Bayern Munich return to Bundesliga summit with ruthless Union Berlin win
Bayern Munich moved back above Borussia Dortmund on goal difference at the top of the Bundesliga, after blowing title rivals Union Berlin away at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern Munich 3-0 Union Berlin
Goals: 1-0 Choupo-Moting (assist: Coman), 2-0 Coman (assist: Müller), 3-0 Musiala (assist: Müller)
Level on points at the start of play, Union learned the hard way that there's nothing quite so dangerous as a wounded Bayern. Beaten 3-2 by Borussia Mönchengladbach last time out, the defending champions laid siege to the visiting goal, with Thomas Müller miscuing from close range and birthday boy Jamal Musiala testing Frederik Ronnow early on. Robin Knoche blocked from Musiala and Ronnow parried a Müller volley, before Eric Choupo-Moting headed in a Kingsley Coman cross for the overdue first goal. Aissa Laidouni blazed over from inside the area with Union's only real opening of note, other than a tame Jerome Roussillon shot at Yann Sommer, before Bayern extended their lead. Müller was the architect, sending Coman through to round Ronnow and then cutting a pass back for Musiala to sweep in a third.
It was much more of the same from Bayern after the restart as Alphonso Davies raced forward, only for Ronnow's outstretched right arm to take the sting out of the Canadian's effort and Danilho Doeki to clear the loose ball off the line. Sheraldo Becker rattled the stanchion in a rare moment of respite for Union, but normal service was resumed just past the hour when Müller collected Coman's pass into the channel and drove at the face of Ronnow. Sadio Mane returned to action after 110 days out through injury, the Senegal star making an instant impact with a weaving run into the penalty area. He selflessly rolled the ball into the feet of Müller, who fired over via Ronnow's head. Sommer denied Paul Seguin a consolation and Ronnow thwarted Davies as Bayern posted an omninous to-nil win in the context of the six-way logjam for the title.
Match stats
- Bayern are unbeaten in their last 18 Bundesliga matches at the Allianz Arena, winning 12.
- Musiala - Bayern's top scorer with 11 league goals - celebrated his 20th birthday.
- Müller made his 430th Bundesliga appearance, overtaking Oliver Kahn in the Bayern rankings. Only Sepp Maier has more (473).
- Since Matchday 10, no Bundesliga player has found the net as often as Choupo-Moting (nine goals).
- Sommer kept his second clean sheet since moving to Bayern in January.
- Union have faced Bayern eight times without winning (D3, L5). It was their first defeat of the calendar year.
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Teams
Bayern: Sommer - Pavard, de Ligt, Stanisic (Cancelo 77') - Coman (Mane 65'), Musiala, Kimmich (Sane 77'), Goretzka, Davies - Müller (c) (Tel 87'), Choupo-Moting (Gnabry 65')
Unused subs: Ulreich, Blind, Sarr, Gravenberch
Out: Hernandez (knee), Mazraoui (match fitness), Neuer (broken leg), Upamecano (suspended)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Union: Rönnow - Doekhi, Knoche, Diogo Leite - Trimmel (c), Laidouni, Khedira (Haberer 78'), Thorsby (Seguin 63'), Roussillon (Gießelmann 66') - Becker (Leweling 63') Jordan (Behrens 63')
Unused subs: Grill, Jaeckel, Juranovic
Out: Schäfer (foot)
Coach: Urs Fischer
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