FC Bayern seized control of the 1. Bundeglisa today, securing a 6-1 victory over VfB Stuttgart with 3 straight goals in the first half and piling on the misery with 3 more in the second. Thomas Müller had 2 goals and an assist to earn MOTM honors, but pretty much the whole side played well, with Gustavo and Mandzukic also steamrolling Stuttgart defenders every time they got the opportunity.
Bayern was controlling a majority of possession in the early going, but Stuttgart took the lead with a goal from a set piece (one of Bayern's big problems defensively). Martin Harnik might have been an inch or two offside and certainly had to make a great strike, but it's still discouraging to see the opponent's best player left unmarked in a dangerous position.
Bayern responded admirably, though, with a pair of goals back-to-back demonstrating Stuttgart's own defensive problems. Müller led it off with a sharp shot that was saved, but he was right there to slot home the rebound. Kroos followed it up with his patented high blast a few minutes later, and Goose put the point in the bag with a wicked long strike of his own just before the break.
In the second half, it only took a few more minutes to turn it into a laugh (although, to be honest, part of it was that VfB was trying to push guys forward to get a goal and get back in the game. If they had been happy to lose 3-1 and sat back in a defensive shell, it wouldn't have had the same scoreline). Another goal from Müller, a rebound from Mandzu (after Müller nearly had a hat trick), and a goal from Bastian finished it off.
Pizarro, Shaqiri and new-boy Javi Martinez came on later, all getting good applause from the Allianz Arena crowd. No one had much to do over the last 20 minutes of the match, but even then we seemed to be passing incisively and communicating well.
Some video. Here's all 7 goals, followed by a look at the Bundesliga standings:
Back with more later. I've got family in town, but should be back tonight or tomorrow with a recap of the week's action and some other odds and ends. Thanks for reading.