Bayern eye treble after Poland striker claims league scoring record
Bayern Munich are eyeing the treble this season after Robert Lewandowski claimed the record for the most goals scored by a foreigner in the Bundesliga as the champions swept past Freiburg 3-1 on Saturday, while Werder Bremen look set to be relegated after losing at Mainz.
Borussia Dortmund wrapped up second place with a 2-0 win at RB Leipzig.
At a spectator-free Allianz Arena, Joshua Kimmich gave Bayern the lead before Lewandowski scored twice before halftime to give him 33 league goals this season and 48 in all competitions.
The Poland striker’s tally beats the previous record of 31 goals set by Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2016-17 for Borussia Dortmund before he moved to present club Arsenal.
The pressure was off for Bayern as they were crowned Bundesliga champions for the eighth consecutive season in midweek.
They are hunting the treble as they face Leverkusen in the German Cup final on July 4 and are among the favorites for the Champions League, which resumes in August.
“If you have confidence, that’s a plus point you can underpin with victories,” said head coach Hansi Flick after Bayern’s 15th straight win.
“I hope we can keep it that way for a long time to come.
“We still have a lot to do. The interim goal is to be successful in the cup.
“And then there’s another goal [the Champions League], where we will try to get as far as possible.”
Flick rotated his squad with New Zealand midfielder Sarpreet Singh given his first start after becoming the first player of Indian origin to appear in the Bundesliga in December.
At the foot of the table, Bremen are set to be relegated for the first time in 40 years after they slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Mainz.
Forwards Robin Quaison and Jean-Paul Boetius handed the hosts a comfortable lead, before Japan striker Yuya Osako gave Bremen hope by making it 2-1 with half an hour left.
Swiss substitute Edimilson Fernandes settled the matter when he got in behind the Bremen defense and made it 3-1 on 85 minutes for Mainz, who will now stay up. The result leaves Bremen second from bottom and two points from 16th place which triggers a relegation playoff.
To have any chance of staying up, Bremen must beat Cologne at home next weekend and hope 16th-placed Fortuna Duesseldorf, who drew 1-1 with Augsburg on Saturday, lose at mid-table Union Berlin.
Haaland secures second place for Dortmund
Erling Braut Haaland scored twice to seal Dortmund’s win against third-placed Leipzig and secure the Bundesliga runners-up spot.
Dortmund and Bayern have both qualified for next season’s Champions League, but two out of Leipzig, Gladbach and Leverkusen can still join them.
Haaland now has 13 goals in 14 league games since joining from Red Bull Salzburg after he showed more lethal finishing from crosses by 17-year-old US midfielder Giovanni Reyna and then Julian Brandt.
Haaland has 44 goals in 39 games for Dortmund and Salzburg this season.
Germany striker Timo Werner, who joins Chelsea next month, failed to add to his 26 league goals, second only to Lewandowski.
“It’s a shame he couldn’t sign off with a goal after so much success here,” said Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Moenchengladbach boosted their Champions League chances with a 3-1 win at bottom side Paderborn, who had defender Uwe Huenemeier sent off.
Germany midfielder Lars Stindl scored a penalty, then grabbed a goal after winger Patrick Herrmann gave Gladbach an early lead.
Leverkusen dropped to fifth, two points behind Gladbach and three adrift of third-placed Leipzig, after their 2-0 defeat at Hertha Berlin, whose Brazilian striker Matheus Cunha and former Watford forward Dodi Lukebakio both scored.
Schalke are now 15 games without a victory as David Wagner’s side was hammered 4-1 at home by Wolfsburg, who stay sixth in the Europa League places.
Schalke’s Welsh striker Rabbi Matondo scored his first league goal since September, but Wolfsburg striker Wout Weghorst led the charge by scoring twice to leave him with 16 goals this season.
Union Berlin, who were fined by the German league for breaking social-distancing rules for an impromptu party with their fans in the stadium car park after their survival was confirmed on Tuesday, crashed 4-0 at Hoffenheim.
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski (right) vies with Freiburg defender Dominique Heintz on Saturday in Munich, Germany. Photo: VCG
