Hertha Berlin vs. Bayern Munich: Score, Reaction from 2016 Bundesliga Game

Bayern Munich moved within touching distance of a fourth consecutive Bundesliga title on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Hertha Berlin at the Olympic Stadium.

The hosts were resilient in their approach throughout the first period, but Arturo Vidal’s deflected strike two minutes after the half-time break made the difference. 

Douglas Costa sealed all three points with a long-range piledriver on 79 minutes, crashing in a powerful strike from the right flank.

Bayern entered the match with an opportunity to win the league title dependent on results elsewhere. Three points against Hertha, combined with a Dortmund defeat at Stuttgart would advance the Bavarians into an unassailable position with three matches remaining in the league.

With that in mind, there was a carnival atmosphere at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, with Bayern fans setting the scene with flares in the away end, as captured by attendee Hecko Flores:

Bayern München fans bringing in flares into the Olympiastadium. #BSCFCB @dw_sports pic.twitter.com/Uik60sf1q7

— Hecko Flores (@hecko90) April 23, 2016

With domestic success on the cusp of being achieved, head coach Pep Guardiola made significant changes to his starting lineup in order to keep key players fresh for their impending UEFA Champions League semi-final clash away at Atletico Madrid next Wednesday.

Guardiola made seven alterations to the team that played midweek in the German Cup, with captain Philipp Lahm handed a rest. Supporting cast members Joshua Kimmich, Mario Gotze and Serdar Tasci were all handed starts, but in-form Arturo Vidal and Robert Lewandowski were both included.

Fourth-placed Hertha started the contest with a refreshingly positive approach against the reigning champions, preventing Guardiola’s players any time in possession and pressing high up the field.

The visitors were the first to manage an effort on goal, however, as Douglas Costa went close to opening the scoring inside six minutes. The Brazil attacker …

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