Revealed: Huge names miss out in stunning Bayern Munich team of the decade

Continuing our series of team of the decades of the elite clubs in Europe over the last ten years, we make our way to Munich and a quite stunning Bayern Munich XI.

As with the teams featured beforehand, a minimum of 70 appearances has been set as a requirement across the league and Champions League, with only ratings from those competitions considered. With eight Bundesliga titles and European glory in 2013 secured in the last decade, it's certainly been one to remember for the Bavarians, with some iconic players on show.

Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer (316 apps) - 6.76

The keeper by default in this XI, Neuer has been first choice at Bayern since 2011, albeit with a season and a half out of the side through injury between 2017 and 2018. In his time at the club the German built a reputation as being the best in the business, earning the captain's armband for club and country, although his best form certainly came prior to his aforementioned spell on the sidelines. In 315 league and Champions League appearances for Bayern this decade the 33-year-old has kept 154 clean sheets.

Right-back: Philipp Lahm (289 apps) - 7.17

A rare breed so far as being a one-team player - disregarding a loan spell at Stuttgart - Lahm came through the ranks at Bayern and represented the club for well over a decade from his debut in 2002 all the way up to 2017. The club captain for much of that time, Lahm was widely considered to be the best full-back in world football before putting his hand to pulling the strings in Pep Guardiola's midfield. Exceptional in possession - completing over 90 per cent of his passes over the last decade - with an eye for an assist too (41 to be precise since 2010), Lahm read the game to exceptional standard and will go down as one of the club's all time greats.

Centre-back: Mats Hummels (98 apps) - 7.24

He may have only spent three seasons at Bayern, missing considerable portions of each, but Hummels showed his class at the Allianz Arena, winning three consecutive titles. In 98 appearances across the Bundesliga and Champions League the German international averaged 4.2 tackles and interceptions combined per 90 minutes, helping to keep 38 clean sheets.

Centre-back: Javi Martinez (197 apps) - 7.14

Martinez has been used in rotation for much of his time at Bayern following a big money move in 2012, with his versatility put to use. The Spaniard has split his time across centre-back and defensive midfield roles and gets into this XI in the former ahead of Jerome Boateng, whose form has tailed off in recent years. Martinez has made a third of his appearances for Bayern from defence and produced an average of 4.7 tackles and interceptions combined per 90, while completing over 89 per cent of his passes.

Left-back: David Alaba (309 apps) - 7.10

Signed from Austria Wien as a teenager back in 2008, Alaba had made his Bayern debut by 2010 and has been a mainstay in the side for much of the decade, making the third most appearances for the club. In that time, predominantly spent at left-back with fleeting spells in midfield and centre-back, Alaba has had a hand in 60 goals (25 goals, 35 assists). Still just 27, the Austrian has been a consistent performer but perhaps not built on the early promise that he showed when first cementing his place between 2012 and 2014.

Central midfield: Bastian Schweinsteiger (189 apps) - 7.45

An undeniable club icon, Schweinsteiger broke into the first team set up at Bayern around the same time as Lahm but made a more immediate impact. A regular in the team by 2003 and for Germany a year later, the midfielder left the club in 2015 for Manchester United. Since the turn of the decade he made 189 league and Champions League appearances for Bayern, having a hand in 66 goals whilst averaging an impressive 2.9 tackles per 90 minutes to prove his undoubted worth in and out of possession.

Central midfield: Thiago (186 apps) - 7.61

While much of his early career at Bayern was blighted by injuries following his arrival from Barcelona in 2013, Thiago has been metronomic in midfield for the Bundesliga giant when fit. The complete deep-lying midfielder, he has the ability to change the impetus and pace of the game with a decisive forward pass or dribble. Meanwhile, the defensive side of the Spaniard's play is often overlooked, posting superb averages of 3.1 tackles and 2.6 interceptions per 90 minutes.

Central midfield: Toni Kroos (151 apps) - 7.39

It was certainly a shock when Bayern sanctioned the sale of one of their top young players in 2014, though not before Kroos made a real impression at the Allianz Arena. The midfielder broke into the Bayern first team set up as a teenager prior to the turn of the decade and a successful loan spell at Leverkusen, and was a regular fixture in the team between 2010 and 2014. In that four year spell he registered 32 assists, scoring 19 himself and creating 2.3 chances per 90 minutes.

Right wing: Arjen Robben (258 apps) - 7.68

While Robben spent almost the entirety of the last decade at Bayern before retiring earlier this year, five players made more league and Champions League appearances for the club due to a string of serious injuries. When fit, however, while predictable the Dutchman was so often unplayable, with his crowning moment being the match winner in the 2013 Champions League final. That was just one of a raft of decisive goals, with Robben scoring 120 in 258 appearances and registering a further 62 assists. He averaged 2.5 key passes and a huge 3.3 successful dribbles per 90 minutes.

Left wing: Franck Ribery (291 apps) - 7.57

The partner in the criminally good 'Robbery' duo, Ribery signed for Bayern two years before his Dutch clubmate back in 2007 and like Robben left the club at the end of last season. He too suffered numerous serious injuries that restricted his playing time but over the last decade made 291 appearances across the league and Champions League, scoring fewer goals (79) but registering more assists (90). The Frenchman averaged 2.8 key passes and a monumental 4.1 dribbles per 90 minutes over the decade.

Striker: Robert Lewandowski (232 apps) - 7.62

While Bayern have had some impressive goalscorers over the years there can be no debate as to who leads the line in this XI. Since his arrival from rivals Borussia Dortmund in 2014 the Poland international's record has been remarkable and has only improved now that he has entered his thirties. In 232 league and Champions League appearances for the club Lewandowski has struck 193 times from 4.6 shots per 90 minutes.

Notable absentees...

Thomas Muller (7.30) - The leading appearance maker for Bayern just misses the cut despite having a hand in 266 goals in 417 outings over the decade.

Xabi Alonso (7.27) - Missing out to former clubmate Kroos in the midfield, Alonso made 104 league and Champions League appearances in three years at the club prior to his retirement in 2017.

Joshua Kimmich (7.15) - Pipped to the right-back spot by the indisputable presence of Lahm, Kimmich has made a fine fist of filling the full-back's boots despite favouring a midfield role.