Bayern rout Wolfsburg to tighten grip on Bundesliga summit
Berlin: Bayern Munich turned a tight contest into a rout with a powerful second half to hammer Wolfsburg 8-1 at the Allianz Arena and tighten their grip on the Bundesliga summit.
Bayern struck after five minutes when Luis Diaz whipped in a dangerous cross that Wolfsburg defender Kilian Fischer diverted into his own net. The visitors replied in the 13th minute as Lovro Majer split the defense with a through ball for Dzenan Pejcinovic, who slid a low finish past Manuel Neuer.
The game remained competitive until Bayern reclaimed the lead at 30 minutes. Michael Olise delivered from the right and Diaz rose unmarked to head in from close range, sending the hosts 2-1 ahead, reports Xinhua.
Wolfsburg’s resistance collapsed after the break. Olise cut inside from the right and curled into the corner in the 50th minute, and three minutes later Moritz Jenz turned another Bayern cross into his own goal.
Substitute Raphael Guerreiro made it 5-1 in the 68th minute after a quickly taken free kick, before Harry Kane struck a minute later with a trademark curling finish for his 20th league goal of the season. Olise added his second in the 76th minute and Leon Goretzka completed the scoring late on.
The match completed the 16th round and keeps Bayern 11 points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund. Wolfsburg stay 14th, three points above the relegation play-off place, as the 8-1 scoreline stood as the biggest win of the Bundesliga season.
“If you concede six goals in the second half, then not much was right. We allowed far too many easy goals and made too many mistakes. If you defend like that, you cannot survive in the Bundesliga,” said Wolfsburg sporting director Pirmin Schwegler.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said the scoreline was not fully representative of the match as a whole. “It is not normal and certainly not something to be taken for granted to win 8-1. The first half was not easy and Wolfsburg showed they do not need many chances. In the second half they became tired and then we were able to take advantage of our opportunities,” he said.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Borussia Monchengladbach eased 4-0 past Augsburg with Haris Tabakovic scoring twice.
The fixtures between Werder Bremen and Hoffenheim, as well as St. Pauli and RB Leipzig, were postponed due to unsafe winter conditions.