Bayern Munich grind out win away at VfB Stuttgart
Bayern Munich held their nerves to win a close game away at Stuttgart.
Bayern Munich got back to winning ways in the Bundesliga through a 3-1 win against VfB Stuttgart on Saturday. The scoreline flatters Die Roten as they were put under immense pressure by the home side. Goals from Robert Lewandowski, Kingsley Coman, and Douglas Costa helped were enough for Die Roten, while Tanguy Coulibaly scored the goal for hosts.
Hansi Flick brought Corentin Tolisso back in the lineup for Marc Roca after he recovered completely from an injury that he suffered during the international break. Lucas Hernandez replaced Chris Richards in the lineup as he was fit to start.
Meanwhile, Pellegrino Matarazzo made a flurry of changes to the team that managed to get a point away at Hoffenheim. Konstantinos Mavropanos started in the back three ahead of Pascal Stenzel. Tanguy Coulibaly was played higher up the pitch instead of wingback, replacing Nicolas Gonzalez. Borna Sosa started in the left wing-back role, while Philipp Forster started instead of Daniel Didavi.
Barring Lewandowski’s headed attempt that hit the post in the third minute, the visitors had a sluggish start. They were swiftly moving from defense to attack, causing problems for Die Roten’s backline. The perseverance of the home side was paid off when Coulibaly opened the scoring in the 20th minute when Silas Wamangituka picked him up with a pinpoint cross from the right flank.
The German Champions were stunned after Stuttgart opened the scoring. They found it difficult to create chances as the home side was dominating on the break. The attacking players of Die Roten were making wrong decisions in the final third that often lead to the concession of possession.
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Against the run of play, Kingsley Coman once again stepped to get his team out of the hole. The French winger is found by Thomas Muller on the left flank. Coman managed to cut inside and drill a shot past the goalkeeper. The French international continues to score important goals when his team needs him the most.
The home side had responded quickly by scoring the second goal, but VAR ruled it out as Manuel Neuer was fouled in the buildup. After getting the equalizer, Die Roten started piling on the pressure as Serge Gnabry’s shot was blocked brilliantly by Waldemar Anton. The German Champions eventually managed to score the important goal as Lewandowski hammered the ball past the goalkeeper from outside the box after a smart layoff by Coman.
In the second half, it was end to end stuff as Stuttgart were playing positive football. The hosts were creating chances, while Die Roten managed to defend shots. Niklas Sule and David Alaba made some important blocks to keep the hosts at bay during the second half. It did sound desperate at times for Bayern, but the defensive unit, including fantastic saves from Manuel Neuer, did enough to deny Stuttgart.
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The German Champions eventually sealed the victory in the 88th minute when Costa found the back of the net. The Brazilian’s goal was a carbon copy of Coman’s effort in the first half. It was not smooth sailing for Bayern, but grinding out wins shows the mentality of this group. Flick will be hoping that injuries to Tolisso and Jerome Boateng are not serious. The German manager will also hope that the team eventually gets back to their best, starting from Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid.
"VfB Stuttgart (3-4-3)KobelMavropanos-Anton-KempfSilas- Endo-Mangala- SosaForster-Coulibaly-Castro Substitutes: Bredlow, Kalajdzic (↓Forster (76′)), Stenzel, Karazor (↓Mavropanos (58′)), Klement, Egloff, Massimo (↓Coulibaly (82′)), Klimowicz (↓Castro (59′)), KaminskiBayern Munich (4-2-3-1)NeuerPavard-Boateng-Alaba-HernandezTolisso-GoretzkaGnabry-Muller-ComanLewandowskiSubstitutes: Nubel, Sule (↓Boateng (58′)), Martinez (↓Tolisso (83′)), Sane (↓Gnabry (69′)), Costa (↓Coman (69′)), Choupo-Moting, Roca, Nianzou (↓Boateng (69′)), Musiala"