Hitzfeld glad of heavy defeat

Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said he was glad his team were so soundly beaten by VfB Stuttgart 3-1 in a match on Saturday, ending a 24-match unbeaten run in all competitions for the Bundesliga leaders.
But Hitzfeld, who has faced extraordinary criticism from Bayern president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for his tactics, said he expected his team to get back on track for their next match in two weeks after three successive draws and Saturday's defeat.
"It was good we lost so decisively," Hitzfeld told Bild am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday. "It's better to lose like that instead of through bad luck or with excuses that we don't have this time. Now we've seen success this year won't be automatic.
"It was an educational experience," Hitzfeld added.
Bayern have a mere two points from their last three league matches and squandered a six-point lead at the top after winning eight of their first 10.
They spent a record 70 million euros ($100 million) on new talent in the off-season and until mid-October looked nearly invincible with newcomers Franck Ribery of France, Luca Toni of Italy and Germany striker Miroslav Klose leading the way.
But their six-point mid-October lead melted away with two goalless draws against Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt before struggling Stuttgart ended their remarkable unbeaten run.
They also played a 2-2 home draw against Premier League side Bolton Wanderers in the UEFA Cup on Thursday. Rummenigge criticised Hitzfeld's rotation strategy in that match and also belittled the coach's training as a mathematics teacher.
"We can talk about a lot of different lineups," Hitzfeld told Bild am Sonntag as Rummenigge's criticism lingered. "We've got a big squad and everyone wants to play. We're going to keep trying out different lineups in the future."
Bayern are still top on 28 points, one in front of Werder Bremen who beat Karlsruhe 4-0. Hamburg SV are third, also on 27 points after a 1-1 draw at Schalke 04.