Bayern Munich Eradicate Volkswagen Arena Demons in Wolfsburg Drubbing

Bayern Munich stormed past Wolfsburg in their DFB-Pokal second-round clash on Tuesday, qualifying for the round of 16 with a 3-1 win at the Volkswagen Arena.

Following last month's 5-1 win in Munich, it was the second time in recent weeks that the Bavarian giants had got the better of Dieter Hecking's men, with both results coming rather comfortably.

On Tuesday, Douglas Costa's opener followed by a brace from Thomas Muller put the result to rest well before half-time, with the hosts only able to get a consolation goal in the closing moments.

As easy as the going has been for Bayern in their recent clashes with Wolfsburg, one statistic that may be surprising is that, prior to Tuesday's match, the Bavarian giants had lost consecutive matches at the Volkswagen Arena. 

In August, Dieter Hecking’s men edged the Bundesliga champions in penalties in the DFL-Superpokal. And in January, Kevin De Bruyne inspired Wolfsburg to a 4-1 hammering of Pep Guardiola’s side.

Hecking and his team, therefore, had every reason to take some confidence into Tuesday's match, a single-elimination fixture against a side that has, in recent years, proved rather inconsistent in knockout competitions—especially against teams who have looked up to the challenge of taking them on and pushing for a result.

Yet on Tuesday, it seemed all too easy for the visitors. A revolving door of wide players, from Costa to Kingsley Coman, to David Alaba and later, Arjen Robben, seemed to dance past the Wolfsburg defense and up the wing to cross into the penalty box.

Both of Muller's goals came from crosses from the left, and the simple, but deadly, tactic saw Guardiola's side to victory. It wasn't anything incredibly innovative, but it was beautiful and brutally effective football.

Prior to Tuesday's result, the Volkswagen Arena was the source of some very bad memories for Bayern.

Their hammering in January came after a complete tactical breakdown. On more than one occasion, the offside trap, played in the attacking half, rendered itself useless.

De Bruyne ran rampant, finding his way between the lines and attacking the acres of space Bayern left at the back. The Belgian ended the game with a brace and an assist, while Bas Dost also scored twice.

It was a humbling result for the Bavarians, who went on to win the Bundesliga but left something to be desired in other competitions.

In August, Bayern looked to have wrapped up the Superpokal through Robben's 49th-minute goal. However, in the 89th minute, De Bruyne sprinted to a ball behind the Bavarians' back line and in the corner, before crossing to Nicklas Bendtner for the equalizer. The Wolves would go on to win the match in a penalty shoot-out.

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Here's Muller second goal and Bayern's third. Lovely volley! https://t.co/bZW1PxhnsL

— AccaTracker App (@AccaTrackerTM) October 27, 2015"

After Tuesday's performance, it looked as though Bayern had never lost in their recent visits to Wolfsburg. It was business as usual for the German record champions, who, for the umpteenth time this season, looked utterly dominant. Hecking and Co. never stood a chance.

A year ago, Bayern may have been affected by nerves. They actually struggled in elimination matches, failing to win away fixtures in the Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk, Porto and Barcelona, and against Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund in the Pokal.

This season, however, Bayern are playing differently.

Rather than being affected by the occasion and not playing to their potential, the German champions showed on Tuesday that they are now more mature and ready to take on big challenges even away from home.

They managed to eradicate the demons of their recent trips to Lower Saxony. That they managed to do so speaks well of Bayern's progress as a club, and it bodes well for their aspirations in the Champions League.

@Mr_Bundesliga