With only six matches to go in Germany’s football league, Bayern Munich look set to retain their crown, but challengers RB Leipzig look set to push them to the final weeks of the season. Julian Nagelsmann’s side looked comfortable in a 4-1 win away at Werder Bremen, reducing the gap to top-of-the-table Bayern to just 5 points.
Bayern Munich currently sit at the top of the Bundesliga table. Photo: hpgruesen via Pixabay
Dani Olmo opened the scoring for Leipzig, who were without first team players including Dayot Upamecano, Nordi Mukiele and Yussuf Poulsen. But Norwegian striker Alexander Sorloth stepped up well in, bagging a first-half brace to give Leipzig a 3-0 lead at the break. Milot Rashica converted a penalty for the hosts, but Marcel Sabitzer added a fourth to solidify the points for the title contenders.
Injury-stricken Bayern Munich, who suffered without talisman Robert Lewandowski during the week in a Champions League showdown with PSG, couldn’t secure maximum points at home to 7th placed Union Berlin.
Having lost 3-2 on Wednesday in a repeat of last year’s final, Bayern were wasteful again in front of goal. Jamal Musiala, who recently committed to Germany instead of England, gave Hansi Flick’s side a 1-0 lead after 68 minutes, but Marcus Ingvartsen equalised late on for Union as they look to secure a spot in next season’s Europa League.
Elsewhere:
The battle for Champions League spots is still alive, with Borussia Dortmund youngster Ansgar Knauff scoring the decisive goal in a 3-2 win over midtable Stuttgart.
English star Jude Bellingham, who is still only 17, grabbed his first goal for BVB, joining his captain Marco Reus on the scoresheet. Dortmund desperately needed to win – the gap between them and fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt is 7 points. Frankfurt themselves beat third-placed Wolfsburg 4-3, with deadly strike duo Luka Jovic and Andre Silva both netting for The Eagles.
At the other end of the table, Arminia moved out of the relegation play-off spot with a 1-0 win on Friday against Freiburg. They are now level on points with the under-performing Hertha Berlin, who drew 2-2 with 10-man Borussia Mönchengladbach at the Olympiastadion.
It will no doubt be viewed as points dropped for Hertha, with BMG ‘keeper Yann Sommer sent off after just 13 minutes. Köln will host Mainz in a vital relegation battle on Sunday evening, in which the victor would leapfrog Arminia. Meanwhile Schalke, who still have only 10 points, look set to drop to 2.
Game of the week: