FC Bayern passed the next maturity test at VfB Stuttgart. Despite numerous changes to the starting eleven, the record champions ultimately won the southern duel 5-0 – also because wild card Harry Kane was once again the decisive factor.
Compared to the cup match at Union Berlin, Vincent Kompany made six changes to his starting XI: Urbig replaced Neuer in goal, Bischof and Minjae Kim moved into the back four, while Laimer, Guerreiro and Jackson also started. Kompany only brought on fresh faces after an hour with Kane, Karl and Pavlović – followed later by Stanisic and Ito.
Munich got off to a lightning start with an almost completely new team. Konrad Laimer took the lead in the 11th minute. After a one-two with Olise, the Austrian put the ball through the legs of VfB keeper Nübel and into the net. It was the first dangerous move of the game – and FCB took the lead straight away.
Stuttgart got into the game better after that and pressed for an equaliser at times in the first half. Nartey headed home from a free-kick – but the VAR ruled the goal out for offside. Just before the break, Chema narrowly missed from a central position, meaning Bayern went into the break with a narrow but not undeserved lead.
Kane comes on – and scores three times
There was little change to the game in the second half either. Stuttgart played bravely, but clear chances were few and far between. Bayern were ice-cold at the other end. In the 66th minute, Pavlović won the ball in midfield, Harry Kane grabbed the ball and buried it into the left corner with a powerful low shot from around 23 metres – his 15th goal of the season in the Bundesliga.
The record champions continued to dominate the game after that and went one better. Josip Stanisic made it 3:0 in the 78th minute after Diaz had cleverly laid the ball off into the back. Nübel looked anything but good when the defender finished. It got even worse for VfB just a few minutes later: Olise broke into the penalty area and Assignon cleared his shot on the line with his arm – penalty and red. Kane stepped up and converted with his usual confidence to make it 4:0 (82′).
But that was not all: in the 88th minute, Kane completed his treble. After strong work from Olise, the England striker only had to slot home from close range – his 17th goal of the season, the final decision.
Bayern extend their lead in the table – Diaz missing against Mainz
Even the substitutions of Führich and Tiago Tomás did nothing to alter the visitors‘ dominance. Bayern kept their cool to see out the game and could even have added to their tally through Diaz. The only downer from Munich’s point of view was that the Colombian picked up his fifth yellow card and will miss the game against Mainz.
The away win means FC Bayern remain top of the table, with Vincent Kompany’s side continuing to score offensively for the 21st Bundesliga game in a row – always with at least two goals, a new record.
The record champions have their next game on Tuesday: they host Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League, followed by a home game against FSV Mainz 05 on Sunday. VfB Stuttgart face Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the Europa League on Thursday before heading to Bremen at the weekend.