Bayern bench €50m signings and still score six
Reuters - Sunday 02 September 2012, 20:22
Bayern Munich left more than €50 million worth of new signings on the bench
but still managed to destroy shoddy VfB Stuttgart 6-1 in an
embarrassingly one-sided Bundesliga contest on Sunday.
Martin Harnik gave Stuttgart the lead, but Bayern replied
with three goals in a 12-minute spell before half-time, and added
three more in six minutes after the break, as the visiting
defence did little more than stand and watch.
Thomas Muller scored twice with Toni Kroos, Luiz Gustavo,
Mario Mandzukic and Bastian Schweinsteiger sharing the others
for the Bavarians, who finished as runners-up in the Champions
League, Bundesliga and German Cup last season.
Vedad Ibisevic completed Stuttgart's miserable day when he
was sent off for head-butting Jerome Boateng in an ugly
incident.
Bayern, also without prolific scorer Mario Gomez and winger
Arjen Robben, have hit nine goals in winning their opening two
games and, alongside promoted Eintracht Frankfurt, are the only
side with maximum points.
Martinez, signed for a reported €40m from Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, and Swiss winger
Xherdan Shaqiri, a €12.5m signing
from FC Basel, both began on the bench.
Stuttgart, who have lost their first two games, began
brightly as Harnik struck the underside of the bar in the fourth
minute.
The Austrian striker then put Stuttgart ahead in the 25th
minute when Arthur Boka's free-kick found him at the far post
and he volleyed the ball over a shocked Manuel Neuer.
It was all downhill from there and Bayern were ahead within
eight minutes.
Muller equaliser in the 32nd minute, scoring from the
rebound after Sven Ulreich failed to hold his initial shot.
From the restart, Stuttgart lost possession outside their
own area and Gustavo laid the ball off to Kroos, who scored with
a rising shot from 25 metres.
Gustavo then added the third two minutes before the break
when he was given too much space and rifled a dipping 30-metre
shot into the bottom left-hand corner.
It got worse after the break. A minute into the second half,
Gotoku Sakai lost the ball to Franck Ribery, who found Muller.
The midfielder's shot was partially stopped by Ulreich, landing
perfectly for Mandzukic, who hit home into an empty goal.
Two minutes later, Stuttgart were caught on the break and
Muller walked the ball in after Ulreich could only deflect
Mandzukic's attempted chip into his path.
Another two minutes after that, Muller chipped in a cross
from the right and Schweinsteiger, completed unmarked, headed in
at the near post.
Spain midfielder Martinez came on for his debut in the 77th
minute, but Bayern had eased off by then.
In another lop-sided contest, Hannover inflicted a 4-0 home
defeat on hapless VfL Wolfsburg with new signing Szabolcs Huszti
having a hand in all four goals.
"From the moment they scored we played an outstanding game,"
said Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes.
"You can see that the players have fun playing football. But
above all, this team is in harmony with itself. I am pleased
with the 6-1 win, but more how the team performs in their
day-to-day work."
Stuttgart coach Bruno Labbadia said his side paid the price
for making too many errors: "We simply made too many simple
mistakes and Bayern have the quality to make the most of these
goal chances.
"This was a bitter defeat for us."
Hannover's stroll began after 10 minutes when Huszti provided
the cross for Tunisia defender Karim Haggui, given too much
space at the near post, to head the visitors in front.
The Hungarian, signed from Zenit St Petersburg, laid off the
second for Artur Sobiech in the 26th minute and floated over the
free-kick for Dane Leon Andreasen to head in the third seven
minutes after half-time.
Four minutes later his precise pass allowed Sobiech to
complete the scoring.
Wolfsburg then had half-time substitute Robin Knoche sent off
for a second bookable offence in the 65th minute.