Bayern Munich vs. Hoffenheim: Winners and Losers from Bundesliga
Bayern Munich piled misery on Hoffenheim on Sunday, as the league leaders downed the relegation-battling side by a 2-0 margin at the Allianz Arena.
Robert Lewandowski scored the match-winner for the hosts, turning home a Douglas Costa cross on 32 minutes before completing his brace from Philipp Lahm's assist in the second half.
Following Sunday's action, B/R picked out the individuals who took gains and losses from the match. Click "Begin Slideshow" for our five picks.
Winner: Robert Lewandowski
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If Bayern are to weather the storm and see out their domestic supremacy in the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, they'll have Robert Lewandowski to thank. The Polish striker scored the all-important opener and doubled his team's advantage with a quarter of the match left to play.
The brace lifted Lewandowski's goals tally to 33 on the season in all competitions for club and country and also ensured that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did not widen his margin atop the list of Bundesliga's top scorers despite his pair of goals on Saturday.
Winner: Oliver Baumann
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For a goalkeeper, the one good thing about playing for a struggling team is that there are always plenty of chances to prove himself. It's never a boring day on the job for Oliver Baumann, but the former Freiburg man was up to the task on Sunday and made some great stops. His quick reaction to not only stop but hold a header early in the second half was outstanding.
Baumann ultimately couldn't influence the result on Saturday aside from keeping the scoreline from becoming too embarrassing for the visitors. But following his man-of-the-match performance against Leverkusen last week, the former Germany under-21 international finds himself in quite some good form.
Loser: Kevin Volland
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It took less than 10 seconds for Kevin Volland to open the scoring for Hoffenheim against Bayern in August, but on Sunday, the forward wasn't even in the starting lineup. After playing very well last season and forming a strong partnership with Roberto Firmino, the 23-year-old has struggled for form.
But his woes reached a new level in being dropped. Volland only came on as a late substitute and made very little case for a potential return to the starting lineup.
Winner: Arjen Robben
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It wasn't a good week for Bayern. With news of injuries to Jerome Boateng and Javi Martinez, morale could well have plummeted. It's in those situations that a club becomes vulnerable and needs a hero to step up. Arjen Robben was determined to be that man on Sunday.
At parity, Robben was easily the best player on the pitch. He came close with a pair of trademark, curling efforts from the edge of the box in the opening minutes, and nearly every attack came down his right flank.
Douglas Costa did have an assist on the opener and Robben had no role in either of Bayern's goals, but the player's performance was a big positive. He's often been injured this season, and in his return to the starting lineup, he showed he has plenty to offer.
Loser: Dietmar Hopp
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Hoffenheim are only in the Bundesliga because Dietmar Hopp invested a small fortune to help them rise from the eighth tier of the German game, and right now, it looks like it will take a miracle for them to avoid relegation. The village side are five points above a playoff spot and seven from the safety of 15th place.
Watching Hoffenheim play on Sunday, few looked interested in fighting for survival. This perhaps is because they'll have golden parachutes in the form of clubs that will be interested in signing them should Hoffenheim be relegated. And these clubs won't play in a tiny town with a population of 35,000.
