FC Bayern secured the autumn championship early thanks to a 5-0 win at VfB Stuttgart. Gnabry was man of the evening with a treble and two assists.
VfB coach Pellegrino Matarazzo made one forced change after the 2-0 away win in Wolfsburg: Kempf started instead of Massimo (ankle capsule injury) and moved into the defensive back three. Ito moved to the left side, Coulibaly to the right.
Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann, meanwhile, rotated as expected compared to the 2:1 against Mainz. Instead of Upamecano, Sané (both on the bench) and the injured Tolisso (muscular problems), Süle, Roca and Stuttgart-born Gnabry started. For Goretzka (patella tendon problems) it was not yet enough for the squad again. Musiala played despite a fractured metacarpal.
Coman has to go out – Gnabry worth seeing
The Munich team took control of the game from the start. Gnabry, in particular, had his first half-dangerous shot in the 10th minute. In the middle of the first half, VfB keeper Müller was lucky to stop the international player who had been released (20th).
Stuttgart tried to break down the Munich defence with long balls and direct play, which only worked now and then in the course of the first half. This was also the case in the 25th minute, when Marmoush, who had a free shot, missed quite clearly. Shortly afterwards, Nagelsmann had to change because Coman had to leave with muscular problems in his thigh (27th).
Sané came into the game and immediately brought fresh wind into the Bayern offensive. Sané also initiated the Munich lead in the 40th minute. In the end, it was Gnabry who scored with an impressive flick past Müller, who had no chance, to give the FCB the lead at the break.
Gnabry show in Stuttgart
Stuttgart came out of the dressing room with a lot of verve and suddenly pressed Bayern into their own half. Endo and Förster, however, missed two good shooting opportunities (47th, 48th). The Munich players were more effective and added to their tally a little later in the person of Gnabry. Mavropanos made a mistake in midfield and via Musiala and Müller the ball came back to the scorer for 1:0, who scored his second goal of the evening after a small deflection in the penalty area (53).
VfB did not hide even after the 0:2, but the Swabians were a little too imprecise with a few half chances. Within six minutes, the Munich team made it even clearer: first, Lewandowski, who had been well served by Gnabry, scored with a lob (69th), and a little later – again after Gnabry’s assist – from close range (72nd). The Polish top scorer scored 41 and 42 goals in the 2021 calendar year, a feat previously only achieved by Gerd Müller in 1972 – a Bundesliga record.
The man of the match then scored the final goal himself: After initiating the scene himself, Stuttgart’s keeper Müller could only deflect a cross from Thomas Müller to the feet of Gnabry, who dusted down effortlessly – and was thus involved in all five Bayern goals in his native city (three goals, two assists).
Stuttgart take on 1. FC Köln on Sunday at 5.30pm in their last competitive match of 2021, while Bayern already host VfL Wolfsburg on Friday evening (8.30pm).
