Bundesliga: Bayern win, Freiburg draw

Just one episode. And Bayern Munich takes back the lead. Albeit with some shivers at the end. The Bavarians win 2-1 at Stuttgart thanks to goals from De Ligt (in the 39th minute with a shot from distance) and Choupo-Moting (in the 62nd minute) and hook Borussia Dortmund in first place in the standings, extending to +5 on third-placed Union Berlin. In the end, Perea’s goal (88′) was useless.

Nagelsmann’s team, which will host PSG on Wednesday in the second leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League (after winning 1-0 in the first leg), didn’t play a great game, but it was enough to get the 3 points.

THE RACE

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Nagelsmann spares Mané, also leaves out Gnabry and Sané, and focuses again on Musiala, Muller and Coman, as well as Choupo-Moting. The rhythms are low, and the first opportunity arrives only in the 21st minute: with an assist from Coman it is Goretzka, with a header, who forces Bredlow to make a great save. Then, within two minutes, it was De Ligt who decided the match: first (in the 37th minute) he saved a header from Mavropanos on the line, then (in the 39th minute) he scored with a shot from distance on which Bredlow intervened delay. In fact, the match ended there: Stuttgart created nothing, Bayern doubled through Choupo-Moting in the 62nd minute: Musiala was quick and elegant in serving Muller who saw the Cameroonian striker pass the ball between the opponent’s goalkeeper’s legs. Nagelsmann takes the opportunity to save a few minutes for Musiala, Coman, Choupo-Moting, Muller and Goretzka, without his team ever getting into trouble. Stuttgart raises the white flag and loses the match long before the final whistle, so much so that Perea’s goal, in the 88th minute, is completely accidental. In the 5 minutes of added time Stuttgart was more active than in the rest of the game, proving that they had never really believed in it before and that they played under rhythm. In fact, it was enough for Bayern to find the 2-0 by inertia after Bredlow’s mistake on De Ligt’s shot to regain the lead. And get to the challenge with PSG as leaders of the Bundesliga, albeit on an equal footing.

THE OTHERS

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Freiburg, Juventus’ next European opponent, drew 0-0 at Gladbach and hooked Leipzig in fourth place. The standings are very short at the bottom: in addition to Stuttgart, Bochum, Schalke and Hoffenheim are also last at 19. This is after Schalke won 2-0 in the direct clash with Bochum and Hoffenheim was overtaken by Mainz for 1-0. Union Berlin and Cologne draw 0-0. Augsburg beat Werder Bremen 2-1.