Hummels puts Bayern back on track
BERLIN: Mats Hummels headed the winner as Bayern Munich beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 to end a three-game winless streak and trim RB Leipzig’s Bundesliga lead to three points.
Leipzig had gone six points clear at the summit on Friday with a 4-1 win at Freiburg, and Bayern were grateful to Hummels for heading home a Joshua Kimmich corner in the second half as they got the better of Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena to cut the deficit on Saturday.
Thiago Alcantara had given Carlo Ancelotti’s Bayern a first-half lead only for Hakan Calhanoglu to make it 1-1 at the break before Hummels struck.
In the second half, Leverkusen’s Kevin Kampl and Kevin Volland both went close with late chances to equalise.
The result returns second-placed Bayern to winning ways following a 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim, a 1-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund and Wednesday’s 3-2 Champions League loss at Rostov.
“It was an important win, we needed a reaction and I think we are improving,” said Ancelotti.
“Every team wants to be at the top, what matters is at the end of the season, but congratulations to RB Leipzig, they are having a great season.”
The win boosted Bayern, who re-elected Uli Hoeness as club president on Friday despite the 64-year-old having only finished a 21-month jail sentence for tax evasion in February.
Before kick-off against Leverkusen, Hoeness apologised for having declared on Friday that RB Leipzig had joined Borussia Dortmund as being categorised as an “enemy” of Bayern.
“In football – there are rivals and opponents,” Hoeness told Sky.
“I’d officially like to take the word ‘enemy’ back and I apologise for it.”
Earlier, Dortmund were brought crashing to earth following a record Champions League win in midweek with a 2-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt, who went third.
It was a first defeat in 10 games for Dortmund and followed their 8-4 romp on Tuesday at home to Legia Warsaw – a record score for a Champions League game.
Hungary international Szabolcs Huszti gave the home side the lead only for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to equalise, before Haris Seferovic grabbed the winner for Frankfurt, who are unbeaten in six league games. — AFP