Bayern Munich vs. Stuttgart: Winners and Losers from Bundesliga
Bayern Munich bounced back from the draw against Eintracht Frankfurt last time out in the league to earn a convincing 4-0 win against Stuttgart on Saturday, extending their lead in the Bundesliga table to eight points.
Douglas Costa assisted Arjen Robben's opener before scoring himself on 18 minutes. Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller were also on target before half-time to round off a comfortable victory for Pep Guardiola's side.
Following Saturday's match, B/R takes a look at the key narratives from the action, selecting the winners and losers. Click "Begin Slideshow" for our picks.
Winner: Douglas Costa
1 of 5
It took just 18 minutes for Douglas Costa to win the game for Bayern, who these days seem to be more in a competition with themselves to find how fast they can see off their opponents than in an actual contest against another club.
First, the Brazilian ran the length of the pitch to cross for Arjen Robben's tap-in of an opener in the 11th minute. Costa doubled Bayern's advantage when he reached a pulled-back cross, smashing the ball into the net on the volley. Game over.
The 25-year-old increased his tally to two goals and 12 assists in the Bundesliga this season on Saturday. When considering candidates for the transfer of the season across Europe, it's hard to look past Costa.
Loser: Stuttgart's Defense
2 of 5
Heading into Saturday's match, Stuttgart had conceded 23 goals, a record only bottom-of-the-table Augsburg could equal. Not much was expected of the Swabians' defense, which would have needed a miracle to keep a clean sheet against Bayern's ruthless, rampant, superlative attack.
Yet the way in which Alexander Zorniger's side seemed to immediately roll over was somehow quite shocking. Within 18 minutes, it was 2-0 to Bayern, the second coming even after Thomas Muller, for all intents and purposes, missed his intended targets in the box with his cross. Despite the misplaced pass, Costa was found all alone at the edge of the box to score, and that's how the result was put beyond doubt.
Shocking from the visitors, who will feel fortunate to have only conceded two more before the final whistle. If they defend like this every week, they won't stand a chance in the relegation fight.
Winner: Thomas Muller
3 of 5
Costa may have played a greater role in deciding the game, but Thomas Muller was outstanding and actually played a hand in more goals than the Brazilian.
Although he was not directly involved in the opener, the Bavarian set up Costa and Robert Lewandowski for Bayern's second and third goals respectively before finding the net himself for the fourth.
Two assists and a goal against Stuttgart raised Muller's tally to 17 goals and four assists in all competitions for Bayern this season. At this rate, he'll shatter his personal best strike tally long before season's end.
Loser: Football in the South of Germany
4 of 5
There is a popular song among Bayern fans that begins with the lyrics: "FC Bayern, star of the south." It's always meant Bayern have been the best team in southern Germany, the brightest star.
Following the promotion of Ingolstadt and relegation of Nurnberg, Freiburg and Greuther Furth, the list of Bundesliga teams from the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg has diminished to five. Among those five, three—Stuttgart, Hoffenheim and Augsburg—occupy the relegation-zone spots. And although they started the season well, Ingolstadt, as a promoted side, can't consider themselves secure until they are indeed mathematically safe from relegation.
In any case, it's very much possible that three southern teams will go down this season. And maybe one day in the not-too-distant future, Bayern will be the only star of the south.
Winner: Holger Badstuber
5 of 5
Holger Badstuber completed his first 31 minutes of the season on Saturday, returning from a muscular injury that had kept him out since April.
The center-back came off the bench to replace Thomas Muller, and according to the official Bundesliga website, he won all three of his 50-50 duels during his time on the pitch. He only covered a little over three kilometers on the day, but every step must have been precious.
Whether or not he ever reaches his previous heights, he will always be a role model for his resilience in coming back again and again from injuries that would have made many give up.
