The defense, which has often been criticized in recent years, was mostly stable this calendar year. Whether it was long-running Konrad Laimer or Dayot Upamecano, who was finally consistent under Vincent Kompany: the Munich defenders knew how to impress in many games. But there were also some disappointments, like Minjae Kim. Who was the best defensive player for you?
The new year is upon us and with it a look back at the calendar year that is about to end: Who is your Bayern Player of the Year 2025? We start with the defense – and therefore also the goalkeepers. You can vote here and explain your choice in the comments.
Manuel Neuer remained number one in Bayern’s goal in 2025. The 39-year-old showed his experience in many games, but was not free from mistakes and repeatedly missed some games due to injuries. Jonas Urbig took advantage of his opportunities as a representative and collected important arguments for the future with strong performances. Daniel Peretz, who was loaned out in the summer, and Sven Ulreich were also in the expanded goalkeeper pool. However, they didn’t play a major role in sport.
With Jonathan Tah, a new defense chief arrived in the summer of 2025, who immediately established himself in the starting eleven. Tah immediately brought stability to the center of defense with his calm, overview and leadership qualities. At his side, Dayot Upamecano found even more consistency. Despite a major mistake against Arsenal recently, his development in 2025 was noticeably positive.
Dier as a reliable pillar in defense
Eric Dier was part of the central defense in the 2024/25 season and took responsibility in phases with many absences and knew how to impress. Despite mutual interest in extending his contract, Dier left the club for Monaco at the end of the season.
Hiroki Ito had already been signed in the summer of 2024, injured his metatarsal shortly after his move and initially missed several months. After a brief comeback in the spring, he suffered another metatarsal fracture in March 2025. He only returned to the squad in November.
Minjae Kim lagged behind in the internal competition. Last season he made a lot of appearances in the starting line-up, but often failed to impress – also due to injury problems. In the current season he is mostly only used as a rotation player. Josip Stanisic, on the other hand, impressed with his reliability and flexibility; he carried out his tasks calmly and efficiently. Sacha Boey was also part of the squad for the entire 2025 calendar year, but he was rarely used and is facing departure from the record champions.
Laimer impresses as an all-rounder
Konrad Laimer was in demand in several defensive positions and showed a high level of commitment in almost all games. He proved to be a tactically important all-rounder who was able to make up for the absence of others. In the current season in particular, the actual midfielder has impressed with some outstanding performances in the full-back position.
On the left side, Alphonso Davies dominated the picture for a long time before a torn cruciate ligament slowed him down at the end of March. Raphael Guerreiro came into focus for the left-back position after Davies’ injury, but was only able to convince at times. Adam Aznou was also part of the squad until the summer, but was never able to sustainably recommend himself for bigger tasks.
The Bayern defense was stable in 2025 and with the arrival of Jonathan Tah there finally seems to be a clear pace set. But who impressed you the most over the year? Vote now – and feel free to comment.
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