Bayern climb to second as Gladbach slip up in Berlin
AFP- Managerless Bayern Munich went second in the Bundesliga on Saturday with a 4-0 romp at Fortuna Duesseldorf as leaders Borussia Moenchengladbach suffered a shock 2-0 defeat at Union Berlin.
Bayern’s interim coach Hansi Flick enjoyed his third straight win since Niko Kovac was sacked earlier this month as Munich moved to within a point of Gladbach.
Despite rumours linking ex-tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino to the Bayern vacancy, Flick has been told he will be in charge until at least Christmas.
“I enjoy here and now. It will be like that until Christmas and I’m just trying to do my job well,” Flick told Sky over the Pochettino rumours.
“We all know that football is a daily business. All I can say is that I enjoy working with the team, and they are doing very well.” A topof-the-table showdown beckons in a fortnight when Gladbach host Bayern at Borussia Park.
“We feel good, as you can see on the pitch. And I think the way we are playing, and the results, speak for themselves,” said Bayern forward Thomas Mueller.
RB Leipzig can draw level on 24 points with Bayern if they win at home to strugglers Cologne later on Saturday evening.
Bayern routed Dusseldorf with Robert Lewandowski failing to score in a league game for the first time this season and ending his record 11-match run
Bayern routed Dusseldorf with goals by Philippe Coutinho, Serge Gnabry, Benjamin Pavard and Corentin Tolisso, with Robert Lewandowski failing to score in a league game for the first time this season and ending his record 11-match run.
However it was the Poland forward who forced a corner from which Pavard scored the opening goal after 11 minutes.
His France team-mate Tolisso then doubled the lead in the 27th minute after Duesseldorf’s US international Zack Steffen surrendered possession.
Serge Gnabry, who scored a hattrick in Germany’s 6-1 thrashing of Northern Ireland in mid-week, continued his goal-scoring run when he was presented with a simple tap-in by Mueller seven minutes later.
Lewandowski turned provider again with the 70th-minute cross which Coutinho swept into the net to complete the rout.