VfB Stuttgart vs. Bayern Munich: Winners and Losers from Bundesliga
Bayern Munich earned a 3-1 win over VfB Stuttgart on Saturday, opening an eight-point lead atop the Bundesliga table ahead of Sunday's Ruhr derby between Schalke and second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
A Georg Niedermeier own goal put the visitors ahead after half an hour, and David Alaba's strike on 52 minutes ended any chances of Stuttgart taking a point.
Daniel Didavi reduced the deficit in the 63rd minute and helped spur on the Swabians as they sought an equalizer. They were unable to draw level, however, and a brilliant, long-range strike from Douglas Costa in the closing moments capped off a good win for Bayern.
Following Saturday's action, Bleacher Report takes a look at the players who fared best and worst on the day, selecting winners and losers. Click "Begin Slideshow" for our picks.
Loser: Arturo Vidal
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Arturo Vidal has been one of Bayern’s best players this spring, and his influence—particularly in big games—has been decisive. However, he showed one of his less favorable characteristics on Saturday, and manager Pep Guardiola substituted him less than a half-hour into the game.
The Chilean was as aggressive as usual but seemed to lose his head. After being shown a yellow card and narrowly avoiding a second, Guardiola decided to take him off for Thomas Muller.
Loser: Georg Niedermeier
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Ex-Bayern man Georg Niedermeier was surely hoping for a better performance against his former employer, but a poor mistake from the center back cost his side the opener and put the hosts on the back foot.
He did well to reach Franck Ribery’s low cross ahead of Robert Lewandowski but put the ball into his own net when he wasn’t at full stretch. That marked Stuttgart’s sixth own goal of the season, more than any team has ever conceded in a Bundesliga campaign, according to Opta.
Winner: Franck Ribery
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Franck Ribery turned 33 years of age on Thursday, but even in the twilight of his career, the Frenchman remains relevant. His resurgence since returning from injury recently has been fantastic, and his performance on Saturday was vintage. From an early stage in the game, Ribery was the heartbeat of the Bayern attack.
The veteran nearly opened the scoring in the opening minutes but eventually made a breakthrough as he forced Niedermeier’s own goal. Ribery showed he still has good acceleration and can reliably create a yard of space to pick out a teammate. It’s a skill that could be huge for Bayern in the weeks to come.
Winner: Daniel Didavi
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Daniel Didavi has carried Stuttgart from the depths of the relegation zone, and on Saturday, it was easy to see why he’s been so important for the Swabians.
The attacker was his side’s most dangerous threat going forward, and his goal to put the hosts back into contention for a point showed the kind of ingenuity that would make Thomas Muller proud. Stuttgart will sorely miss Didavi when he leaves for Wolfsburg this summer.
Winner: David Alaba
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Despite lining up formally in central defense, David Alaba found a way to influence Saturday’s game from the front. The Austrian occasionally drifted into the penalty box, and for his goal, he did brilliantly to control the ball with his first touch and set himself up to score with his second.
At the back, Alaba consistently tracked down the ball ahead of his opponents, with a spectacular interception on 66 minutes probably saving his side a goal. He truly is one of the most versatile footballers in today's game.
