On matchday 13 of the ongoing Bundesliga season, Bayern Munich crushed VfB Stuttgart 5-0 at the MHP Arena. Based on how the first half started and ended, few would have predicted such a lopsided final score.
In the first half, Stuttgart enjoyed a slight edge in possession 51 % to 49% and actually outshot the visitors nine to six. However, Die Roten managed to take a 1-0 lead into the break courtesy of a clever back-heel goal from Konrad Laimer in the 11th minute.
The second half was a pleasant surprise for the visiting fans as Bayern dominated the proceedings following some impactful substitutions from Vincent Kompany. Harry Kane, who was brought on after an hour, registered yet another hat-trick, and Josip Stanisic, who was introduced at the start of the second half, scored the other as Bayern scored four times in the final half hour. Let’s take a look at some interesting takeaways from Saturday’s 5-0 dismantling of Stuttgart.
Bayern Munich play their way out of funk
Since the mentally and physically draining 2-1 victory in France over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League back on November 4, Bayern have not been at their best. However, the second-half performance against Stuttgart on Saturday was reminiscent of Bayern’s scintillating form before November.
The positives started with Konrad Laimer and Michael Olise recapturing their magic on the right flank and continued with Harry Kane, who was resting until he made his appearance from the bench for the final half hour. These three players were the chief architects of Stuttgart's downfall on Saturday. Vincent Kompany fielded a heavily rotated squad to start the game, and in the end, he looked like a genius with his substitutions. The way the second half unfolded suggests that some players just needed a bit of rest.