German Roundup: Bayern back on top with convincing win over rival Union Berlin
BERLIN (AP) — Bayern Munich top-scorer Jamal Musiala struck once more on his birthday Sunday to assist his workforce reclaim first place within the Bundesliga with a 3-0 win over shock challenger Union Berlin.
After objectives from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Kingsley Coman, Musiala marked his twentieth birthday along with his eleventh league aim of the season simply earlier than the break for Bayern to deal Union its first defeat in any competitors since November.
The 10-time defending champion reclaimed the lead on aim distinction from Borussia Dortmund, which has closed the hole by successful each recreation it’s performed this yr. Union dropped three factors behind the massive two in third place, nonetheless a exceptional achievement for a membership that was focusing on league survival from its fourth season within the Bundesliga.
The guests’ busy schedule in three competitions lastly took its toll. Union beat Ajax Amsterdam 3-1 of their Europa League playoff recreation on Thursday.
In distinction, Bayern had eight days to get better after its 3-2 loss at Borussia Mönchengladbach final weekend. The house workforce appeared more energizing from the beginning in opposition to Union, which had began the day degree on 43 factors with Bayern.
Sadio Mané got here on as an alternative choice to Bayern in what was the Senegal star’s first look since Nov. 8, when he was injured taking part in in opposition to Werder Bremen. Mané wanted surgical procedure to reattach a tendon to the pinnacle of his proper fibula and missed the World Cup.
Thomas Müller, making his 430th Bundesliga look for Bayern, missed the sport’s first large probability and Musiala was twice blocked earlier than Müller pressured a very good save from Frederik Rönnow.
Choupo-Moting lastly made the breakthrough within the thirty first when he rose between two defenders to move in Kingsley Coman’s cross to the far publish.
Coman made it 2-0 within the fortieth when Rönnow’s kickout from aim was rapidly returned. Matthijs de Ligt received the ball in midfield and Müller despatched it on straightway to Coman, who rounded the goalkeeper earlier than scoring from a slender angle.
There was nonetheless time earlier than the break for Musiala to attain after Müller pulled the ball again from the top line.
Earlier, Sardar Azmoun scored for Bayer Leverkusen to salvage a 1-1 draw at Freiburg, however the workforce’s patchy kind leaves European qualification more and more in danger.
Leverkusen has received three of its seven league video games to date this yr, and Sunday’s draw dropped the workforce right down to eleventh.
Freiburg dropped to fifth, one level behind Leipzig within the final place for Champions League qualification.
