Maybe it’s youthful exuberance, maybe Thomas Müller is rubbing off on him, but Alphonso Davies’ second goal of the Bundesliga campaign was the product of nothing more than effort and being in the right place at the right time.
And the strike came at the perfect time for a Bayern Munich side that was reeling in the moments prior.
Davies scored in the 61st minute after Eintracht Frankfurt had quickly cut a three-goal lead to one, helping Bayern Munich pull away for a 5-2 victory on Saturday.
Frankfurt’s Martin Hinteregger struck in the 52nd and 55th minutes to chip away at a 3-0 halftime deficit and it looked like the visitors might pull off an epic comeback. But Davies made a rampaging run from his left back spot and — with an assist from some sloppy defense — put his team back on the path to victory.
Alphonso Davies Goal vs Frankfurt
Never give up on the play, kids.
Allow @AlphonsoDavies to demonstrate pic.twitter.com/qGUCyPiUfP— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) May 23, 2020
The goal was just the third of his Bayern career after leaving Vancouver for an MLS-record transfer fee. More a winger in MLS, he’s embraced the wingback role with Bayern.
After Frankfurt had grabbed momentum after the halftime break, Davies’ goal completely swung Bayern back onto the front foot. An own goal off Hinteregger in the 74th minute gave Bayern a 5-2 lead and put the match to rest.
The home side dominated most of the first half, racing to a 3-0 lead on goals from Leon Goretzka, Müller and Robert Lewandowski. Müller’s was the best of the lot thanks to a delightful assist from Davies.
Make that 2-0, @FCBayernUS!
Which was better: the @AlphonsoDavies assist or @esmuellert_'s touch and finish? pic.twitter.com/MwsVsqGYsC— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) May 23, 2020
In addition to avenging a 5-1 defeat to Frankfurt in December, the win allowed Bayern to go back four points ahead of Borussia Dortmund. The top two teams in the Bundesliga will clash at Westfalonstadion on Tuesday in a match that will go a long way to determining who claims the league title at the end of the season.
And Bayern did it without fans, though the club’s leadership was out in force in the stands, some unaware how to properly wear a mask. Notably, the corner of the pitch usually populated by fans dressed all in white in the shape of the T-Punkt logo was instead full of white seats, an odd reminder of the empty stands.
