Bayern beats Leipzig, takes big step toward Bundesliga title

Berlin, Apr 04 (AP): Leon Goretzka scored for Bayern Munich to take a giant step toward a record-extending ninth consecutive Bundesliga title with a 1-0 win at Leipzig.
Goretzka’s 38th-minute strike was enough for Bayern to move seven points clear of second-place Leipzig with seven games of the season remaining.
Bayern has only dropped points in seven games from 27 so far and the players celebrated the final whistle as if they had already won the title. “We don’t need to talk about the title,” Leipzig chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff said. Bayern had to make do without injured top-scorer Robert Lewandowski, a bitter blow for the Poland star who just needed to score against Leipzig to complete a remarkable feat of scoring against all 17 opposing teams in a Bundesliga season.
With Leipzig the only exception this season, Lewandowski will have to be content sharing the record for scoring against 16 opponents in the 18-team league.
Lewandowski is out for around four weeks with a knee injury picked up playing for Poland in a World Cup qualifier against Andorra. He is also in danger of missing out on the Bundesliga record for goals in a season.
Lewandowski needs just five more to match Bayern and West Germany great Gerd M ller’s haul of 40 from the 1971-72 season.
Leipzig tried hard but Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer really only had to make one outstanding save before the hour mark, denying the home side an equalizer when he tipped Marcel Sabitzer’s fierce strike over the crossbar.
Bayern’s goal could be replicated by Germany at the upcoming European Championship. Joshua Kimmich played a long ball to Thomas M ller, who eluded a defender and waited before playing it back for the in-rushing Goretzka to smash inside the right post.