“Compliments to Serge”: Brazzo tips his hat to Bayern Munich’s Gnabry

With two more goals in his last two games, Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry has hit double-digit Bundesliga goals for the seventh season running — every year he’s been in the German top flight, in fact, since his days at Werder Bremen in 2016/17.

Fittingly, Gnabry’s eleventh league goal of the year came against Bremen. The German international has now played the hero for a Bayern team under pressure in two consecutive games in remarkably similar fashion, each time delivering a smash-and-grab goal in the second half to break open the game.

“You have to praise him when he’s done something well,” said Bayern sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidžić. “He is important because he’s a player who can score goals. He’s done it twice now in a row. That’s important for him, his confidence and also for us as a squad.

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“He did what he had to do — and really well. He tries to hold the ball, is fast and sometimes goes deep.”

Gnabry’s resurgence comes at just the right time for the Bavarians, who are missing striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting up top and have struggled to fashion goals of late. While often deployed on the wing under Julian Nagelsmann, Gnabry has taken up a central forward role under Thomas Tuchel — with his ability to poach an opportunistic goal inside the box crucial. And this time, it was central attacking partner Jamal Musiala’s deft touch who provided after a superb ball in from the wings from Sadio Mané.

Well onside but unmarked, Gnabry squared up and gave the Bremen keeper no chance.

“Compliments to Serge for a good game, compliments for his goal,” Brazzo concluded. “And now one step at a time. Every game that comes next is a final.”