Bayern restore 9 point BuLi lead with 3-0 win

 

Munich: Bayern Munich can secure a 10th straight Bundesliga title next weekend after they bounced back from their Champions League exit in midweek with a 3-0 win at Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday.

An own goal by Bielefeld defender Jacob Laursen and strikes by Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala saw Bayern move nine points clear in the table.

There are four games left and Bayern can secure the title by beating second-placed Borussia Dortmund in next Saturday's top-of-the-table clash in Munich.

Bayern returned to winning ways five days after conceding a last-gasp equaliser at home to Villarreal to crash out of the Champions League with a 2-1 aggregate defeat in the quarter-finals.

Bayern were ahead after less than 10 minutes in Bielefeld when a Joshua Kimmich pass found its way to Robert Lewandowski, who got a touch before Laursen helped it over the line.

Bayern had a let-off when Japan midfielder Masaya Okugawa clipped the ball over Dayot Upamecano before firing past Manuel Neuer, but the goal was ruled offside.

Just before half-time, Bielefeld midfielder Fabian Kunze was stretchered off after being elbowed in the head by Bayern's Tanguy Nianzou, who was booked for the challenge.

It was Bielefeld's third serious head injury in recent weeks.

In the seventh minute of first-half stoppage time, Bayern doubled their lead when Gnabry got on the end of another Kimmich pass to tap home.

Bielefeld kept searching for a goal to get back into the game after the break, but Bayern substitute Musiala secured the points with a late third.

Atlético Madrid lost two players to injury and were reduced to 10-men but found the winner thanks to a 100th-miunte Yannick Carrasco penalty against Espanyol on Sunday.

An uneventful first half had little to note with Jan Oblak being forced into an early save and Atleti losing both João Félix and Thomas Lemar to injury at half-time - with the latter leaving the field in tears.

Diego Simeone's enforced substitutions bore fruit though as Antoine Griezmann, Matheus Cunha and Carrasco combined. Cutting in off the left side Carrasco gave the hosts the lead with a well-placed finish at the near post.

The visitors found their equaliser when de Tomás stepped and scored the resulting free-kick although Oblak will look back and wish he'd done better.

The controversy didn't end there as Atlético Madrid were awarded a penalty in the dying embers of the match for a de Tomás handball after a length VAR check. Carrasco stepped up to the spot and made no mistake, winning the game for Atleti 2-1. (PTI)