Bayern München successfully defended their lead in the tight title battle with an impressive display of power against upstart Union Berlin.
The playful and clearly superior record champion won the top duel in the snow flurry against partly overtaxed Eiserne with 3:0 (3:0) and took over the ancestral top spot again after his gala, which the point equal Dortmund had taken over for a short time.
After the recent turmoil, the highly deserved success in the duel of opposites was of enormous importance for FC Bayern and its coach Julian Nagelsmann. A further setback would have considerably aggravated the already tense situation before the weeks of truth with the round of 16 second leg against Paris St. Germain.
But Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (31st), Kingsley Coman (40th) and birthday boy Jamal Musiala (45.+1) ensured that things were clear before the break in front of 75,000 spectators at the Allianz Arena. “Record-breaking Thomas Müller set up two goals for Sadio Mane’s comeback.
Union are now three points behind Munich and BVB after their first defeat in a competitive match this year. Three days after their Europa League success against Ajax Amsterdam, the Berliners were no match for the strong Bavarians.
The importance of the match for the Munich team was also underlined by a team evening on Friday. CEO Oliver Kahn had also once again urged the stars to “show that they are Bayern Munich”.
Nagelsmann made four changes to the starting eleven after the 2:3 in Gladbach, with Dayot Upamecano missing through red suspension. Müller, who was substituted after just 16 minutes against Borussia, started again. It was the 33-year-old’s 430th league game for Munich. He is now number two in the Bayern rankings ahead of Kahn and behind Sepp Maier (473).
And it was the eager Müller who had the first great chance in the 5th minute – but missed in Munich’s driving snow. Despite initially adverse conditions, the committed Bavarians were wide awake from the outset and overwhelmingly superior.
There were some turbulent scenes in front of the Union goal, but it was not until after half an hour that the Bavarians were rewarded after Coman’s cross and Choupo-Moting’s header. The Bayern Express now started to roll. Apart from a chance by Aissa Laidouni (37th), there was nothing to be seen from the Berliners.
Bayern kept up the pressure after the break. Alphonso Davies had a free shot against the visitors’ goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow (48th), Müller hit the post (62nd). In the 65th minute, the spectators cheered when Manes was substituted. The top star had torn a tendon in his right fibula in mid-November and missed the World Cup with Senegal after the following operation.
Mane created a great chance for Müller, but Rönnow reacted well (71st) and Davies also failed again (86th). Sheraldo Becker (58.) was the only goal-scorer for the visitors after the break.
