Bayern Munich stretched their lead on the Bundesliga summit to 4 factors as targets from Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane clinched a 2-1 win over a cussed Werder Bremen.
Having taken benefit of Borussia Dortmund’s slip-up at Bochum to go prime final week, Bayern knew an eleventh consecutive league title is now of their arms as they travelled to the Weserstadion on Saturday.
Thomas Tuchel’s stuttering begin at Bayern appeared set to proceed as Werder held agency for over an hour, however Gnabry’s close-range end broke the hosts’ resistance earlier than Sane capped a flowing transfer to make it 2-0.
Although Niklas Schmidt’s gorgeous strike ensured a nervous end, Bayern clung on to pile the stress on Dortmund forward of their assembly with Wolfsburg on Sunday.
Jiri Pavlenka smothered Gnabry’s shot from a good angle early on earlier than making an excellent higher save 20 minutes in, blocking Benjamin Pavard’s highly effective close-range header.
Werder threatened on the break as Mitchell Weiser went near changing Romano Schmid’s cross, whereas Christian Gross fired over on the finish of a mazy run.
Gnabry misjudged an overhead kick as Bayern’s stress mounted after the restart, after which teed up Sadio Mane to side-foot narrowly huge.
It was Gnabry who made the breakthrough simply as Bayern appeared to be operating out of concepts. The Germany worldwide misplaced his marker to brush residence from shut vary after Jamal Musiala’s shot deflected into his path.
Bayern prolonged their lead 10 minutes later as substitute Sane slotted into the bottom-left nook.
There was a tense end to return as Schmidt discovered the top-right nook from lengthy vary, however Bayern stood agency to take an enormous step in the direction of retaining their title.
Taking all three factors residence to Munich
#SVWFCB 1-2 pic.twitter.com/ErpG1orvRR
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) Could 6, 2023
What does it imply? Bayern lastly discover consistency
Bayern have been hoping to keep away from any additional twists within the title race after leapfrogging Dortmund final week. For the reason that 2007-08 season, the staff topping the Bundesliga desk after matchday 30 has at all times gone on to be topped champions.
Regardless of a late scare, Bayern clinched back-to-back wins for the primary time below Tuchel, and they’re firmly within the driving seat forward of Dortmund’s assembly with Wolfsburg.
Leaders share the load
Bayern’s makes an attempt to interchange Robert Lewandowski have attracted loads of criticism this time period, whereas an damage to Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting left the champions with out an out-and-out striker for Saturday’s recreation, forcing the supporting solid to step up.
None of Gnabry’s team-mates can higher his tally of 11 league targets this time period, and he’s one in every of three gamers to achieve double figures for the Bavarian giants, alongside Musiala (11) and Choupo-Moting (10).
Sane, in the meantime, has scored eight occasions regardless of beginning simply 18 of Bayern’s 31 league matches.
Kimmich pulls the strings
In a recreation wherein Bayern required endurance, Joshua Kimmich shone with a metronomic midfield masterclass.
Bayern’s stand-in skipper led all gamers on the pitch for probabilities created (4) and passes accomplished (78) as he ran the present, whereas he additionally had 113 touches.
What’s subsequent?
Bayern host relegation-threatened Schalke of their subsequent Bundesliga fixture subsequent Saturday, whereas Werder journey to RB Leipzig in the future later.
