Alphonso Davies emerges as an elite fullback for Bayern Munich
SBI Soccer
3 Yrs Ago
When Bayern Munich shattered the transfer fee record for the highest price ever paid for a player from Major League Soccer, and highest price ever paid for a Canadian, it became pretty clear the German giants saw something special in Alphonso Davies.
Less than two years after that original eight-figure transfer, Davies has made the deal look like a bargain, emerging as one of the world’s elite young talents.
The Canadian international is in electric form this season, most recently putting in a man-of-the-match performance against English giants Chelsea in UEFA Champions League play. Davies has evolved from a speedy winger into a player now being regarded as one of the best left backs in the world.
Partnered with Serge Gnabry on the left side of the Bayern attack, the duo has formed one of Europe’s most potent one-two punches, and has the Bavarians eyeing Bundesliga and Champions League titles.
Davies was at his best against Chelsea, gliding past Reece James at will and regularly got himself in dangerous areas down the left-hand side. For much of the game, the young Englishman was chasing Davies’s shadow.
The 19-year-old’s enterprise was eventually rewarded with an assist, setting up Robert Lewandowski for an easy tap-in to ice the game. The goal showcased Davies’ best qualities all in one action. His incredible speed and anticipation got him in the right position in the first place, while his technique and patience to link up with Lewandowski finished the move off. The assist was his sixth on the season forBayern, but the Canadian’s game is much more than just his end-product.
Davies initially broke onto the scene as a left winger in Vancouver and still plays there at times with the national team. An injury crisis at Bayern at the beginning of the season meant the 19-year-old was given the nod at left back and Davies hasn’t looked back since. With David Alaba slotting in centrally, the left back spot now belongs to the Canadian international.
Davies has proven to be equally capable of beating his man as he is at stopping him, with the versatility he cultivated during his time with the Whitecaps helping him develop a grasp of both sides of the game.
That being said, a true winger never forgets his roots. The 19-year-old has not let his deeper role affect his offensive thrust, and he is still looking to beat his man every chance he gets. In his four Champions League games, Davies is averaging nearly five completed dribbles per ninety minutes. For context, that is more than any other player in the competition besides Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Davies was later named Bayern Munich’s Player of the Month in February. The announcement did not come as a surprise to anyone closely monitoring the 19-year-old’s progression, but the award is just the tip of the iceberg for the Bayern Munich man.
Fresh off announcing himself on the world stage against Chelsea, Davies has all the tools to take his game to the next level and is quickly becoming one of the most coveted young players in the world.