Match Analysis: Newcastle & Stuttgart Unbeaten Streaks End

WhoScored’s regular look at those significant streaks that have ended in the previous weekend’s action takes place in the Bundesliga and the Premier League this time round. In England, Newcastle’s winning streak came crashing to an end at Wigan, while Stuttgart’s unbeaten run was halted by Bayern at the Allianz Arena.

Moses Downs the Magpies - Match Report

Newcastle arrived at the DW Stadium on Saturday afternoon as the Premier League’s in-form team. Alan Pardew’s side had won all of their last six games, as they pushed for a Champions League place, but, with their top-flight survival on the line, Wigan had already beaten the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal over their previous three matches. With so much at stake for both sides, it was the Latics who prevailed – a 4-0 hammering boosted their chances of beating the drop and ended Newcastle’s winning run in emphatic fashion.

Wigan controlled the play, with 57% possession. Roberto Martinez’s side used the left flank most of the time – 45% of their attacks came from this side of the pitch. As the Player Position map shows, Jean Beausejour  (22) – fielded at left wing-back – pushed high up the pitch when in possession, allowing Shaun Maloney (10) the chance to move into a more central position from his starting role in left midfield. This meant that James McArthur (16), on the left of the Latics’ central midfield, sat deep and dictated the play – he made 87 passes and, although he failed to create a single goalscoring opportunity, he averaged an eye-catching 97% pass accuracy. Wigan’s wing-backs produced the most goalscoring opportunities – Beausejour and Emmerson Boyce made 2 key passes apiece, with the latter providing an assist.

Yohan Cabaye made the most passes for the visitors. The Frenchman produced a total of 51 and provided 2 key passes, though Hatem Ben Arfa was the game’s most creative player, making 3 key passes and also tormenting the Wigan backline with 3 successful dribbles from his role on the Newcastle right.

Newcastle just edged it for tackles, by 16 to 15. Jonas Gutierrez and Cabaye were kept particularly busy in the midfield three – the former made 5 tackles and 3 interceptions, while Cabaye made 4 tackles and 6 interceptions in a strong all-round display. For Wigan, Maynor Figueroa was the stand-out defensive performer. The centre-half made 5 tackles, 3 interceptions and 5 clearances at the back, although lone striker Franco Di Santo also impressed – 2 tackles and 4 interceptions is indicative of his high work-ethic up front.

Both sides managed a modest shot tally of 10 and 11 respectively but Wigan were far more accurate in their shooting. The home side had 6 efforts on target, in comparison to their visitors’ 2. Victor Moses was the chief goal threat for the hosts – the winger managed a total 5 shots, and scored twice from his 4 on target. Di Santo also chipped in, grabbing a goal from a total of 3 efforts – with an assist also to his name, his overall performance brought the Argentine the WhoScored man of the match award, with a rating of 9.15.

Newcastle only have themselves to blame – Papiss Demba Cisse came into the match with 9 goals in his last six games but, despite having 5 shots, he failed to find the net. The January signing from SC Freiburg had 2 on target and also hit the woodwork twice in a day to forget for Pardew’s men.

Olic the Key as Bayern See Off Stuttgart - Match Report

Stuttgart arrived at the Allianz Arena on the back of a ten-match unbeaten run but, with their hosts buoyed by their progression to the Champions League Final after prevailing at the Bernabeu in midweek, it was always going to be a tall order. Bayern picked up the three points with a 2-0 victory, though a look at the statistics indicates the win was anything but straightforward.

The visitors just edged possession, with 52% of the play but, given that Bayern tend to boss home games with an average 63.8% possession, Stuttgart’s ability to keep the ball surpassed all expectations. Perhaps this was down to rest and rotation, though – Jupp Heynckes rested Philipp Lahm and Franck Ribery, while Arjen Robben and Bastian Schweinsteiger were handed appearances from the bench.

While both sides fielded a 4-2-3-1, Stuttgart’s shape was more compact. As the Player Position map highlights, left winger Shinji Okazaki (31) stayed close to left-back Cristian Molinaro (3) when in possession and, on the opposite flank, the same scenario – Martin Harnik (7) protected full-back Gotoku Sakai (2). The opposite applied for Bayern – right winger Takashi Usami (14) stayed wide, while Ivica Olic (11) drifted into more central positions when on the ball. With Bayern using their left flank 41% of the time, Olic and left-back Diego Contento made a total of 10 crosses between them; Usami and right-back Rafinha provided a single cross between them in comparison.

Thomas Muller and Olic were the game’s main creators, producing 4 and 3 key passes respectively, while Schweinsteiger and David Alaba both created 2 goalscoring opportunities apiece after coming off the bench in the second half. For the away side, only playmaker Tamas Hajnal, with a total of 2, made more than a single key pass.

Both sides showed plenty of will to win, with Bayern just shading it for tackles, making 25 to Stuttgart’s 24. With so much of Bayern’s play coming down the left, it’s no surprise to see Stuttgart’s main defensive performers stationed on their right flank. Sakai made 5 tackles, an interception, 5 clearances and blocked a couple of shots, while Harnick’s work-rate produced 4 tackles and an interception.

Olic impressed for Bayern again here – 5 tackles and a couple of interceptions were indicative of his graft. The home side’s centre-back pairing of Anatoliy Tymoshchuk and Holger Badstuber also stood out. Tymoshchuk made 2 tackles and 5 interceptions to halt the away side’s attacks, while Badstuber’s 4 tackles, 4 interceptions and 3 successful aerial duels were crucial to his side’s clean sheet.

Although Bayern had the most goal attempts, by 15 shots to the visitors’ 10, a look at the Shot Zones shows Heynckes’ side had 47% of their efforts from outside the penalty box. As a result, they managed 7 on target, compared to Stuttgart’s 5. The away side let themselves down in front of goal; as many as 90% of their shots were inside the Bayern box but not a single one found the net.

Thomas Muller and Mario Gomez were the men on target for the victors. Muller scored one and had both his shots on target, while Gomez found the net with his only effort on target from a total of 3 shots. Olic also managed 3 shots but, despite failing to grab a goal, he provided an assist and picked up the WhoScored man of the match award, with a rating of 8.68.

The win was something of a hollow one for Bayern, however. Dortmund retained their title last week and went on to win 5-2 at Kaiserslautern, with Heynckes’ side’s title hopes dashed for another season. However, with Chelsea rolling up to the Allianz Arena for the Champions League Final on May 19, the season still has every chance of finishing on a high.