Bayern Munich continued their strong league form by securing a 2-1 victory over Freiburg on Saturday, moving six points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. This result further strengthens their position as league leaders, especially after their rivals, Bayer Leverkusen, were held to a 2-2 draw at RB Leipzig.
The match in Freiburg saw Harry Kane play a crucial role, scoring in the 15th minute. Kane, assisted by his English teammate Eric Dier, fired a low shot past Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu, marking his first goal from open play since mid-November. The goal also added to Kane’s impressive tally, bringing his total to 17 goals in 17 league appearances this season.
Bayern doubled their advantage in the 54th minute through Kim Min-jae. The defender outmuscled Atubolu and headed in a well-delivered corner from Joshua Kimmich.
Freiburg attempted a comeback, and in the 68th minute, Matthias Ginter scored from a corner to make it 2-1, putting Bayern under pressure.
However, the visitors held firm, managing to see out the game despite a difficult week, following a 3-0 loss to Feyenoord in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Joshua Kimmich reflected on the match afterward, noting, “We’ve played better games than that, but that is exactly what you need sometimes. We deserved to win.”
Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen’s disappointing draw against Leipzig means they remain six points behind Bayern Munich. Leverkusen had been in control early in their match, with Florian Wirtz playing a pivotal role in setting up both of their goals.
His first assist came in the 18th minute when he forced a shot against the post, allowing Patrik Schick to tap in and give Leverkusen the lead. The second goal, which arrived in the 36th minute, was a controversial one. Wirtz won the ball from Leipzig’s David Raum near the sideline, with many believing he had fouled the Leipzig player in the process.
Nevertheless, Wirtz cut the ball back to Aleix Garcia, who scored. However, Leipzig fought back, with Raum scoring a deflected free kick before Edmond Tapsoba’s own goal leveled the score in the dying minutes.
Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso expressed mixed feelings after the draw, stating, “We’re not satisfied, things could have been better but they could have been worse. We’ll keep going.” Patrik Schick added, “We weren’t effective enough up front and Leipzig played well today. Not many teams win here.”
In other Bundesliga action, Borussia Dortmund’s struggles continued in their first match since sacking coach Nuri Sahin. Despite being reduced to 10 men after Nico Schlotterbeck’s red card in the 21st minute, Dortmund still managed to take a 2-0 lead against Werder Bremen.
However, Bremen made a strong comeback, scoring twice in quick succession to earn a 2-2 draw. Dortmund’s interim coach Mike Tullberg will remain in charge for their upcoming Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Elsewhere, Mainz maintained their strong form with a 2-0 win over Stuttgart, lifting them to sixth place, just one point behind the Champions League spots. A last-minute goal from Keven Schlotterbeck secured a 2-1 win for Augsburg over Heidenheim.
