Bundesliga - Bayern won't be annoyed: Kane as leader
Bayern, who were once again led by Harry Kane, were able to enjoy the Christmas light show after their top-of-the-table performance in their final home game of the year. Even badly decimated, the German serial champions did not let league leaders Bayer Leverkusen get away. On Sunday evening at the Allianz Arena, Munich dominated the high-flyers from VfB Stuttgart 3-0 (1-0) in the Bundesliga, even without national team players Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, who were ill - from the first to the last minute of the game.
"It was probably our best performance of the season," said Kane on the streaming service DAZN: "We had really good intensity. We showed how dominant we can be in a big game." The Englishman was once again the match-winner. After a mini-slump of three competitive games without scoring, the 30-year-old netted his 19th and 20th goals of the season in the 2nd and 55th minutes. "It's nice when I can help the team with my goals," said Kane. In addition to the outstanding center forward, the equally strong South Korean Minjae Kim (63) scored for the first time in a Bayern shirt.
Bayern patron Uli Hoeneß also cheered and rejoiced in the stands of the Allianz Arena. VfB, coached by his nephew Sebastian Hoeneß, never matched their recent top level in front of 75,000 spectators. The Swabians are not yet a title contender. Munich's goals came far too easily. And nothing went forward either. There were no clear goalscoring opportunities in 90 minutes and Manuel Neuer had a pleasant evening in the Bayern goal.
Leverkusen's lead over FC Bayern had grown to seven points before the start of the game. Bayer had won 3:0 against Frankfurt before kick-off in Munich. In other words, against the very Eintracht team against which Bayern had suffered a heavy 1:5 defeat the week before. But against VfB, Kane and Co. were back to their best.
"There are a lot of absentees now," coach Tuchel moaned to DAZN before kick-off. His emergency double-six solution for Kimmich and Goretzka was Raphael Guerreiro alongside youngster Aleksandar Pavlović. The home-grown player handled his responsibilities in front of the defense very well. He also took the free-kick to make it 2-0 and the corner kick to make it 3-0.
In a 4-2-2-2 formation, Tuchel also cleverly tightened up the center of midfield with Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sané moving more towards the inside. Musiala in particular worked hard defensively and impressed with clever attacking passes and tricks on the ball.
Of course, the dream start to the game was helpful for Munich in their final home game of the year. After Atakan Karazor lost the ball, Müller set up the starting Sané. The international danced past Alexander Nübel, who had been loaned to VfB by FC Bayern and was running out of his goal, before feeding Kane. The Englishman was able to slot the ball in with ease. The early lead gave the rebuilt Bayern team confidence.
The early goal was a real blow for the visitors. Top striker Serhou Guirassy (16 goals for the season) was left out of the Bayern defense. It was thanks to Nübel, who looked poor at 0:1, that the visitors at least stayed in the game until Kane's second goal. Nübel made strong saves against Sané and Kane. And two goals from Kim (25) and Müller (45+2) were conceded for offside by the video assistant.
Even after the break, there was only one top team in the top match - Bayern. They worked collectively against the ball - and repeatedly put Stuttgart under pressure with the ball. The VfB defense was also incapable of dealing with Munich's set pieces.
VfB squad with statistics Bayern squad Bundesliga fixtures Bundesliga table Bundesliga table
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- Fans of Bayer 04 Leverkusen can watch their top-of-the-table clash against FC Bayern Munich on DAZN, with Alexander Nübel in goal for VfB Stuttgart, having been loaned from Bayern.
- Despite the absence of Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka due to illness, Bayern showed dominance against VfB Stuttgart, with Harry Kane leading the charge.
- Uli Hoeneß, Bayern's patron, was in attendance at the Allianz Arena, watching as the German champions outplayed their opponents, who were coached by his nephew Sebastian Hoeneß.
- VfB Stuttgart struggled to keep up with Bayern's intensity, failing to create any clear goalscoring opportunities in the 90 minutes.
- Bayern's first goal came early in the game, thanks to a clever team effort that involved Leroy Sané and Müller, with Kane finishing off the move.
- VfB goalkeeper Alexander Nübel had an off night, making several poor saves and allowing three goals to slip through his grasp.
- In response to the heavy defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt, Leverkusen managed to secure a 3-0 victory against the same team before facing Bayern.
- But against Bayern, Leverkusen's defense was unable to cope with the pressure, allowing Minjae Kim to score his first goal for the club and Müller to add a second before half-time.
- Minjae Kim's goal was a result of a well-worked set piece, with Kimmich's replacement Aleksandar Pavlović taking the free-kick and playing in the South Korean.
- VfB's top striker Serhou Guirassy was absent from the game, leaving a gap in the defense that Bayern were able to exploit, with Harry Kane netting his second goal midway through the second half.
- With the win, Bayern remain in contention for the Bundesliga title, closing the gap on leaders Bayer Leverkusen to four points, as the keenly-anticipated derby between the two teams approaches.
Source: www.stern.de
