The leader Bayern Munich took another step towards their tenth consecutive title in the Bundesliga by winning 3-0 on their visit to modest Arminia Bielefeld (17th), this Sunday on matchday 30, four days after the painful elimination of the Bavarians in the Champions League.
Source: AFP
With 72 points, Bayern maintains a margin of nine points over the second, Borussia Dortmund, who on Saturday had overwhelmed Wolfsburg (13th) 6-1 and had provisionally approached six units.
The difference of nine points means that Bayern could mathematically be champions on Saturday of next week, on matchday 31, where they face Borussia Dortmund in the ‘Klassiker’.
The elimination in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, on Wednesday against the Spanish Villarreal, was a serious blow for Bayern and their coach Julian Nagelsmann had publicly shared his fears for this next game, due to the emotional situation of his squad. However, the German giant fulfilled its mission perfectly against a manifestly weaker opponent.
The road began to smooth out in the 10th minute, when Bayern went ahead by a goal against Denmark’s Jacob Barrett Laursen. Initially it was attributed to Robert Lewandowski, then it was annulled for offside by Alphonso Davies and finally it was validated but attributed as an own goal.
The second goal for the Munich team came in the discount of the first half and was signed by Serge Gnabry (45+7), assisted by Joshua Kimmich.
There was so much added time in the first half as Fabian Kunze (Arminia Bielefeld) was previously stretchered off after an elbow by Tanguy Kouassi.
In the second half, Bayern had chances to increase the score, but often found themselves inspired by Arminia’s German-Spanish goalkeeper, Stefan Ortega, who could not, however, avoid the visitors’ third, in the 85th minute, by a header from Jamal Musiala, to the center of Lewandowski.
“It’s been a tough time to manage,” Kimmich said of this week’s European elimination against Villarreal, admitting that what happened “is still on the minds” of the players.
“We want the definitive victory against Dortmund,” he said.
Bayern had several casualties in this game, especially those of the French Lucas Hernández, Kingsley Coman and Corentin Tolisso due to muscle problems and Niklas Süle due to illness.
Arminia Bielefeld is penultimate, in seventeenth place, so it is in relegation positions.
