Struggling holders Stuttgart soundly ended the Bavarian's 24-match unbeaten run, but the Bayern boss was surprisingly glad with the tough lesson.

"It was good we lost so decisively," Hitzfeld told Bild 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."

Bayern started the season on a high, inspired by the impressive form of summer record signing trio Luca Toni, Frank Ribery and Miroslav Klose.

However, the winning streak was halted as Hitzfeld's men failed to register a single victory in their previous four games in all competitions.