Bundesliga
Bayern Munich returned to winning ways as Robert Lewandowski scored his 12th Bundesliga goal of the season in an absorbing 3-1 victory away to VfB Stuttgart on Saturday.
VfB Stuttgart 1-3 Bayern Munich
Goals: 1-0 Coulibaly (20'), 1-1 Coman (38'), 1-2 Lewandowski (45'+1), 1-3 Costa (88')
Having dropped points in the 1-1 draw against Werder Bremen last weekend, Hansi Flick’s men began intent on making sure that did not happen again here. Thomas Müller got in behind the home defence in just the second minute but was unable to find a teammate with his cross, while Lewandowski hit the post with a thumping header moments later. They did not have things all their own way, however, as a confident Stuttgart side – unbeaten since Matchday 1 – refused to bow to the pressure. Philipp Förster and Silas Wamangituka linked up well on the right on a couple of occasions, and it was that duo that combined on the break to set up the opener, with Silas’ teasing cross into the centre converted by Tanguy Coulibaly. Bayern increased their intensity after that and equalised a few minutes before half-time from Coman’s drilled shot, before Lewandowski gave the visitors the lead at the break with a brilliant, swerving shot from just outside the box.
The match continued in the same fashion after the break; far from going into damage-limitation-mode, Stuttgart stuck to their game plan and looked to equalise. There were fewer clear-cut openings than in the first half though, with a couple of Lewandowski headers the closest either side came in the first few minutes. Silas took matters into his own hands in a bid to haul his side level, his pace and trickery a constant menace to the Bayern backline, and he set up Orel Mangala with a brilliant run and turn, but the unmarked midfielder’s shot from eight yards out was blocked by Niklas Süle. Inevitably, the hosts came to rue that miss as substitute Douglas Costa sealed the points for Bayern in the closing stages after cutting in from the right to drill home from the edge of the box.
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Stuttgart: Kobel - Mavropanos (Karazor 58'), Anton, Kempf - Coulibaly (Massimo 82'), Endo, Mangala, Sosa - Förster (Kalajdzic 77'), Castro (c) (Klimowicz 59') - Silas
Unused subs: Bredlow, Stenzel, Klement, Egloff, Kaminski
Out: Al Ghaddioui (pelvis), Awoudja (Achilles tendon), Cisse (groin), Gonzalez (knee), Thommy (elbow),
Coach: Pellegrino Matarazzo
Bayern: Neuer (c) - Pavard, Boateng (Nianzou 69'), Alaba, Hernandez (Süle 58') - Tolisso (Martinez 83'), Goretzka - Gnabry (Sane 69'), Müller, Coman (Costa 69') - Lewandowski
Unused subs: Nübel, Martinez, Choupo-Moting, Roca, Musiala
Out: Davies (ankle), Kimmich (knee), Sarr (thigh)
Coach: Hansi Flick
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