Bayern ends 2‑game losing streak in Bundesliga to delay Bayer Leverkusen title celebrations

Raphaël Guerreiro and Thomas Müller fired Bayern Munich to a 2‐0 win over relegation‐threat‐ ened Cologne on Saturday, de‐ laying Bayer Leverkusen's Bundesliga title celebrations for another day.

Third‐placed Stuttgart fol‐ lowed with a 3‐0 win over Ein‐ tracht Frankfurt in the late game. Both Bayern and Stuttgart needed to lose to hand Leverkusen the championship. But their wins mean Leverkusen can clinch its first ever Bun‐ desliga title on its own accord on Sunday when it hosts Werder Bremen.

Bayern, which drew with Arse‐ nal 2‐2 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal in London on Tuesday, ended its two‐game losing run in the Bun‐ desliga.

Visiting Cologne had two big chances early on before Harry Kane struck the inside of the post and forced saves from Mar‐ vin Schwäbe. Mathys Tel struck the post before the break.

Bayern winger Kingsley Coman had to go off injured shortly after, a blow for Arse‐ nal's visit on Wednesday, then Guerreiro finally broke the deadlock with a fine strike in‐ side the far post in the 65th minute.

Müller sealed the win on a counterattack in stoppage time.

It cut Leverkusen's lead to 13 points, though Xabi Alonso's team just needs one more win from its last six games to take the title.

Serhou Guirassy, Deniz Undav and Jamie Leweling all scored in the first half to give Stuttgart a comfortable win over Frankfurt. It stretched Stuttgart's unbeaten run to nine games and brought Sebastian Hoeneß' team closer to Champions League qualifica‐ tion.

Guns N' Roses hit "Paradise City" rang around the stadium after the game. Only goal differ‐ ence was keeping Bayern ahead of Stuttgart.

Guirassy's 25 Bundesliga goals this season are a club record, Together with Undav, 16 goals, they've scored more league goals than any other club duo. Jürgen Klinsmann and Karl All‐ göwer had the previous club record of a combined 37 in the 1985‐86 season.

Leipzig defended fourth place from Dortmund by beating vis‐ iting Wolfsburg 3‐0. Only the top four are assured of Champi‐ ons League qualification.

Two first‐half goals from Mar‐ cel Sabitzer were enough for Dortmund to defeat Borussia Mönchengladbach 2‐1 away. Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi was sent off for a second yellow card in the 55th. They stayed behind Leipzig on goal differ‐ ence.

Ivory Coast hero Sébastien Haller's first start for Dortmund since winning the Africa Cup of Nations lasted just eight min‐ utes.

Haller scored in Dortmund's 2‐ 1 loss at Atlético Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal but has be‐ come a doubt for the second leg.

Also, Bochum defender Keven Schlotterbeck scored both goals in a 1‐1 draw with Heidenheim. Schlotterbeck's own goal gave the visitors an 81st‐minute lead, but he atoned with the equalizer in the final minute.

It was enough to stop Bochum dropping into the relegation zone, where Mainz remained despite a 4‐1 win over Hoffen‐ heim.

Man City earns big win over Luton despite rotating squad. Newcastle routs Tottenham at home again

With some of Manchester City's regular starters rested, Je‐ remy Doku and Mateo Kovacic made sure the defending cham‐ pion didn't miss a beat in the English Premier League title race.

Kovacic and Doku scored in the second half as Man City pulled away for a comfortable 5‐ 1 win over relegation‐threat‐ ened Luton on Saturday despite manager Pep Guardiola perhaps having one eye on Wednesday's game against Real Madrid.

Gaurdiola rested a handful of players — including key mid‐ fielder Rodri — but saw the re‐ placements fill in convincingly. Kovacic made it 2‐0 in the 51st with a thunderous strike from the edge of the area, while Doku earned the penalty that led to the third goal, scored the fourth himself and assisted on the fifth.

The win lifted City into first place, two points ahead of title rivals Arsenal and Liverpool, who both play on Sunday.

It was also a perfect prepara‐ tion for Madrid's visit for the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal, after a 3‐3 draw in Spain this week.

Kevin de Bruyne missed that game with an illness but was back in the starting lineup against Luton, as was goal‐ keeper Ederson.

And with the three‐way title race in the league looking set to go down to the wire, Guardiola knows this was just one of many must‐win games the team will face before the end of the sea‐ son.

For the second year in a row, Newcastle handed Tottenham quite the drubbing at St. James' Park.

After beating Spurs 6‐1 at home last April, Newcastle routed Ange Postecoglou's team 4‐0 to damage the visitors' hopes of a top‐four finish.

Just like last year, Alexander Isak netted two of the goals to take his season tally to 17 in the league and 21 overall this sea‐ son.

Anthony Gordon made it 2‐0 just 95 seconds after Isak opened the scoring, and added two assists.

It wasn't a fun day for Totten‐ ham defender Micky van de Ven, though. The center back was partially at fault for the first two goals as he slipped both times and let Isak and Gordon go past him inside the area.

The big loss meant Tottenham dropped below Aston Villa into fifth, behind on goal difference.