Goretzka winner places Bayern within one victory of Bundesliga title

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich moved to within pretty one buy of an eighth straight Bundesliga title as a gradual Leon Goretzka impartial sealed a 2-1 victory over Borussia Moenchengladbach at the Allianz Enviornment on Saturday.

Teenage striker Joshua Zirkzee put Bayern ahead before Benjamin Pavard’s appreciate impartial levelled for Gladbach, but Goretzka netted his third impartial in five league games with four minutes final.

Even without the suspended Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller, Bayern earned their 13th straight buy in all competitions to re-establish their seven-level lead over Borussia Dortmund at the head of the desk with three suits left.

Victory at relegation-threatened Werder Bremen on Tuesday will ascertain Bayern as German champions for the 30th time in Hansi Flick’s first season responsible.

“I am happy that the crew obtained the job completed with some laborious work — these dangle been three vital, ‘huge’ aspects,” stated Flick.

2nd-placed Dortmund had earlier trimmed Bayern’s lead to four aspects when Erling Braut Haaland’s closing-gasp header grabbed a dramatic 1-0 buy at Fortuna Duesseldorf.

Bayern had to dig deep again, having also laboured to victory by the identical margin in Wednesday’s German Cup semi-final buy over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Gladbach made a quick initiate up but dangle been denied an early lead as Jonas Hofmann’s strike became as soon as ruled out for offside.

However visiting goalkeeper Yann Sommer proficient Bayern a 26th-minute profit when his unpleasant hotfoot across the perimeter of his rental became as soon as met by the 19-year-feeble Zirkzee, who coolly came upon the procure to ranking his fourth Bundesliga impartial from pretty eight appearances.

Gladbach deservedly drew stage even though when Pavard grew to become Patrick Herrmann’s corrupt into his appreciate procure eight minutes before the fracture.

Either side had 2nd-half possibilities, but Goretzka settled issues when he grew to become house Pavard’s low corrupt.

– Haaland strikes on return –

Earlier, Dortmund dangle been heading against a traumatic draw at relegation-threatened Fortuna when Haaland headed house centre-abet Manuel Akanji’s corrupt in the 95th minute.

“It be a minute bit of a fortunate component that we dangle been ready to stroll away with the buy this present day,” admitted Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Buerki.

With time virtually up, Haaland, who returned from hurt as a 2nd-half change, flicked a header into the bottom nook for his 14th impartial in 15 games since becoming a member of Dortmund from Salzburg in January.

Dortmund had persevered a apprehensive final 10 minutes as Duesseldorf change Steven Skrzybski twice hit the post and fired broad before Haaland struck.

Haaland’s impartial, coupled with Bayern’s buy, ensured Dortmund certified for next season’s Champions League neighborhood stage.

Duesseldorf, who buy the relegation play-off space, are now handiest before 2nd-bottom Werder Bremen on impartial distinction following their 5-1 thumping of Paderborn.

– Lifeline for Bremen –

Bremen, who dangle spent more seasons in the Bundesliga than any assorted club, answered to abet-to-abet house defeats with an emphatic away victory in pouring rain as Davy Klaassen netted both facet of a impartial by Japanese forward Yuya Osako in the first half.

Maximilian Eggestein made it four with handiest an hour gone, after Bremen forward Milot Rashica also had a penalty saved, before Abdelhamid Sabiri scored a consolation for rock-bottom Paderborn.

Bremen change Niclas Fuellkrug capped a fairytale return from a excessive knee hurt when he slotted house the fifth impartial gradual on.

Paderborn are now mathematically obvious to construct in the bottom three.

Ten-man Hertha Berlin suffered a 4-1 thrashing at house by Eintracht Frankfurt after defender Dedryck Boyata became as soon as sent off on the stroke of half-time for bringing down Bas Dost.

Krzysztof Piatek gave Hertha an early lead, but Frankfurt roared abet with a impartial from Dost, two from Portuguese forward Andre Silva and one for French defender Evan N’Dicka.

Freiburg came from two targets down to accomplish a 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg in a sport which observed the hosts’ striker Wout Weghorst dangle two targets disallowed by VAR.

Union Berlin pulled some distance from the relegation places with their first victory since February, winning 2-1 at Cologne.