Bayern stretch lead
Champions Bayern Munich have extended their lead to seven points at the top of the Bundesliga table after they beat bottom side Schalke 4-0 and fellow title rivals were beaten.
Bayern cruise to victory in Gelsenkirchen 🚗#S04FCB in 60 seconds ▶️ pic.twitter.com/G8GZPYpewQ
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) January 24, 2021
First half
Thomas Müller scored twice for Hansi Flick’s side but they had to deal with an early onslaught from the hosts as Mark Uth’s header was saved by former Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Ralf Faehrmann made a double save to keep out Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry before Müller was picked out by Joshua Kimmich to head home in the 33rd minute. It was Bayern’s 50th Bundesliga goal of the season.
Second half
Lewandowski then scored in his 11th successive Bundesliga match against Schalke as he ran onto Kimmich’s long pass to notch in the 54th minute. He showed a great touch to control the pass, hold off a defender and round the goalkeeper.
It was his 24th league goal of the season and the goal saw the Pole became the first player in the Bundesliga to score in eight successive away games.
Robert Lewandowski’s last 8 on the road 👇
vs. Bielefeld ⚽⚽
vs. Dortmund ⚽
vs. Stuttgart ⚽
vs. Union ⚽
vs. Leverkusen ⚽⚽
vs. Gladbach ⚽
vs. Augsburg ⚽
vs. Schalke ⚽The first player to score in that many consecutive #Bundesliga away games 💥 pic.twitter.com/8fNCGcUcZN
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) January 24, 2021
German international Kimmich registered his third assist of the game and ninth of the season as his free kick found the head of Muller to put Bayern 3-0 up with two minutes to go.
David Alaba rounded off the win with a long range effort that went through the fingers of Faehrmann. It was the 48th goal that Christian Gross’s side have conceded this season in the Bundesliga.
What it means
Bayern Munich stretched the lead at the top to seven points after their rivals were beaten. They have scored 53 goals in 18 games, the most they have ever managed at this stage. Bayern have scored at least once in their last 27 Bundesliga away games.
Schalke stay bottom, eight points behind Köln, who lie in the relegation play off place.
Featured image: Bayern Munich’s Polish forward Robert Lewandowski (L) celebrates scoring the 0-2 goal with his team-mate Bayern Munich’s German forward Thomas Mueller during the German first division Bundesliga football match Schalke 04 v FC Bayern Munich in Gelsenkirchen, western Germany, on January 24, 2021. (Photo by Ina FASSBENDER / various sources / AFP) / DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)