Bayern Munich vs. Paderborn: Winners and Losers from Bundesliga Game

Bayern Munich returned to winning ways on Tuesday night with a dominant 4-0 victory over promoted side Paderborn at the Allianz Arena. 

Pep Guardiola's side were always considered strong favourites against the league minnows, yet following two wins and two draws in their first four games of the league season, there was some suggestion that an upset may well have been on the cards. 

Alas, last season's Bundesliga champions stuck true to their word and overcame the division's smallest club by quite a margin. Bayern march back towards the top of the table while Paderborn are left dealing with their first dose of reality in this year's campaign. 

Winner: Robert Lewandowski

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

It was Robert Lewandowski who was smiling from ear to ear after Tuesday night's game, following the Polish striker's second goal for his new club. 

The forward doubled his side's lead in the 14th minute when he picked up a pass with little elegance but managed to turn and volley the ball into the back of Lukas Kruse's net before it could touch the ground. 

The former Borussia Dortmund striker has had little luck since joining the Munich side in the summer and will be over the moon about getting back amongst the goals against Paderborn. 

Loser: Paderborn's Undefeated Run

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Andre Breitenreiter's team may have fought hard and could have even been due a goal or two over the course of the game, yet ultimately they left the Allianz Arena with no points. 

The small village side looked excellent in all but the opening 15 minutes of the game and will take confidence from the performance they put up against the German champions. 

Paderborn now welcome Lucien Favre's Gladbach side on Saturday in the hope of getting back to winning ways but will undoubtedly be happy just to have already obtained eight points so early on in the season. 

Winner: Guardiola's Tactics

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Many Bayern fans will have taken solace from Tuesday's game in the manner in which their side looked like their old self, albeit in front of a very limited opponent. 

What seemed to make such a big difference was Guardiola's decision to change his tactics back to a standard 4-2-3-1 formation. 

In this tried-and-tested system, the likes of Lewandowski, Mario Gotze and Thomas Muller knew exactly where to play and didn't look half as confused as they had done whenever Guardiola opted for a 3-4-3 or 4-3-3 tactic.

Bayern played one of their best games of the season against Paderborn, and the decision to revert back to an older formation certainly played a large part in that. 

Loser: More Post-World Cup Injuries

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Although nothing has been confirmed by Guardiola or the club as of yet, both Xabi Alonso and Jerome Boateng were taken off in the game against Paderborn after picking up slight injuries. 

The German central defender has been key to Bayern's success this season—especially following Javi Martinez's injury—and would be a huge loss if deemed injured, following a substitution at half-time. 

Alonso wouldn't be such a big miss, with others such as Sebastian Rode and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg waiting to take his place, but it would pose yet another addition to the growing injury list in Guardiola's squad. 

Winner: Mario Gotze

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

As fans are quickly beginning to expect this season, Gotze once again was star of the show for Bayern with two goals and numerous chances for his side. 

Playing on the left of Bayern's attack, Gotze constantly peppered the Paderborn defence with cutting passes and darting runs whilst linking up with Lewandowski and left-back David Alaba. 

The attacking midfielder has been in excellent form this season, now scoring three goals and creating an assist in his last four games for Bayern in the Bundesliga and Champions League (via Whoscored.com). 

Considering his promise and the amount of money spent on acquiring his services, fans of the Bavarian club will be pleased to see the German World Cup winner finally beginning to realise his potential.