Leon Goretzka at his all-encompassing best in Bayern Munich's victory over Freiburg

Heading into Saturday afternoon's Bundesliga clash with Freiburg, Bayern Munich had the pressure of hosting the division's only unbeaten side after ten fixtures this season.

And, as you'd expect, the visitors were brimming with positivity and freshness from the outset. Usually tasked with remaining patient and only gradually dismantling their opposition with their unearthly quality, Bayern were forced to react sharply to Freiburg's blistering attitude.

Like biting down on an Airwaves chewing gum you've found at the bottom of your mum's handbag, the visitor's start to the game was so fresh that it took Bayern aback. A frantically end-to-end beginning to proceedings was hardly sustainable for the German champions, and so a strong reaction to reassert control was necessary.

Central to that response was Leon Goretzka at the heart of the Bayern side. Usually the no-nonsense, dogged partner to the starring Joshua Kimmich, Goretzka firmly took centre stage on Saturday.

The 26-year-old's performance was a concoction of tenacity, tirelessness, physicality, precision, passion and influence. He was the match-winner for Julian Naglesmann's side.

Although it was Robert Lewandowski's strike that rendered Freiburg's late consolation irrelevant, Goretzka's presence was essential to Bayern even getting a stranglehold on the game and coming away with that 2-1 victory.

As Kimmich started to get overrun by Freiburg's willingness to commit bodies forward - an uncharacteristic tendency for a visitor at the Allianz Arena - it was Goretzka who started covering the ground in front of the back four to disrupt the opposition's flow.

His decision-making when to press high and when to fall back in order to hoover up was impeccable and crucial to Bayern stifling their opponents. The Bayern midfielder left the field on 70 minutes having made three ball recoveries, two clearances and having won three aerial battles.

Matching his colossal defensive performance were his exploits in attack. As soon as his side regained possession, his quick movement into space further upfield was noticeable. Drifting into pockets between the lines, Goretzka was able to add varying threats to Bayern's attacking play.

Creatively, he was key in building play and putting his colleagues into dangerous positions, eventually managing three key passes. His main contribution, however, came directly in front of goal.

On the half-hour mark, the 26-year-old showed his ability to pick his time as he surged in behind the defence to latch onto Thomas Muller's pass. Faced up with one of the Bundesliga's best performing goalkeepers, Goretzka slid the ball into Mark Flekken's near post with aplomb, putting his side ahead - cue classic Bayern banter.

The Bayern man should have got more, in truth. After the break, he found himself in a similar position before striking the upright and was subsequently desperately unlucky as he grazed the top of the crossbar with a piledriver of a volley.

That not-to-be wonder strike would've capped off an unbelievable outing, but his general performance was already that, anyway.

On the day, Die Roten equalled the record for Bundesliga goals in a calendar year with 100, they burst Freiburg's bubble and ended their unbeaten start to the season, and they put in a very mature and measured performance to overcome tricky and plucky opposition.

Central to everything good, was the machine in midfield; Leon Goretzka.