Relentless Bayern stay eight points clear

France star Michael Olise broke the deadlock before the break, Japanese defender Hiroki Ito doubled the lead after an hour and Jamal Musiala capped another inspirational display with a beautiful late third.

It was no less than Musiala deserved as the architect of a key victory that keeps Bayern clear at the top and a step closer to regaining their Bundesliga crown.

Late substitutes Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry combined in injury time with Gnabry adding a fourth to put the icing on the cake. Bayern have won seven of their eight league games since the turn of the year, drawing just once, at champions Bayer Leverkusen, last weekend.

Bayern went into this one with Thomas Mueller in attack, with the German veteran deputising for Harry Kane, who came off the bench for the first time in his Bundesliga career after only making it through the first half of Bayern's midweek Champions League game against Celtic.

Eintracht Frankfurt are still adjusting to life without Omar Marmoush, winning only two of their six league games since the Egyptian's January departure to Manchester City, and have fallen off the pace at the top of the Bundesliga.

They started this game well, limiting Bayern's chances but struggled to influence the course of the contest. Bayern had been on the front foot and their patience paid off, taking a deserved lead in stoppage time at the end of the first period.

It was no surprise that the excellent Musiala played a key role, picking out his Germany teammate Leroy Sane, whose low cross found Olise, who had a simple tap-in to cap a slick and quick Bayern move.

Bayern didn't let up in the second half and, while their second was fortuitous in nature, it was no less than the league leaders deserved. Frankfurt keeper Kevin Trapp failed to meet Sane's corner which was met by Eric Dier, whose header deflected off the unlucky Rasmus Kristensen and to the feet of Ito, who couldn't miss from a yard out.

Musiala put the result beyond doubt in the 83rd minute, showing tenacity, strength and skill to duck and weave his way past Frankfurt's last defenders, before drilling a low left-footed shot past Trapp.

Gnabry collected Coman's pass to steer in to make it 4-0, a scoreline that did not flatter the Bavarians. Leverkusen, had already won this weekend, 2-0 at Holstein Kiel on Saturday, meaning the gap between them remains the same with 11 games to play. Earlier on Sunday, RB Leipzig fought back to salvage a 2-2 draw with struggling Heidenheim.

 

February 23, 2025

Leipzig lifeline

Heidenheim took a shock sixth-minute lead through Mathias Honsak, whose sublime shot from outside the box left the hosts rattled. Things got even better for the visitors when Leipzig captain Willi Orban was adjudged to have clipped Marvin Pieringer in the box.

Despite Orban's protests, Pieringer dusted himself down and calmly slotted in the second of his two penalties this season. Heidenheim, who came into this game second bottom of the Bundesliga and without a league victory in six, had goalkeeper Kevin Mueller to thank for keeping them in the contest.

But in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, Leipzig found a lifeline. Benjamin Sesko cushioned Kevin Kampl's cross into the path of Ikoma Lois Openda with the Belgian finding the bottom corner to halve Heidenheim's lead.

Leipzig restored parity through a controversial penalty in the 64th minute. Heidenheim defender Tim Siersleben was punished for putting a hand in Openda's face. After an extended VAR review, Sesko cooly slotted in from 12 yards.

The visitors dug deep to secure a valuable point - their first since January 15 - in their quest to avoid relegation. Leipzig meanwhile missed the chance to return to the top four, treading water in sixth.

 

February 23, 2025