Bayern Munich stay top ahead of PSG clash with Bochum win
Thomas Müller, Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry grabbed the goals as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich warmed up for their UEFA Champions League last-16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain with a comfortable win over Bochum.
Bayern Munich 3-0 Bochum
Goals: 1-0 Müller 41', 2-0 Coman 64' (assist: Musiala), 3-0 Gnabry (pen. 74')
On a two-match winning run in all competitions, Bayern controlled possession for long stretches in the first half. Leroy Sane was denied by a brave Pierre Kunde block in the early exchanges, before Jamal Musiala warmed the palms of Manuel Riemann from range. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting headed wide and Müller tested the reflexes of Riemann with a lobbed attempt as the record champions turned the screw. Riemann blocked from Sane and pounced on Gnabry's follow-up, before pulling off a superb reaction save from Matthijs de Ligt, with Leon Goretzka heading the rebound wide. Bochum's resistance was broken before the break, though, following a mix-up between Riemann and Saidy Janko. Müller took full advantage, racing away and sliding in his fourth goal of the season from 18 yards.
Bayern goalkeeper Yann Sommer had been a virtual spectator, until a towering header from Bochum substitute Kevin Stöger forced him to stretch every sinew to prevent the ball finding the top corner at the start of the second half. Bayern heeded the warning as Joao Cancelo - operating on the right-hand side following the half-time introduction of Alphonso Davies - guided a trademark cross onto the head of Choupo-Moting, who headed off target. Substitute Coman gave Bayern a two-goal cushion on the hour, when he collected Musiala's pass and fired through the legs of Riemann. Gnabry won and scored a penalty after being upended by Janko to rubber-stamp a win that is guaranteed to keep Bayern top for another week at least.
Match stats
- Müller scored his 141st Bundesliga goal, and only eighth outside the penalty area, on the day he usurped Gerd Müller as Bayern's record appearance-maker in the German top flight (428 games).
- Coman scored in successive Bundesliga games for the first time since November 2020.
- Gnabry scored his ninth Bundesliga goal of the season. Only Musiala (10) has more at Bayern this season.
- Bayern's Arijon Ibrahimovic, 17, made his Bundesliga debut.
- Sommer kept his first Bundesliga clean sheet since joining Bayern from Borussia Mönchengladbach.
- Bochum have lost 10 of 11 games away from home this season, only beating Augsburg on Matchday 15.
Get Müller for your Fantasy team for 15.4M!
Watch: Gnabry: "200 games for Bayern isn't bad!"
Want more Bundesliga Action?
Teams
Bayern: Sommer - Pavard, Upamecano, De Ligt, Cancelo (Coman 60') - Goretzka, Musiala (Blind 67') - Sane (Ibrahimovic 77'), Müller (c) (Davies 46'), Gnabry - Choupo-Moting (Tel 67')
Unused subs: Ulreich, Sarr, Stanisic, Wanner
Out: Gravenberch (knee), Hernandez (knee), Kimmich (suspended), Mane (leg), Mazraoui (heart), Neuer (leg)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Bochum: Riemann - Janko, Ordets, Masovic, Stafylidis - Losilla (c), Kunde (Osterhage 85') - Förster (Stöger 46') - Zoller (Asano 68'), Hofmann (Ganvoula 68'), Antwi-Adjei (Holtmann 68')
Unused subs: Johansson, Soares, Osei-Tutu, Schlotterbeck
Out: Esser (muscular), Gamboa (knee), Grave (shoulder)
Coach: Thomas Letsch
Related news
Bundesliga 2, Matchday 17 overview
Kaiserslautern host promotion rivals Cologne in the pick of the year-ending fixtures in Germany's second tier...
Who are Elversberg?
All you need to know on the Saarland-based outfit, who are flying high at the top of Bundesliga 2...
Matchday 14 highlights!
Enjoy all the video highlights in one place as the Bundesliga title race was set alight with Bayern's first defeat, Leverkusen cutting the gap and Leipzig drawing level with Frankfurt.