Bayern Munich picked up their first victory of 2015 by cruising to a 2-0 triumph over Stuttgart at the Mercedes Benz Arena.
Predictably, it was the Bundesliga leaders who dominated possession in the early stages, but Stuttgart defended impressively for much of the first half to frustrate Pep Guardiola's side.
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Chances were few and far between in the opening 45 minutes, but it could have been a very different outcome had Gotoku Sakai not curled just wide after leading a break for Stuttgart.
However, the deadlock was broken just before the break when Mitchell Weiser found Arjen Robben in the box, and the Dutchman responded with a sweetly-struck half-volley to beat Sven Ulreich.
Stuttgart's brave challenge was killed off early in the second half as Bayern doubled their lead through David Alaba, who picked out the top corner with an unstoppable free kick from 30 yards.
The host offered very little going forward after the second goal, and Bayern controlled the game with ease for the remainder of the match.
However, the champions were unable to add gloss to the scoreline as Robert Lewandowksi fired the best of their late chances straight at Ulreich.
Callum Mulvihill
