Werder Bremen vs. Bayern Munich: Winners and Losers from Bundesliga Game
Bayern Munich restored their seven-point lead in the Bundesliga on Saturday as they earned a 1-0 win over Werder Bremen at the Weserstadion.
Thomas Muller's goal in the first half was enough to see the hosts off, as Bayern withstood a late offensive from Viktor Skrypnyk's men to win their ninth consecutive Bundesliga match to start the season.
B/R takes a look at the winners and losers from Saturday's action. Click "Begin Slideshow" for our picks.
Loser: Robert Lewandowski’s Scoring Record
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For Bayern and Poland, Robert Lewandowski had scored 15 goals in his previous six games heading into Saturday’s match. It was an otherworldly rate of 2.5 goals per match. And he was consistently the man to deliver for club and country.
Bayern had another hero in Thomas Muller on Saturday, as Lewandowski was somehow kept off the scoresheet. It’s to be expected that the Poland international will be held scoreless from time to time, but Lewandowski will be disappointed he couldn’t continue his red-hot form. He can still restore the 2.5 goals-per-game average soon, though; five more against Arsenal on Tuesday would put him back on that level.
Winner: Thomas Muller
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With Lewandowski getting all the headlines in recent weeks, Thomas Muller dropped out of the limelight after his sensational start to the Bundesliga campaign. But following his brace against Dortmund before the international break, he made it three goals in two games on Saturday as he put Bayern ahead in the first half.
Critically, Muller scored Bayern's only goal of the match against Bremen. Even against Dortmund, his brace wasn't needed to secure three points—the Bavarians winning 5-1 with many thanks also to Lewandowski for his pair of goals. But the goal that made the difference on Saturday was huge and ensured that the visitors kept their winning streak alive.
Loser: Alejandro Galvez
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Keeping a clean sheet against Bayern was always going to be an almost impossible task for Bremen, but the manner in which they conceded the opener was rather embarrassing.
Thomas Muller put Bayern ahead with the simplest of goals, making a quick cut ahead of Alejandro Galvez to receive a cross before finishing with his second touch. The Spanish defender was flat-footed as Muller ran past him and only raised his hand into the air to appeal for offside. The Bayern attacker wasn't even close to offside, and Galvez looked quite foolish.
Winner: Record-Breaking Bayern
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Bayern Munich have broken so many records in recent years it's exhausting to try to keep count. On Saturday, their latest record was that they became the first team in history to win each of their first nine Bundesliga games.
The victory against Bremen meant Bayern exceeded the eight-game winning streak to open a season they recorded just three years ago. At the end of that campaign, they won three trophies. As such, Bayern's form must seem ominous for all their challengers.
Loser: Anthony Ujah
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Saturday’s game offered Anthony Ujah a big stage upon which to prove his credentials, but the ex-Cologne striker failed to rise to the occasion. He did well to get himself into positions to score, but when it came to finishing, Utah left plenty to be desired.
Bremen had the upper hand and looked extremely dangerous in the second half, and Ujah had a perfect chance to equalize on 68 minutes after meeting a cross from Zlatko Junuzovic. His first touch was good, but the striker fired straight at Manuel Neuer.
Seven minutes later, Ujah again found himself with a great chance to equalize as Levin Oztunali’s clever pass played him in behind the Bayern defense. However, he scuffed his shot well wide of the left post. Not long thereafter, the striker even managed to break up an attacking move for his side by receiving a pass with his back to goal when it would have been much wiser to let the ball run past him.
Although Ujah fought hard to hold up the ball and deserves credit for his effort, it wasn't enough. The fact is had he finished his chances, Bremen could have won Saturday’s match. He didn’t, and the hosts were duly punished.
