FC Bayern Munich had a successful dress rehearsal for the round of 16 second leg of the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday (first leg 1-0). On the 23rd match day of the Bundesliga, coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team won 2-1 (1-0) at VfB Stuttgart and, thanks to the better goal difference, overtook Borussia Dortmund again at the top of the table.
Matthijs de Ligt (39′) and Eric Maxim Choupo (62′) scored for Bayern, while substitute Juan José Perea scored Stuttgart’s late goal (88′).
Shortly after the break, the game was briefly interrupted due to a large use of pyrotechnics in the guest block. Both fan camps had ignited Bengalos already at the start of the first half, and in the course of the second half it burned again and again even after the interruption.
Alphonso Davies completed his 100th Bundesliga game for FC Bayern. No foreign player in the club’s history did that earlier than the 22-year-old Canadian. Thomas Müller’s assist to make it 2-0 was his 300th goal participation for Bayern in the Bundesliga.
VfB Stuttgart – FC Bayern Munich: The analysis
Nagelsmann obviously had the PSG game in mind when choosing his starting XI: For Dayot Upamecano, who was last suspended in the Bundesliga, the in-form Benjamin Pavard had to give way in central defense because he himself was suspended against PSG. Otherwise there were no changes compared to the 3-0 win against Union Berlin. Joao Cancelo, Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry were initially outside again.
Stuttgart started surprisingly courageously and put FC Bayern under pressure in the early stages in the penalty area. Despite some high ball wins, the hosts initially didn’t have any compelling chances. As the game progressed, FC Bayern took over.
As against Union, Alphonso Davies moved up a lot when he had possession of the ball, and in defense a back four became a back three. Because Stuttgart was still relatively high even after the initial pressure had subsided, FC Bayern found space in fast counterattacks, which Davies and Jamal Musiala in particular used for some nice combinations.
Leon Goretzka, who had moved up, made two dangerous shots, but failed in each case to Stuttgart keeper Fabian Bredlow (18th and 21st). Stuttgart also had chances in the first half, but Matthijs de Ligt’s 1-0 goal from long-range just before the break was still deserved.
Both teams continued to push forward after the break. The game was entertaining with both sides creating chances. After Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s goal to make it 2-0, Nagelsmann made a triple substitution in the 63rd minute: Sané, Gnabry and Sadio Mané replaced Musiala, Coman and Choupo-Moting.
After that there was hardly any resistance from Stuttgart. FC Bayern let the ball run with the fresh attacking players before substitute Juan José Perea scored the equalizer out of nowhere. In the wild final phase that followed, FC Bayern faltered, but saved the victory just over time.
FC Bayern: Summer – Stanisic, Upamecano, de Ligt – Goretzka (82nd Gravenberch), Kimmich – Coman (63rd Gnabry), Davies – Thomas Müller (82nd Pavard), Musiala (63rd Leroy Sane) – Choupo-Moting (63rd Mane ).
VfB Stuttgart – FC Bayern Munich: The data for the game
Gates: 0-1 de Ligt (39′), 0-2 Choupo-Moting (62′), 1-2 Perea (88′)
The star of the game: Matthis de Ligt (FC Bayern Munich)
In the 37th minute, de Ligt cleared a shot from Konstantinos Mavropanos off the line and two minutes later he put the ball ahead from long-range. But he made another mistake when he scored the next goal: De Ligt lost the header duel against the goalscorer Perea.
The flop of the game: Waldemar Anton (VfB Stuttgart)
Stuttgart’s right-back had big problems with his lively opponents Davies and Musiala. Offensively, Anton wasn’t a factor. His statistics are also weak: he didn’t even win half of his tackles, only managed around 72 percent of his passes and allowed Stuttgart to lose most of the ball.
The referee: Christian Dingert
Dingert had no problems with the fair game. The only point of criticism: Twice he got in the way and touched the ball.
