European champions Bayern Munich set a new record for the longest unbeaten run in Bundesliga history with a 3-0 victory at home to Augsburg on Saturday.
Bayern have now gone 37 league matches since their last defeat, at Bayer 04 Leverkusen in October last year, breaking Hamburg SV’s previous record of 36 from January 1983.
“The record is unbelievable, it’s not easy to go 37 games without defeat. Congratulations to the club,” said Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, who took charge in June. “I have noticed that every game is a lesson for me in understanding my team.”
Photo: AFP
Guardiola’s Bayern face their biggest test in two weeks when they travel to second-placed Borussia Dortmund in a repeat of last season’s UEFA Champions League final.
“Dortmund will be a good, good test for us and our level,” Guardiola added.
Guardiola also set a personal record as he celebrated his 12th league match without defeat — the best start by a new Bundesliga coach in the league’s history with 32 points.
Bayern opened the scoring at Munich’s Allianz Arena when Germany centerback Jerome Boateng headed home from a corner after just five minutes.
France winger Franck Ribery then smashed home a direct free-kick on 42 minutes, before Germany’s Thomas Mueller netted a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage-time.
Bayern, who have won 31 of their last 37 Bundesliga matches, were without Germany’s Bastian Schweinsteiger, who will miss the forthcoming internationals against Italy and England with an ankle injury.
It was Bayern’s second milestone of the week after they equaled Barcelona’s record from the 2002-2003 season of nine consecutive UEFA Champions League wins with a 1-0 victory at Viktoria Plzen.
Breaking records is nothing remarkable for Bayern these days having set or equaled 25 league records under Guardiola’s predecessor, Jupp Heynckes, last season.
Bayern also extended their lead at the top of the table to four points as second-placed Borussia Dortmund went down 2-1 at VfL Wolfsburg.
It was Dortmund’s second defeat of the week after losing to 1-0 at home to Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League.
After Germany winger Marco Reus put Dortmund ahead with a thunderbolt of a free-kick on the stroke of halftime, Wolves hit back to pick up their fourth straight victory to leave them fifth.
Swiss defender Ricardo Rodriguez smashed home a free-kick, before Croatia striker Ivica Olic hit a great goal in off the far post with 20 minutes left.
“We gave away too many free-kicks, which allowed the opposition some practice in taking them,” lamented Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp, adding centerback Neven Subotic has a suspected cruciate knee injury. “Olic’s goal was a dream. It should have been blocked, but that didn’t happen. Neven Subotic’s injury is terrible news.”
Third-placed Leverkusen are level with Dortmund on 28 points after beating Hamburg 5-3, with South Korea star striker Son Heung-min scoring a hat-trick.
Son scored after nine and 16 minutes, before hitting his third on 55 minutes. He then set up Stefan Kiessling for Leverkusen’s fourth.
Borussia Moenchengladbach scored three goals in the last 18 minutes to come from behind and seal a 3-1 win at home to Nuremberg to stay fourth in the table.
Schalke 04 bounced back from their UEFA Champions League defeat at Chelsea as they came from behind to beat Werder Bremen 3-1, with Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng netting two headers.
Hertha BSC stayed seventh after their 3-2 win at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, with Colombia’s Adrian Ramos scoring two goals, including the winner when he headed in six minutes from time.
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