Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng competes during a German Bundesliga match between VfB Stuttgart and Bayern Munich, in Stuttgart, Germany, on Sept. 1, 2018. Bayern Munich won 3-0. (Xinhua/Philippe Ruiz)
BERLIN, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Defending champions Bayern Munich eased 3-0 past Stuttgart to secure a perfect start into the Bundesliga season at the second round on Saturday.
The goals from Leon Goretzka, Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller were enough to move back atop the standings whereas Stuttgart slumped to the bottom after suffering their second loss in as many games.
The "Bavarians" assumed control from the kick off and pressed Stuttgart into the defense. The hosts staged a well-positioned defense but Bayern's efforts paid off before the break as Leon Goretzka curled the ball into the top right corner following Thomas Mueller's assist in the 37th minute.
After the interval, Bayern continued to dictate the pace on the pitch as David Alaba rattled the inside of the post before Stuttgart goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler denied Mats Hummels' header on target at the hour mark.
The visitors patiently dominated possession before Robert Lewandowski doubled the lead after slotting home Goretzka's assist from the edge of the box in the 62nd minute.
Nico Kovac's men continued on the front foot and rounded off their performance in the closing period when Thomas Mueller capitalized on Lewandowski's back heel pass to triple the lead in the 76th minute.
With the win, Bayern moved atop the standings whereas Stuttgart wait for their first points of the season.
"I am very pleased with our start into the season. The team played very well today. We worked out good chances and controlled the ball. I would like to congratulate my team," Bayern Munich head coach Niko Kovac said.
"We staged a compact performance in the first half but we were not aggressive enough to respond with fast breaks. The second half was difficult for us as it is always tough to play against Bayern when they lead the game," Stuttgart's head coach Tayfun Korkut said.
The following fixtures conclude the second round in Bundesliga on Sunday. Leipzig host newly promoted Fortuna Dusseldorf and Schalke encounter Hertha Berlin.
