Bundesliga almost in bag for Bayern
Hansi Flick’s side has been unstoppable since the league restarted and it continued its domination against an impressive Bayer Leverkusen.
With just four game weeks left in the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich is on course for an eighth straight league title.
Hansi Flick’s side has been unstoppable since the league restarted and it continued its domination against an impressive Bayer Leverkusen on June 6. It was Bayern’s 11th straight win in all competitions and keeps it four points clear at the top of the table.
Leverkusen, playing without its star player Kai Havertz, took the lead 10 minutes into the game, but Kingsley Coman equalised before the halfhour mark. The Bavarians took control of the game with two quick goals just before halftime and strolled to the nish line.
Robert Lewandowski scored his 30th league goal of the season, only the second time he has reached the mark in his career, while 17yearold Florian Wirtz’s consolation goal at the end made him the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history.
Borussia Dortmund might have fallen behind in its quest for a rst league title since 201213 following the Klassiker defeat, but it remains in good form to nish as the runnerup once again.
While Jadon Sancho’s hattrick helped Dortmund sail past Paderborn on May 31, Emre Can grabbed the only goal this time against a Hertha Berlin side that almost pulled o an impressive, backstothewall defensive strategy.
RB Leipzig’s quest for a Champions League spot has hit a few bumps since the league resumed, but its talisman Timo Werner continues to impress. The striker was all over the news 4■ hours before the game against Paderborn as several reports unocially conrmed his move to Premier League side Chelsea next season.
Werner set up Patrik Schick for the goal, but bottomofthetable Paderborn levelled the scores through Christian Stro
Players across the league have continued their support for the Black Lives Matter movement following the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
With the German football association deciding not to take action against the few players who spoke about the issue over the rst weekend of June, clubs and players got more vocal in voicing their opinions.
Mainz’s Cameroonian midelder Pierre Kunde Malong sunk to one knee after scoring against Eintracht Frankfurt, while both Dortmund and Hertha players took the knee around the Signal Iduna Park centre circle before their match.
Dortmund and Bayern players also wore Tshirts showing solidarity with the protests in their respective prematch warmups. Black armbands, a symbol against racism, were worn by Bayern and Leverkusen players in their clash.
Sancho was one the few players who called for justice after scoring a hattrick on May 31, and his coach Lucien Favre came out in full support of his actions, saying he “stood 100 percent behind” the English winger.
Players, and their clubs, have taken their protests from the eld to social media, joined by athletes and organisations from various leagues across sports.
“Sport always was and is able to share the power, to try to show to the world we are a community and that we are strong together,” Bayern’s Thomas Muller said.
With a plan to restart on June 17, the English Premier League has conducted multiple rounds of coronavirus tests. The sixth round saw 1,195 players and sta across the 20 clubs tested, with zero positive results recorded.
In all there have been just 13 positives results from an overall 6,274 tests carried out across six rounds. Testing is set to continue on a twiceweekly basis.
With clubs back to fullcontact training and in talks to plays friendlies ahead of the league’s resumption, a list of the initial round of xtures has been released.
Spanish football’s restart will see the unnished seconddivision game between Rayo Vallecano and Albacete played rst. The second half of the game will be played after the original contest in December was abandoned due to oensive chanting. Topight xtures will then restart a day later when Sevilla hosts Real Betis.
While the Premier League has eight match weeks to complete and La Liga 11, Serie A has the most rounds of xtures left — with teams yet to play either 12 or 13 rounds.
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