Starting XI of Bayern's 2013 Treble Winners

Bayern Munich had a season to remember. The Bavarian club under Hansi Flick won the Bundesliga at a canter, scoring a century of goals and finished 22 points ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund. They also won the DFB-Pokal, beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-2. They won the UEFA Champions League for the first time in seven years, beating Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 thanks to Kingsley Coman, winning every game in winning the trophy which included an 8-2 victory over Barcelona in the quarterfinals. The last time won a treble was back in 2013 under manager Jupp Heynckes. The team in 2013 is very fondly remembered as one of the best teams of the last decade, winning the Bundesliga with an incredible 91 points from 34 games, winning the DFB-Pokal against Stuttgart 3-2, and winning the UEFA Champions League 2-1 against Borussia Dortmund. So who was the starting XI of that iconic team? We will take a look. (Players who played the most minutes in all competitions that season).


GOALKEEPER - MANUEL NEUER



Starting between the sticks is German sweeper-keeper, Manuel Neuer. The Schalke graduate signed for Bayern in 2011 for about 19 million euros, which was a record fee for a keeper in the Bundesliga. Since then, he has been renowned as one of the best keepers in the game over the past decade, redefining the role of a modern-day keeper, which is imitated by the likes of Alisson and Ederson. He has won the lot in Bavaria, winning eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokals, and two Champions League as well as the World Cup in 2014 and coming third in the 2014 Ballon d'Or voting. In 2017, he was appointed as club captain following the departure of Philipp Lahm. He has now replicated what Lahm did; winning a treble of trophies in one season. At age 34, he looks to still be around as the number one for Bayern and the German national team.


RIGHT-BACK - PHILIPP LAHM



One of the best full-backs of his generation, Philipp Lahm was renowned for his intelligence, positioning, stamina, and tacking despite his short stature. Having come through the youth up at Bayern, he held the full-back spot whether it was the right or left for about a decade, making over 500 appearances. He won eight Bundesliga titles and the Champions League title, lifting the trophy as captain. He also won 113 caps for Germany, putting him 5th in Germany's all-time appearance makers, winning the World Cup in 2014 as captain. He also spent some time playing in defensive midfield under Pep Guardiola, with the Spaniard stating that he's the most intelligent person he has worked with. He retired in 2017 and has maintained a low profile since hanging up the boots.


CENTRE-BACK - JEROME BOATENG




Another player that was part of the 2014 World Cup-winning squad, Jerome Boateng has been part of Bayern since signing in 2011 from Manchester City. A defensive stalwart, Boateng was considered one of the best centre-backs in world football at his peak between 2012 to 2016. He has made 325 appearances for Bayern, winning eight league titles and two Champions League titles. He has struggled with injuries over the last couple of years but enjoyed a rejuvenated season under Hansi Flick making 38 appearances in all competitions with 23 appearances in the Bundesliga last season. He started in nine games in the Champions League including the Final but came off injured.


CENTRE-BACK - DANTE



The Brazilian defender signed for the Bavarian side from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2012. He formed a formidable partnership alongside Jerome Boateng, with the Brazilian more of a bruiser to Boateng's ball-playing skills. He played 45 games that season in all competitions and stayed at Bayern till 2015 making 132 total appearances. Following Brazil's 7-1 defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semifinal, his reputation took a big hit and moved to Wolfsburg for one season before leaving Germany to move to Ligue 1 side Nice in 2016. He has made 138 appearances for the French side and is still there today making 17 appearances last season.


LEFT-BACK - DAVID ALABA



The second player that is still playing at Bayern, David Alaba made his debut in 2010 under Louis van Gaal as a midfielder but broke out in the 2011/12 season as a left-back and was a mainstay in the starting XI, making 47 appearances in all competitions. Alaba continued his rise in the 2012/13 season, scoring five in 38 appearances that season as Bayern won everything that season. Since making his debut, the Austrian has made 386 appearances and is still only 28 years old. An intelligent player, Alaba is capable of playing a variety of positions from left-back to left-midfield, central midfield, defensive midfield, and central defence. This past season, with the emergence of Alphonso Davies and injuries to Niklas Sule and Lucas Hernandez, Alaba played as a centre-back alongside Jerome Boateng, forming a defensive partnership that was critical to Bayern's latest success.



CENTRAL MIDFIELDER - BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER



Dubbed as one of the greatest players to come out of Germany by Germany coach Joachim Low, Bastian Schweinsteiger at his height was a talisman for Bayern and the Germany National Team. Known for his athleticism and skill, the central midfielder could play varying roles in midfield from holding midfield, attacking midfield and box-to-box plus being utilized at right midfield and right-wing. He had 121 caps for Die Mannschaft between 2004 to 2016 playing in seven major tournaments and winning the World Cup in 2014. He made 500 appearances for Bayern during his time in Germany, including 45 games in the 2012/13 season scoring nine times. He moved to Manchester United in 2015 before going to the United States to play for MLS side Chicago Fire. He retired from the game in 2019.


CENTRAL MIDFIELDER - JAVI MARTÍNEZ



The Spaniard was signed from Athletic Bilbao for 40 million euros, which was a record fee for Bayern and the Bundesliga at that time. Playing more minutes in the 2012/13 season than Toni Kroos, Martínez was favoured more by Jupp Heynckes to play in central midfield alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger. Bringing some bite and steel to Bayern's midfield, Martínez played 43 games that season as Bayern won the treble. He has played 238 games for Bayern, winning 20 trophies. He was also part of Spain's 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 winning squad. He has struggled with injuries over the past few years and even transitioned to playing in central defence. The 2019/2020 season looks to be his last with Bayern but he leaves on a high as Bayern won their latest treble under Hansi Flick.


RIGHT WINGER - ARJEN ROBBEN



When Arjen Robben cuts inside to his left foot, you know you're in trouble. The Dutch winger may be a bit one-dimensional but he was one of the most deadly attackers of his generation. Playing for the likes of PSV, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, Robben spent most of his career at Bayern; joining Bayern in 2009 till 2019 for a short retirement. One part of the famous Robbery, Robben won 20 trophies at Bayern, scoring 144 times in 309 appearances. The 2012/13 season wasn't Robben's most prolific season, scoring 13 times in 31 appearances. He only made 16 appearances in the Bundesliga that season. However, he scored Bayern's biggest goal of the season, scoring the winner in the Champions League Final against Borussia Dortmund. A great redemption from the 2011/12 season where he missed two key penalties that cost Bayern the Bundesliga and the Champions League. He retired in 2019 but come back in June this year to play for his hometown club, FC Groningen.


ATTACKING MIDFIELDER - THOMAS MÜLLER



One of the most unique attackers around, Thomas Muller has been renowned for his positioning, goal-scoring instinct, chance creation, and versatility. The Bayern graduate has been tremendous ever since, making his debut in 2008 and has played 535 games in all competitions, scoring 199 goals. His entry into the football world conscience was in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, scoring five goals in the tournament and winning the Golden Boot. He has scored 38 goals in 100 international caps for Germany winning the World Cup in 2014. He was Bayern's top goal-scorer in the 2012/13 season, scoring 23 goals in all competitions. He was Bayern's top scorer in the Champions League, scoring eight times including three goals against Barcelona in the semifinals. He had a fantastic season as a creator, scoring 14 goals and creating 26 assists in 50 appearances this past season, complimenting Robert Lewandowski. One of the leading men for Bayern, he looks to still be playing for the next couple of years at 31 years old.

LEFT WINGER - FRANCK RIBÉRY



Arguably the best player that season for Bayern, Franck Ribéry was the second part of the famous Robbery with Arjen Robben, tormenting defences across Germany and Europe. More of a creator than Robben, Ribéry scored 124 goals for Bayern over 12 years plus 182 assists, winning nine Bundesliga titles which is a record in the competition's history. Blessed with speed, trickery, dribbling, and chance creation, Ribery heavily complimented the attackers around him from Robben, Thomas Müller, and Mario Gómez, who enjoyed the most from playing with the French winger. He didn't score loads of goals for Bayern that season, scoring only 11 goals in 43 appearances. However, he propelled Bayern to winning the treble as well as winning five trophies in 2013. He won the UEFA Player of the Year award and was placed third in the 2013 Ballon d'Or voting. He left Bayern in 2019, joining Serie A side Fiorentina. He scored 3 goals and created 3 assists in 21 appearances last season.


STRIKER - MARIO MANDŽUKIĆ



Underrated by many in the football world, Croatian striker Mario Mandžukić was not just a great striker in his own right but complimented his teammates with his aerial presence and his defensive contributions, having played as a defensive forward. Signed from Wolfsburg in 2012, Jupp Heynckens preferred the Croat over German striker Mario Gómez and he did not disappoint, scoring 22 goals in 40 appearances. He was Bayern's top goal-scorer in the Bundesliga with 15 goals and only Thomas Müller scored more goals than him in all competitions. He became the first Croat to score in a Champions League Final, scoring Bayern's first goal in their 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund. He stayed at Bayern for two seasons before departing for Atlético Madrid in 2014, spending only one season. He went to Italian giants Juventus, where he enjoyed more success. He won Serie A four times and the Coppa Italia three times. He was also part of the Croatia squad that reached the 2018 World Cup Final, scoring in the game but lost 4-2 to France. He is now a free agent, having left Qatari club Al-Duhail.