Muller: Goals aren´t everything for me

Thomas Muller believes he showed there is more to his game than goals as he provided two assists in Bayern Munich’s 8-0 thrashing of Hamburg.

The Germany international has struggled in front of goal this season, scoring just once in the Bundesliga, and he failed to get on the scoresheet again as Robert Lewandowski smashed a hat-trick on Saturday.

However, Muller was still pleased with his own performance, claiming that his assists – for Arturo Vidal and David Alaba – were as important as goals.

“On this occasion, I was much more involved in the play than in the previous games,” he told the DFB website. 

“When you don’t always face a back-five, you get into space and gaps better – not that I want to let future opposition know that playing against a back-five isn’t nice.

“But this meant there were many situations in which I was able to be actively involved in the play and shoot on goal, [although] again I didn’t score.

“However, I can get over that. My assist for David is possibly the prime example that goals aren’t everything for me when I can see my team-mates in better positions than me and can help them.

“It was a situation in which I could have shot myself – free from seven meters out – but David and I were clearly two against one. I saw him in the corner of my eye and it was clear what I had to do.

“Assists are just as important as goals for me.”

Muller also won a penalty that was converted by Lewandowski, who defended his team-mate’s dry spell in front of goal.

Lewandowski highlighted Muller’s all-round play as being crucial to the league leaders, saying: “He’s provided three superb assists.

“It doesn’t matter that he’s not scoring at the moment. He’s incredibly strong.”