Bayern wins eighth straight Bundesliga title Pep concerned as Prem returns
BREMEN, GERMANY » Bayern Munich secured its eighth successive German Bundesliga title Tuesday with two games to spare after beating Werder Bremen, 1-0, with a goal from Robert Lewandowski.
The win on a wet night in Bremen put Bayern 10 points clear of second-place Borussia Dortmund, which can earn a maximum nine points from its three remaining games.
Werder kept Bremen at bay for most of the first half but the champions still found a breakthrough. Jerome Boateng played a perfectly weighted ball over the defense in the 43rd minute for Robert Lewandowski to control on his chest and hit past the goalkeeper for his 31st Bundesliga goal this season.
Bayern finished with 10 men after a second yellow card for Alphonso Davies in the 79th minute. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer made a crucial late save to stop Yuya Osako’s header.
Bayern powered to its 30th German title with a perfect record of seven wins in the Bundesliga since it resumed last month in empty stadiums amid the coronavirus pandemic. Hansi Flick has coached Bayern to 26 wins from 29 games in all competitions since he took over in November.
Bayern is chasing a possible triple. It can add the German Cup if it beats Bayer Leverkusen in the July 4 final and is in contention for the Champions League. Europe’s premier club competition was postponed because of the coronavirus but is due to finish in a tournament format in August.
LONDON » Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is worried that Premier League players are risking injury by returning after an “incredible lack of preparation” and has no idea what to expect when his team plays Arsenal on Wednesday.
The top English clubs are resuming play after as little as three weeks of contact training following the lockdown.
With City also involved in the FA Cup, Guardiola’s team is facing three games per week in an effort to finish the domestic season by Aug. 1. City could then be involved in an eight-team knockout bracket to complete the Champions League in midAugust, which would eat into the squad’s preparation time for the 2020-21 season.