Robert Lewandowski scored his 23rd league goal of the season on Saturday as runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich went 11 points clear with a 2-0 win at VfL Wolfsburg.
Pep Guardiola’s Bayern now have 62 points out of a possible 69, their tally exactly double that of Wolfsburg, who are eighth.
“We knew it would be difficult to play against Wolfsburg just four days after Juventus,” Guardiola said. “Our points tally is OK, but it’s not over yet.”
Photo: AP
A tight tussle was settled by second-half goals as Kingsley Coman scored for the first time since November last year, before Lewandowski netted for the 33rd time this season in all competitions.
The Poland hot-shot’s 23 league goals in 22 games kept him as the league’s top scorer.
“That was a clear victory and three important points for us,” said Lewandowski, who scored five goals in nine minutes against Wolfsburg in September last year. “I didn’t think about the five goals when I was out there — that’s history.”
With second-placed Borussia Dortmund due to host second-from-bottom TSG 1899 Hoffenheim yesterday, Bayern took the chance to extend their lead.
Both teams went into the Volkswagen Arena clash jaded — Wolfsburg had 12 players either ill or struggling with injury in the buildup.
Fresh from their 2-2 UEFA Champions League draw at Juventus last week, Bayern again fielded a back four without a recognized centerback.
Jerome Boateng, Javi Martinez and Holger Badstuber were all sidelined, but the visitors shut out their hosts.
It was Coman who broke the deadlock approaching the midway point in the second half.
When Lewandowski’s shot headed skyward after being blocked, Coman arrived unmarked in the penalty area to fire home on 66 minutes.
Both sides had their chances as Wolfsburg goalkeeper Koen Casteels, who had flu last week, denied Lewandowski and Mueller, before Coman beat him.
At the other end, Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had a busy afternoon, denying Wolfsburg’s Germany internationals Julian Draxler and Max Kruse.
Lewandowski’s goal was stamped “Made in France” when Coman’s cross was met by substitute Franck Ribery, who flicked the ball on to the striker to fire home on 74 minutes.
In the dying stages, a superb Neuer save denied Kruse’s fierce shot as Wolfsburg sought a consolation.
Elsewhere on Saturday, bottom side Hannover 96 gained ground in the relegation battle with a shock 2-1 win at VfB Stuttgart after an eight-match losing streak.
Japan midfielder Hiroshi Kiyotake capped his first league start since November last year after injury by setting up both goals for defender Christian Schulz.
It means just four points separated the bottom three sides, but Hannover remain five points from safety.
Swiss striker Josip Drmic scored his first goal for Hamburg SV in their 1-1 draw at home to Ingolstadt 04, whose striker Lukas Hinterseer headed an equalizer.
Both sides are in mid-table, but Werder Bremen are deep in the relegation battle despite their 2-2 draw at home to SV Darmstadt 98.
Anthony Ujah’s early opener was canceled out by Darmstadt’s Sandro Wagner and Aytac Sulu headed Darmstadt ahead on 82 minutes, before Claudio Pizarro gave Werder Bremen a 90th-minute equalizer.
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