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DPA
Berlin
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich needed a Robert Lewandowski penalty eights minutes from time to seal a 1-0 home win over Augsburg on Saturday and move closer to their 10th straight title.
Second-placed Borussia Dortmund had won 2-0 at struggling Stuttgart on Friday and Bayern’s fortunate win means the gap is nine points with just five games left this term.
Bayern were beaten 1-0 at Villarreal in midweek in their Champions League quarter-final first leg and they again looked off the pace against fellow Bavarians Augsburg, before a debatable Reece Oxford handball opened the door.
“The first half wasn’t good from us,” Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka told Sky. “In the second half we showed more intensity.” Wolfsburg overran third-bottom Arminia Bielefeld 4-0 thanks in part to two Lukas Nmecha goals, Cologne came back from 2-0 down to beat Mainz 3-2 and bottom side Greuther Fürth lost 2-0 at home to Borussia M?nchengladbach.
Second-bottom Hertha Berlin host Union Berlin in Saturday’s late game.
Perhaps with minds on the Villarreal return leg on Tuesday, Bayern failed to create a meaningful chance in the opening period. They were without the injured Lucas Hern?ndez and the ill Niklas Süle in defence but up top, inspiration was sorely lacking so Jamal Musiala was thrown on at the break for Serge Gnabry.
Almost immediately Poland great Lewandowski went close with a header as the hosts made a big improvement. But his fellow Pole Rafal Gikiewicz was in fine form in the Augsburg goal and expertly kept out a drive from Joshua Kimmich, who later hit the bar.
Bayern were then somewhat lucky to have a penalty awarded after the referee reviewed the video monitor and decided Oxford was guilty of handball. Lewandowski sent his compatriot the wrong way for his 32nd goal of the league season.
“The penalty is unlucky,” said Augsburg coach Markus Weinzierl.
It was a crucial twist in the title race and Bayern are almost there even if they still need to face Dortmund in Munich on April 23.
In Wolfsburg, a fierce finish and a header from Nmecha was followed up by a superb Maximilian Arnold free-kick and a Max Kruse goal.
Bielefeld, in the relegation play-off spot, were distracted by defender Cedric Brunner being injured in a clash of heads and having to be taken to hospital.
Wolfsburg’s first win in four edged them further from the drop zone.
Sunday’s action sees the race for the Champions League places take centre stage with third-placed Bayer Leverkusen going to Bochum, RB Leipzig in fourth hosting Hoffenheim and fifth-placed Freiburg at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Berlin
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich needed a Robert Lewandowski penalty eights minutes from time to seal a 1-0 home win over Augsburg on Saturday and move closer to their 10th straight title.
Second-placed Borussia Dortmund had won 2-0 at struggling Stuttgart on Friday and Bayern’s fortunate win means the gap is nine points with just five games left this term.
Bayern were beaten 1-0 at Villarreal in midweek in their Champions League quarter-final first leg and they again looked off the pace against fellow Bavarians Augsburg, before a debatable Reece Oxford handball opened the door.
“The first half wasn’t good from us,” Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka told Sky. “In the second half we showed more intensity.” Wolfsburg overran third-bottom Arminia Bielefeld 4-0 thanks in part to two Lukas Nmecha goals, Cologne came back from 2-0 down to beat Mainz 3-2 and bottom side Greuther Fürth lost 2-0 at home to Borussia M?nchengladbach.
Second-bottom Hertha Berlin host Union Berlin in Saturday’s late game.
Perhaps with minds on the Villarreal return leg on Tuesday, Bayern failed to create a meaningful chance in the opening period. They were without the injured Lucas Hern?ndez and the ill Niklas Süle in defence but up top, inspiration was sorely lacking so Jamal Musiala was thrown on at the break for Serge Gnabry.
Almost immediately Poland great Lewandowski went close with a header as the hosts made a big improvement. But his fellow Pole Rafal Gikiewicz was in fine form in the Augsburg goal and expertly kept out a drive from Joshua Kimmich, who later hit the bar.
Bayern were then somewhat lucky to have a penalty awarded after the referee reviewed the video monitor and decided Oxford was guilty of handball. Lewandowski sent his compatriot the wrong way for his 32nd goal of the league season.
“The penalty is unlucky,” said Augsburg coach Markus Weinzierl.
It was a crucial twist in the title race and Bayern are almost there even if they still need to face Dortmund in Munich on April 23.
In Wolfsburg, a fierce finish and a header from Nmecha was followed up by a superb Maximilian Arnold free-kick and a Max Kruse goal.
Bielefeld, in the relegation play-off spot, were distracted by defender Cedric Brunner being injured in a clash of heads and having to be taken to hospital.
Wolfsburg’s first win in four edged them further from the drop zone.
Sunday’s action sees the race for the Champions League places take centre stage with third-placed Bayer Leverkusen going to Bochum, RB Leipzig in fourth hosting Hoffenheim and fifth-placed Freiburg at Eintracht Frankfurt.
