Harry Kane penalty edges Bayern Munich past resilient Borussia Mönchengladbach
Bayern Munich maintained their four-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach, Harry Kane's second-half penalty settling an absorbing encounter at Borussia-Park.
Gladbach 0-1 Bayern Munich
Goals: 0-1 Kane 68’ (pen.)
The contest at Borussia-Park promised to be a thriller, with the away side looking to maintain their four-point lead at the top of the table and Gladbach keen to continue their recent upturn in form.
The first half was a tale of Bayern dominance, with the visitors controlling possession and creating numerous chances. Thomas Müller, Leon Goretzka, and Michael Olise all had opportunities to open the scoring, but found Gladbach goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas in inspired form.
Despite Bayern's 71 per cent possession and eight shots to nil in the opening 45 minutes, the teams went into the break level at 0-0. It was often a case of backs to the wall as Gladbach tried to keep the Bavarian onslaught at bay.
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Kane breaks the deadlock
The second half saw the Foals emerge in a more determined fashion, with Tim Kleindienst heading just over the bar in the 49th minute.
However, Bayern continued to press, and their breakthrough finally came in the 68th minute. Olise, who had been a thorn in Gladbach's side all evening, was brought down in the box by Lukas Ullrich. Kane stepped up to take the resulting penalty, calmly slotting it past Nicolas to give Bayern a 1-0 lead. The goal was Kane's 15th of the season, putting him back at the top of the Bundesliga scoring charts.
Gladbach push for equaliser
Gerardo Seoane's side refused to give up, pushing hard for an equaliser in the closing stages. However, with the hosts pushing forward, there were gaps to exploit at the other end. In the dying minutes, Gnabry had a golden opportunity to seal the win for Bayern, but Nicolas produced yet another stunning save to keep his team in the game. Despite their efforts, Gladbach couldn't find a way through, and Bayern held on for a 1-0 victory.
Player of the Match: Moritz Nicolas
Despite ending up on the losing side, Gladbach goalkeeper Nicolas put in a performance worthy of the Player of the Match accolade. The 25-year-old made a series of crucial saves throughout the game, denying Müller, Goretzka, and Gnabry with spectacular stops. Nicolas's heroics kept Gladbach in the game until the very end, and his final tally of eight saves, many of them from point-blank range, underlined his importance to the team. Without Nicolas's outstanding performance, Bayern could have won by a much larger margin.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Gladbach 0.64 - Bayern 3.7
Fastest player: Alphonso Davies (Bayern), 34.5 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 0-1 by Harry Kane (Bayern), 76.7 percent
Most pressed player: Michael Olise (Bayern), 41 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern), +2.54
Fantasy Heroes: Michael Olise (Bayern, 390 Points), Moritz Nicolas (Gladbach, 320 Points), Alphonso Davies (Bayern, 320 Points)
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