Matchday 15 - Bayern don't let Hoeneß annoy them: Kane's lightning goal
Bayern, led by the double act of Harry Kane, did not let title rivals Bayer Leverkusen get away from them, even when they were badly depleted.
The German soccer champions dominated the high-flyers from VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga top match 3:0 (1:0) even without national team players Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, who were ill.
Kane was once again the match-winner. After a mini-slump of three competitive games without scoring, the 30-year-old Englishman netted his 19th and 20th goals of the season in the 2nd and 55th minutes, while South Korean Minjae Kim (63), who was also strong as a bear, scored for the first time in a Bayern shirt. Bayern patron Uli Hoeneß cheered in the stands of the Allianz Arena.
VfB, coached by his nephew Sebastian Hoeneß, never came close to their recent top level in front of 75,000 spectators. The Swabians are not yet a title contender. Munich's goals came far too easily. And nothing went forward either. There were no clear goalscoring opportunities in 90 minutes and Manuel Neuer had a pleasant evening in the Bayern goal.
Leverkusen's lead over FC Bayern had grown to seven points before the start of the game. Bayer had won 3:0 against Frankfurt before kick-off in Munich. In other words, against the very Eintracht team against which Bayern had suffered a heavy 1:5 defeat the week before. But against VfB, Kane and Co. were back to their best.
"There are a lot of absentees now," coach Tuchel moaned to DAZN before kick-off. His emergency double-six solution for Kimmich and Goretzka was Raphael Guerreiro alongside youngster Aleksandar Pavlović. The home-grown player handled his responsibilities in front of the defense very well. He also took the free-kick to make it 2-0 and the corner kick to make it 3-0.
In a 4-2-2-2 formation, Tuchel also cleverly tightened up the center of midfield with Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sané moving more towards the inside. Musiala in particular worked hard defensively and impressed with clever attacking passes and tricks on the ball.
The dream start to the game in Munich's final home game of the year was of course helpful. After Atakan Karazor lost the ball, Müller set up the starting Sané. The international danced past Alexander Nübel, who had been loaned to VfB by FC Bayern and was running out of his goal, before feeding Kane. The Englishman was able to slot the ball in with ease. The early lead gave the rebuilt Bayern team confidence.
The early goal was a real blow for the visitors. Top striker Serhou Guirassy (16 goals for the season) was left out of the Bayern defense. It was thanks to Nübel, who looked poor at 0:1, that the visitors at least stayed in the game until Kane's second goal. Nübel made strong saves against Sané and Kane. And two goals from Kim (25) and Müller (45+2) were conceded for offside by the video assistant.
Even after the break, there was only one top team in the top match - Bayern. They worked collectively against the ball - and repeatedly put Stuttgart under pressure with the ball. The VfB defense was also incapable of dealing with Munich's set pieces.
VfB squad with statistics Bayern squad Bundesliga fixtures Bundesliga table Bundesliga table
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- Despite the absence of key players Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka due to illness, Harry Kane led Bayern to a dominant 3-0 victory over VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga top game.
- Kane, who had gone three competitive games without scoring, netted his 19th and 20th goals of the season in the 2nd and 55th minutes, while Minjae Kim scored his first goal for Bayern in the 63rd minute.
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen, who had a seven-point lead over FC Bayern before the game, were severely outplayed by the Munich side.
- Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala moved towards the inside in a 4-2-2-2 formation, tightening up the center of midfield and allowing Bayern to control the game effectively.
- In contrast, VfB Stuttgart, coached by Sebastian Hoeneß, struggled to keep up with Bayern's pace and pressure, never coming close to their recent top level.
- Uli Hoeneß, the Bayern patron, cheered in the stands as his team secured a comfortable victory over their rivals.
- Alexander Nübel, who was loaned to VfB Stuttgart by FC Bayern, had an impressive performance in goal, making strong saves against Kane and Sané.
- The early goal by Kane, assisted by Sané, gave Bayern a significant boost and set the tone for the rest of the game.
- Bayern's performance in the final home game of the year at the Allianz Arena was reminiscent of their past successes under manager Uli Hoeneß.
- Leon Goretzka, who was also missing from the game, is expected to return to the FC Bayern Munich squad soon, further strengthening their title challenge.
- The victory over VfB Stuttgart moves FC Bayern Munich one step closer to regaining their position at the top of the Bundesliga table, with top games against Borussia Dortmund and Mainz yet to come.
Source: www.stern.de
