Match ends, VfB Stuttgart 1, FC Bayern München 3.
StuttgartVfB Stuttgart1Bayern MunichBayern Munich3
Bayern Munich edged closer to a fourth successive Bundesliga title as they restored their eight-point lead with victory at Stuttgart.
Georg Niedermeier's own goal gave Pep Guardiola's side a half-time lead, which David Alaba doubled.
Daniel Didavi fired into the top corner for Stuttgart, but Douglas Costa's long-range shot sealed Bayern's win.
Borussia Dortmund, in second, can cut the gap to five points with a win at Schalke on Sunday.
Bayern need a maximum of 11 points from their final five league matches to secure the title for Guardiola before he leaves to join Manchester City at the end of the season.
The Bayern boss rotated his squad with Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg trip to Benfica in mind, beginning with Thomas Muller, Philipp Lahm, Costa and Thiago on the bench.
But he brought on Muller after just 27 minutes, concerned that Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal was in danger of getting sent off after making two reckless challenges and collecting an early booking.
Stuttgart captain Niedermeier scored at the wrong end as he stretched to prevent Franck Ribery's cross reaching Robert Lewandowski.
Austria international Alaba added another early in the second half, showing neat footwork before beating goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton at the near post.
Didavi, Stuttgart's leading scorer, improvised superbly to pull a goal back with just under half-an-hour left as he hooked the ball past Manuel Neuer while on the ground for his 11th of the season, but Costa's 25-yard drive ended hopes of a comeback.
Augsburg moved out of the bottom three as they came from a goal behind to win 2-1 at Werder Bremen, who dropped into the relegation play-off place.
Alfred Finnbogason and Hong Jeong-ho scored for the visitors after Florian Grillitsch's first goal of the season had put Bremen in front just before half-time.
Hoffenheim are three points above Bremen after a third victory in four games as they won 2-0 at next-to-bottom at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Darmstadt improved their survival chances with a 2-1 win at Hamburg, while Ingolstadt are eighth thanks to a 1-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach.
Line-ups
Stuttgart
Formation 5-4-1
- 22Tyton
- 16Klein
- 4Sunjic
- 3Schwaab
- 6Niedermeier
- 2Insúa
- 19Werner
- 8RuppSubstituted forTashchyat 75'minutes
- 10DidaviBooked at 45mins
- 18Kostic
- 23Kravets
Substitutes
- 1Langerak
- 5Baumgartl
- 14Heise
- 24Barba
- 34Tashchy
- 39Kliment
Bayern Munich
Formation 3-4-3
- 1Neuer
- 32KimmichSubstituted forDouglas Costaat 75'minutes
- 8Martínez Aguinaga
- 27AlabaBooked at 60mins
- 14AlonsoBooked at 37mins
- 13Ferreira de Souza
- 18Bernat
- 23VidalBooked at 22minsSubstituted forMüllerat 27'minutes
- 19GötzeSubstituted forThiago Alcántaraat 69'minutes
- 9Lewandowski
- 7Ribéry
Substitutes
- 4Tasci
- 6Thiago Alcántara
- 11Douglas Costa
- 20Rode
- 21Lahm
- 25Müller
- 26Ulreich
- Referee:
- Bastian Dankert
- Attendance:
- 60,000
Match Stats
Home TeamStuttgartAway TeamBayern Munich
- Possession
- Home21%
- Away79%
- Shots
- Home9
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away6
- Corners
- Home7
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home8
- Away15
Live Text
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Full Time
Second Half ends, VfB Stuttgart 1, FC Bayern München 3.
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Foul by Douglas Costa (FC Bayern München).
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Filip Kostic (VfB Stuttgart) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Goal!
Goal! VfB Stuttgart 1, FC Bayern München 3. Douglas Costa (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Robert Lewandowski.
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Corner, FC Bayern München. Conceded by Toni Sunjic.
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Attempt blocked. Thomas Müller (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Xabi Alonso.
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Rafinha (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Boris Tashchy (VfB Stuttgart).
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Offside, VfB Stuttgart. Artem Kravets tries a through ball, but Georg Niedermeier is caught offside.
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Attempt blocked. Artem Kravets (VfB Stuttgart) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Daniel Schwaab.
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Corner, VfB Stuttgart. Conceded by Javi Martínez.
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Foul by Douglas Costa (FC Bayern München).
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Georg Niedermeier (VfB Stuttgart) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Offside, FC Bayern München. Franck Ribéry tries a through ball, but Robert Lewandowski is caught offside.
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Attempt saved. Thiago Alcántara (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Franck Ribéry.
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Franck Ribéry (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Florian Klein (VfB Stuttgart).
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Franck Ribéry (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Daniel Schwaab (VfB Stuttgart).
