Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich. German Bundesliga.
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Report as Bayern Munich recover from early setback to move 10 clear at top of Bundesliga and to within six points of title
Saturday 6 June 2020 23:20, UK
Bayern Munich moved to within two wins of the Bundesliga title with an imperious 4-2 victory at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
Leverkusen were without talisman Kai Havertz due to injury but threatened to derail Bayern's title charge when Lucas Alario poked the hosts ahead inside nine minutes - the first goal Bayern had conceded away from home in eight hours of Bundesliga football.
But the early setback only aggravated Bayern as they roared into an unassailable lead before the break thanks to goals from Kingsley Coman, Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry.
Robert Lewandowski's 30th Bundesliga goal of the season - his 44th in all competitions - put Bayern out of sight midway through the second half and, with the exception of Florian Wirtz's late consolation, it was a formality for Hansi Flick's side from there.
Bayern's 11th consecutive victory sees them lead Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig by 10 and 11 points respectively with five games remaining, while Leverkusen stay fifth after missing the chance to climb into the top four.
It was quite a collapse on an afternoon that had started so brightly for Bayer, with Alario racing in behind and producing a fine near-post finish past Manuel Neuer. Initially ruled out for offside, VAR stepped in and the goal was awarded, but the hosts failure to capitalise.
Bayern were able to grow into the match and assert their authority, pushing forward and eventually getting the goal their play deserved in the 27th minute, when Coman was sent scampering through and coolly curled past Lukas Hradecky.
Bayern were bossing the play in a first half that saw Lewandowski and Thomas Muller pick up bookings which will rule them out of their next league clash with Borussia Monchengladbach.
But the veteran strike duo did keep their cool as Bayern took the lead, breaking from a Leverkusen corner at speed and playing some incisive football before Goretzka fired home a superb left-footed shot from the edge of the box.
Gnabry was prevented from adding to that 42nd minute goal when thwarted one-on-one by Hradecky, but the former Arsenal man would not be denied for long. Leverkusen were all too easily opened up by Joshua Kimmich's ball over the top, with Gnabry coolly lifting the ball over Hradecky on the stroke of half-time.
Bosz's men returned from the half-time break with renewed energy, but Bayern were willing to play on the break and Muller went close to scoring.
A mixture of good defending and poor decision-making was costing Leverkusen as the visitors pushed for a fourth that would come in the 66th minute. Muller swung over a lovely cross and Lewandowski met it with a powerful header that beat Hradecky to put Bayern in cruise control for the remainder of the match.
But just as the contest was winding down, a lovely cut back and curling finish by teenager Wirtz reduced the deficit and lit things up temporarily, mere consolation for Leverkusen on an afternoon that belonged to Bayern.
Bayern host Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday at 5.30pm before Bayer Leverkusen travel to Schalke on Sunday at 5pm.
