICT
What a way to sign off for both Bayern legends. There is a DFB-Pokal final to look forward to, of course, but this was the duo’s final home appearance at the club where they will be most remembered, and last in the league where they’ve etched their names into history. Robben no doubt would have loved to finish on a century of Bundesliga goals, but that particular magical moment didn’t come, despite his best attempts.
Still, a goal for both, and for Ribery a ninth German league title – most by any player in Bundesliga history. The line “who writes your scripts” comes to mind after a fairytale ending for this famous duo, who came on to give one final vintage Robbery performance in front of their home fans.
RATING:
Robben – 7/10
Ribery – 8/10
