Thomas Mueller on Saturday scored twice, including a spectacular 71st-minute bicycle-kick, to trigger Bayern Munich’s 3-1 comeback win over SV Darmstadt 98 and enable the Bundesliga leaders to move 11 points clear at the top of the table.
Mueller scored both goals in the second half as Bayern, who face Italy’s Juventus in the Champions League round of 16 next week, were made to work hard against the promoted club.
Bundesliga top-scorer Robert Lewandowski, in fine form, completed Bayern’s turnaround in the 84th minute with his 22nd goal of the campaign.
Photo: Reuters
The hosts twice came close through Lewandowski in a one-sided start, with Bayern pressing for an early goal and Darmstadt forced to defend desperately.
Arturo Vidal’s shot was tipped over the bar and Arjen Robben failed to beat the goalkeeper in a golden one-on-one opportunity as Bayern had chances galore.
The hosts were punished for their wastefulness when Darmstadt’s Sandro Wagner beat central defender Serdar Tasci at the near post to head in a cross and silence the home crowd of 75,000.
However, Bayern kept up the pressure and Douglas Costa rattled the bar before it finally paid off with Mueller chesting a ball down and slotting in for his 16th goal of the campaign.
Germany international Mueller topped that with an even better effort, again controlling the ball with his chest in the box and scoring with a bicycle-kick as Darmstadt ran out of steam.
Lewandowski tapped in from close range from a Ribery pass, with the Frenchman coming on as a second-half substitute for his first appearance since his injury in December last year.
Bayern are on 59 points, with second-placed Borussia Dortmund, on 48, yesterday scheduled to face Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
VfL Wolfsburg could not build on their midweek Champions League win over Gent, having to settle for a 1-1 draw with Hertha BSC, who are third on 36.
Borussia Moenchengladbach moved up to 35 points, level with fourth-placed Leverkusen, after edging past Cologne 1-0 in the Rhine derby, courtesy of Mahmoud Dahoud’s ninth-minute winner.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim celebrated their first win under 28-year-old coach Julian Nagelsmann, in his second game in charge, when they beat FSV Mainz 05 3-2, with Mark Uth scoring twice.
In other Bundesliga matches on Saturday, Ingolstadt 04 defeated Werder Bremen 2-0, while Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburg SV ended with a scoreless draw.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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