The outstanding attacking players Serge Gnabry and Robert Lewandowski led FC Bayern to the early autumn championship in the Bundesliga. National player Gnabry scored three goals himself (40th minute / 52nd / 74th) in the 5-0 (1-0) at a pitiful VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday and put those of world footballer Lewandowski (72nd / 69th) in front of Corona -conditionally only 750 viewers. Just one point would have been enough for coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team to secure first place in the table over the winter break.
After seven points from the previous three games, VfB again suffered a significant setback. The Swabians could slip to the relegation rank in the course of the 16th matchday.
Nagelsmann and VfB coach Pellegrino Matarazzo had greeted each other with a warm hug shortly before kick-off. The two of them know and appreciate each other – they shared the room at the football teacher training course, and at TSG Hoffenheim, Matarazzo was Nagelsmann’s co-trainer. However, the Stuttgart native was unable to surprise his former boss with tactical tricks.
VfB tried at least in the initial phase to get close to the penalty area with quick passes over the right side. In the Munich midfield, Jamal Musiala, who was playing with a broken metacarpal, and, after several failures, the Spaniard Marc Roca were responsible for security and development. Both had only played 51 minutes together this season – but they did a good job. Roca had made it into Bayern’s Bundesliga starting line-up for the first time in ten months.
Offensively, Nagelsmann could rely on his all-rounders. Lewandowski (12th) and especially Gnabry (14th and 18th) made the first attempts to approach the Stuttgart goal. The ailing Marcel Sabitzer, Leon Goretzka and Corentin Tolisso weren’t there, Kingsley Coman had to go down early with injuries and was replaced by Leroy Sané (27th).
Lewandowski removes the remaining doubts
As the game progressed, Bayern increased the pressure, Stuttgart rarely came to relief attacks – but like the attempts by Omar Marmoush (25th) and Philipp Förster (45th), they were quite promising. The guests, who had won 17 of the previous 18 Bundesliga duels with VfB, missed the last consequence in front of the goal in the first 35 minutes. Nagelsmann looked pretty relaxed.
Even the ex-Stuttgart Benjamin Pavard (30th) and Sané (37th) did not take the lead on the deepening lawn of the Stuttgart stadium. But then Gnabry, who was back in the starting line-up in his hometown for the first time since matchday 12, rewarded himself for his strong commitment: The winger got the ball from Sané into the penalty area and hit the crossbar with a fine flick.
Immediately after the half-time break, the initial phase was repeated in parts: VfB played bravely for a short time and also had a good chance through Wataru Endo (46th). But against Bayern that is not enough: Gnabry again after a counterattack and this time increased with his left foot.
Bayern’s dominance did not decrease afterwards, Musiala initially missed the 3-0 (65th). VfB had little thought during this phase, Matarazzo brought Silas Katompa Mvumpa and Chris Führich into the game with a double substitution (63rd). But Bayern scored the hits. Lewandowski with his season goals 17 and 18 eliminated any remaining doubts about the outcome of this game – both goals were put on by the outstanding Gnabry, who was successful again a little later. It was the second Bundesliga three-pack in the 26-year-old’s career.