Hamburg vs. Bayern Munich: Winners and Losers from Bundesliga
Bayern Munich kicked off the second half of the Bundesliga season with a 2-1 victory at Hamburg on Friday night.
Robert Lewandowski scored both goals for the visitors, firing Bayern ahead with a 37th-minute penalty before restoring the lead with an intelligent deflection just past the hour mark. In between, Hamburg pulled level on a Xabi Alonso own goal following an Aaron Hunt free-kick.
With the win, Bayern extended their lead atop the table to 11 points over Borussia Dortmund, who play at Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Robert Lewandowski
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Another game, another solid performance by Lewandowski. The Poland international bagged two more goals and pulled within one goal of Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the race to be the division's top scorer.
This wasn't Lewandowski's most impressive match, but that might have more to do with his own high standards than anything else. The first goal, a penalty, was well-struck and excellently placed. His second, an instinctive deflection, showcased his predatory qualities.
According to Bayern Munich's official Twitter account, the latter was his 50th competitive goal for the club. That's no surprise from a superb striker who's been in brilliant form for Bayern this season.
Loser: Rene Adler
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This might be a bit harsh. Bayern Munich took 19 shots, after all, and Rene Adler was only beaten by a penalty and a deflection.
But the Hamburg goalkeeper lands in the loser pile because of his rash challenge to concede the penalty in the first half. As Thomas Muller broke free behind the hosts' back line, Adler rushed to the edge of his box and made clear contact with the Bayern attacker.
Some might argue that the penalty was soft since Muller was still able to shoot, but Adler let his team down with the ill-advised tackle.
Winner: Aaron Hunt's Free-Kick Delivery
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Hamburg pulled level early in the second half after a Hunt free-kick flew into the back of the net in the 53rd minute.
The goal came at a good time for the hosts, with Bayern Munich dominating the opening stages of the second half and threatening to score a second goal. Hunt deserves individual praise for the quality of his delivery, a curling cross that bounced in the box and sneaked inside the post past Manuel Neuer.
Bayern's Alonso might have taken the final touch, and Hamburg's Pierre-Michel Lasogga was lurking in the area, but the initial danger came from Hunt's free-kick.
Loser: Xabi Alonso
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On the flip side of Hamburg's equalizer was Alonso. The Spanish midfielder was charged with the own goal after applying the final touch and was also guilty of a giveaway that led to the free-kick itself.
Late in the match, Alonso also gave away another set piece just outside Bayern's box. Hamburg weren't able to equalize on the latter occasion, but Alonso's foul gave the hosts a great chance to do so.
In fairness, Alonso contributes in many ways, especially his vast array of passes. But these incidents were far from his best moments for Bayern.
Winners: Kingsley Coman and Douglas Costa
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Kingsley Coman and Douglas Costa terrorized Hamburg's flanks throughout the match, dribbling at defenders, firing in crosses and even taking the occasional shot.
Per WhoScored.com, Costa completed five dribbles, and Coman complete four. Coman attempted seven crosses, and the two players combined for five "key" passes in the attacking third.
Lewandowski scored the goals, but Bayern's wide players might have been the most impressive attackers.
Loser: An Injury Concern for Bayern
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Bayern suffered a potentially damaging blow in the second half as Jerome Boateng left the match with an apparent adductor injury. Boateng is a massive presence in Bayern's defense, and a layoff of any length could prove costly.
"Bayern's defensive rock off injured," tweeted CNN and BBC Sport contributor Mark Lovell. "Potentially very bad news with Juventus in mind."
"No other defender can help the attack the way Boateng does while running back to stop counters. Even Javi [Martinez] cannot do as much," added Bayern Central.
The first leg of Bayern's UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie against Juventus is still a month away, so it's not yet time to panic. But if the injury is serious, Pep Guardiola could have an unwanted problem in central defense.
