Hertha Berlin vs. Bayern Munich: Winners and Losers from Bundesliga
Bayern Munich kept on course for winning a record fourth consecutive Bundesliga title on Saturday as they beat Hertha BSC by a 2-0 margin at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
The hosts put up stiff resistance and did well to hold their opponents scoreless for the duration of the first half, but their efforts were undone after the break. Arturo Vidal put Bayern in front on 48 minutes, and Douglas Costa fired home a wonder goal in the 79th minute to put the result beyond any question.
Hertha had no response, and Bayern claimed a comfortable win to maintain their seven-point lead over Borussia Dortmund atop the Bundesliga table.
Following Saturday's action, B/R takes a closer look at the players who fared better and worse over the course of the game. Click "Begin Slideshow" to see our picks for today's winners and losers.
Winner: Arturo Vidal
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Arturo Vidal's opener may have been a bit fortunate (it did take a nasty deflection on its way into the net), but players often earn their luck, and the Chilean certainly fell into that category on Saturday.
Bayern weren't exactly at their best in attack and needed someone to give them an edge. Vidal stepped up to deliver his seventh goal of the season in all competitions. It came a week after his match-winning performance against Schalke and is just the latest bit of evidence that Vidal is Bayern's most improved player of 2016.
Winner: Douglas Costa
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Douglas Costa hasn't been the heartbeat of the Bayern team in 2016 that he was last September and October, but he seems to have developed a new tool in his arsenal, perhaps one he learned from Arjen Robben.
Robben has long been known for his trademark move, cutting inside from the right and shooting a curling shot inside the far post. Costa has done something similar several times , although his shots typically take more of a direct trajectory with even more power. The Brazilian scored from such an effort on Saturday, making it 2-0 to Bayern.
In the fall, Costa filled in brilliantly for Ribery as an assist machine. But by now, it seems clear he can also play a role similar to Robben in terms of his dribbling and shooting from distance.
Loser: Serdar Tasci
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The odds were always against Serdar Tasci, playing in just his second game since November. He's been fit but has been well aware of his status as a substitute and knowing that every appearance could be his last for Bayern if he makes a wrong step. And in order to make a real appeal for more playing time, he essentially needs to have a statement performance. That's hard to do from a central defensive position.
Still, Tasci didn't have a very good game against Hertha and was a bit fortunate not to be penalized for two instances of handball in the first half. He needs playing time, but that may not be forthcoming in such a high-pressure environment.
Loser: Valentin Stocker
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Valentin Stocker was excellent during his Basel days, but he has left a fair bit to be desired since joining Hertha in the summer of 2014. The 27-year-old struggled in his first season. And during the current campaign, he's been held scoreless and hasn't yet given an assist. The Bayern game offered an extra bit of motivation, but instead of stepping up his performance, Stocker was very poor.
The Switzerland international put in considerable effort and covered a lot of ground but offered no sharpness in attack. There were a couple chances when he could have given Bayern some trouble but fell short. He was withdrawn shortly after the hour mark, with Salomon Kalou serving as his replacement.
