Hamburg, April 12 (IANS) FC Bayern beat St Pauli 5-0 to extend their lead in the Bundesliga to 12 points. It meant Bayern broke the Bundesliga’s single-season scoring record with now 105 goals this campaign.
Jamal Musiala handed Bayern an early lead, with Leon Goretzka, Michael Olise, Nicolas Jackson and Raphael Guerreiro scoring after the break.
Bayern started with Manuel Neuer in goal and Konrad Laimer, Minjae Kim, Hiroki Ito and Tom Bischof in a back four. Joshua Kimmich and Goretzka anchored a midfield featuring Olise, Musiala and Guerreiro, with Jackson up front. Josip Stanisic, Jonathan Tah, Alphonso Davies, Luis Díaz and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye took over from Laimer, Ito, Kimmich, Olise and Musiala in the second half, Bayern Munich reports.
Bayern were dominant throughout and took an early lead when Laimer’s cross found Musiala, who headed home. It was Bayern’s 101st goal this campaign, equalling the Bundesliga record from 1971/72. Jackson’s deflected shot hit the bar before Olise fired wide from 15 yards as the Bavarians pushed for more.
Kimmich soon intercepted a pass and teed up Guerreiro, who flicked it into the path of Musiala but his shot crashed away off the inside of the post.
Kim made a fine block against Mathias Pereira Lage before Musiala miscued a header and Laimer fired wide as Bayern were one up at the break.
The pattern was similar after the restart, although Andreas Hountondji soon tested Neuer. The goal record finally fell when Kimmich’s free-kick was flicked on and Goretzka volleyed home the team’s 102nd of the league season.
Bayern’s second opened the floodgates and they all but put the game to bed less than a minute later when Goretzka intercepted a pass and set up Olise, who charged down the middle and found the bottom left corner of the net.
Díaz saw an effort blocked, but Munich added a fourth when they won the ball and Musiala invited Jackson to slot home. Vincent Kompany’s men made it five in the closing stages, Jackson winning the ball and setting up Guerreiro, who scored Bayern’s 105th goal this season. Goretzka headed in another in added time, but the goal was chalked off for offside on review.
The victory takes Bayern onto 76 points, 12 clear of Borussia Dortmund with five matches to go. Vincent Kompany’s team will be back in action on Wednesday when they take on Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.
–IANS
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