Comparing Bayern Munich's 2013 and 2020 Treble-Winning Teams

Bayern Munich are the best team in the world right now. No ifs, no buts, no maybes.

The way they tore apart anyone who stood in their way en route to Champions League immortality was proof enough of this fact, though let us not forget though that Hansi Flick also led his merry band of Bavarian gentlemen to victory in the DFB-Pokal and Bundesliga.

It was Bayern's first treble since 2013, a team remembered similarly fondly in the annals of footballing history.

Which side was better though? It's a tough question but here at 90min we never shy away from the hard stuff. We pitted each starting XI against each other in order to find out.

Goalkeeper - Manuel Neuer (2013) vs Manuel Neuer (2020)

As our first two players are the same person, we're going to have to cheat a little bit and compare the 2013 version of Manuel Neuer with his current day incarnation.

After the 2018 World Cup many pundits wrote Neuer off, and for good reason. Recovering from injury, he looked a shadow of his former self throughout the tournament. Since that low point he has pushed on and continues to keep Marc-Andre ter Stegen out of the Germany team for now.

Last season, Neuer kept 15 clean sheets in the Bundesliga and made some vital saves in the Champions League final.

Even though this is impressive, in 2013 he was the best goalkeeper in the world, conceding just 18 times in the Bundesliga and generally being imperious between the sticks.

Winner: 2013 Neuer

Right-Back - Philipp Lahm vs Joshua Kimmich

Philipp Lahm and Joshua Kimmich. Two diminutive, blonde right-backs with a knack for slotting into midfield. The question is, which one are we taking? This is perhaps the toughest choice of all, as both exhibited world class form during their respective treble winning seasons.

Lahm only missed a handful of games all season, registering a remarkable 19 assists from defence. He also captained his side to victory in both the DFB-Pokal and Champions League finals.

Kimmich's stats were similarly impressive. In his 51 appearances last season he hit seven goals and 17 assists - albeit with the majority of his minutes coming at defensive midfield.

On balance, Lahm just shades it on this occasion. Come to us again tomorrow and we might change our mind.

Winner: Lahm

Centre Backs: Jerome Boateng (2013) & Dante vs Jerome Boateng (2020) & David Alaba

Jerome Boateng is a lucky man. No matter which Bayern centre-back vintage we opt for, he's 100% guaranteed a place in our hypothetical starting XI. But whom was his better partner: 2013's Dante or 2020's David Alaba?

Because his reputation took a hammering after several of his teammates helped Germany inflict a humiliating 7-1 defeat on Brazil during the 2014 World Cup, it is often forgotten how good of a defender Dante was at his prime.

During the 2012/2013 Bundesliga campaign, Die Roten only conceded 18 goals, the second lowest total in the league's history. Bayern conceded almost double that last season.

This means that although Alaba's move to centre-back has been a revelation, we cannot look past the imperious Dante to partner Boateng. In an ideal world we would have paired the Austrian and Brazilian together to be honest...

Winners: Boateng and Dante

Left-Back: David Alaba (2013) vs Alphonso Davies

Oh look, it's David Alaba again. Perhaps Mr. Versatile might be able to weasel his way into our team at left-back - the position he played to much acclaim back in 2013.

Over the course of his first of two treble winning seasons, Alaba was just still finding his feet at Bayern but still managed to play 38 games and rack up 11 goal involvements.

Impressive numbers, but nothing in comparison to the electrifying breakout campaign that Alphonso Davies treated us to last term. As well as becoming the first Canadian to ever win the European Cup, the 19-year-old also produced 13 goal involvements and registered the fastest sprint speed in Bundesliga history.

Davies is only getting started as well. How good he could get in the future is a very scary thought - for everyone other than Die Roten fans of course.

Winner: Davies

Midfield: Javi Martinez & Bastian Schweinsteiger vs Thiago Alcantara & Leon Goretzka

Before we get into the exciting bit of choosing the best forwards, we first need to decide which of the two side's midfields were superior.

Although he hardly gets a game these days, Javi Martinez sparked up quite the fruitful partnership with club legend Bastian Schweinsteiger during the 2012/2013 season. The duo worked well together with the mantra of "one stays, one goes" being followed religiously at all times.

It made Bayern hard to penetrate, which goes a long way to explaining their incredible defensive record. Schweinsteiger's 20 goal involvements also meant they still had more than enough creativity and goals to get by.

Last season, Thiago and Leon Goretzka had an all together different dynamic. Bayern sacrificed some solidity but looked a lot more sexy on the ball. Goretzka also had a season comparable to that of Schweinsteiger, registering 19 goal involvements in somewhat of a coming of age year.

It's a close run thing but we're going to have to go with the extra solidity that Martinez provided as the better option.

Winners: Schweinsteiger & Martinez

Wingers - Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery vs Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman

For many years, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery were the kings of Bavaria, tormenting defences at home and abroad week in, week out.

2013 was a particular good year for the fearsome duo. They racked up a ridiculous 60 goal involvements between them with Ribery's 23 assists standing out in particular.

2020's class of Bayern winger have also been impressive though. In terms of an individual performance, few player's last season could hold a candle to Serge Gnabry's demolition of Tottenham back in October.

All in all, the former West Brom man scored 23 goals and hit 11 assists and Kingsley Coman also pitched in with far less impressive numbers and a Champions League winning header.

Despite this, we're going to have to give this one to Robben and Ribery but a very honorable mention to Gnabry who has been unexplainably fantastic recently.

Winners: Ribery & Robben

Second Striker - Thomas Muller (2013) vs Thomas Muller (2020)

Thomas Muller does not seem to age. Despite it seeming like he burst onto the scene about 20 years ago, the world's first and only Raumdeuter is still only 30-years-old.

In 2013, Muller was a mere whippersnapper but he didn't let that stop him starring for Die Roten. He bagged a penalty in the DFB-Pokal final, which was one of 40 goals he was directly involved with during the campaign.

What about 2020? Well, after a shaky start to the season under Niko Kovac, Muller produced the form of his life following Hansi Flick's takeover. After Flick joined the club in October, the 30-year-old scored 12 times and set up 20 more in what was a long spell of incredible performances.

2013 Muller was good but the intriguing redemption arc he went on last season edges it for his 2020 incarnation.

Winner: 2020 Muller

Striker - Robert Lewandowski vs Mario Mandzukic

We're not going to insult your intelligence here. Robert Lewandowski wins and he wins by a ridiculous margin.

The Pole has been the best player on the planet this season, scoring 55 (yes, you have read that right) in 47 games.

It's hard to put these unimaginable figures into context but it's well over double the 22 goals Mario Mandzukic netted during the 2012/2013 campaign. Sorry Mario, but it's got to be Lewa.

Winner: Lewandowski