Jérôme Boateng defended by Ex-Bayern midfielder Stefan Effenberg | OneFootball

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Stefan Effenberg has sprung to the defence of Jérôme Boateng following his performance in Friday’s defeat at Hertha Berlin.

The centre-back gave the foul away which led to the hosts taking the lead from the spot and his display has been criticised by some sections of the support.

The defeat followed Bayern’s 1-1 draw against Augsburg as they dropped vital points in their quest to retain their Bundesliga crown.

However, Effenberg believes it is too ‘easy’ to blame the centre-back for Friday’s loss and insisted that while his form has dipped, he is still an incredibly important player for the Bavarians.

Writing in his column for Sport1, he said: “That the defeat in Berlin is reduced to the performance of Jerome Boateng is too easy for me. He just had a bad day on Friday, a bad game.

“He is not at the level he once was, no question. He has to work hard now.

“But to stamp it now is not ok. He has to focus on football and is an enormously important man because of his experience. If he is one hundred percent again, he is set for me.”

Bayern will be looking to bounce back as they face Ajax in the Champions League on Tuesday before welcoming Borussia Monchengladbach to the Allianz Arena.