Bayern Munich prolonged its German league result in seven factors as Robert Lewandowski scored for the eighth Bundesliga recreation in a row to earn a 4-0 win over last-place Schalke on Sunday.
After title rivals Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund all misplaced earlier within the weekend, three assists from Joshua Kimmich took Bayern a step nearer towards what could be its record-extending ninth consecutive Bundesliga title.
“We’ve made good use of this round of games because our competitors gave us an opportunity and we converted it,” mentioned Bayern coach Hansi Flick, whose workforce has received three video games in eight days. “We have a bit of a cushion but it’s important that we approach each game as we’ve approached the last few games.”
Kimmich put Bayern on monitor for the win with an excellent Thirty third-minute cross which left Thomas Muller needing solely a easy headed end to attain the opening aim. Kimmich additionally arrange Lewandowski within the 54th when the Polish striker beat defender Ozan Kabak earlier than scoring his twenty third aim in 17 Bundesliga video games this season.
Muller headed in one other aim within the 89th off a Kimmich free kick, and David Alaba made it 4-0 quickly after from lengthy vary.
Bayern had goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to thank because the workforce recorded back-to-back shutouts within the league for the primary time this season. Neuer made a collection of saves within the first half and confirmed quick reactions to parry an angled header from Mark Uth within the eleventh as Schalke threatened to attain first.
Despite Bayern’s two late objectives, it was a far nearer recreation than Bayern’s 8-0 hammering of Schalke on the opening day of the season in September, testomony each to Schalke’s current enchancment below new coach Christian Gross and to Bayern’s personal dip in type, with two uncommon defeats this month.
The German and European champion’s punishing schedule will solely intensify subsequent month with a visit to the Club World Cup in Qatar and a Champions League last-16 recreation towards Lazio.
Schalke is final within the league with seven factors from 18 video games and is 10 factors from security because it battles deep-seated monetary issues worsened by the coronavirus pandemic. It has misplaced all three video games since a hat trick from U.S. striker Matthew Hoppe led the workforce to a 4-0 win over Hoffenheim on Jan. 9 _ the membership’s first league win in practically a yr.
Schalke was with out new signing Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as a result of the 37-year-old striker has a calf damage after returning to Schalke from Ajax, and defender Sead Kolasinac, on mortgage from Arsenal, has been sidelined with a thigh drawback.
In the day’s different recreation, Andrej Kramaric scored twice for the second recreation in a row as Hoffenheim comfortably beat Cologne 3-0 to maneuver up two locations to eleventh. That took Kramaric to 11 objectives for the season, regardless of lacking a number of weeks because of a coronavirus an infection, and 73 profession objectives within the Bundesliga, greater than every other Croatian participant, overtaking former Bayern ahead Ivica Olic on 72. Cologne is sixteenth and within the relegation playoff spot.