Bundesliga roundup: Lewandowski hits brace, Reus fills his boots in drubbing
Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Bayern Munich overcame the shock of falling behind to the Bundesliga’s bottom club, Greuther Fürth, and went on to win 4-1 to maintain their six-point lead at the top of the table.
A deflected free-kick from Branimir Hrgota three minutes before half-time gave Fuerth the lead and silenced the Allianz Arena. The goal looked ominous for Bayern, who were beaten 4-2 at Bochum last week and held 1-1 at Salzburg in the Champions League on Wednesday – their longest run without a win for 10 months. But they took less than 30 seconds of the second half to hit back, Lewandowski netting from close range after the ball had ricocheted off Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and into his path.
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The champions went on to dominate the game and took the lead through an own-goal from Sebastian Griesbeck just after the hour mark. Lewandowski headed in Bayern’s third in the 82nd minute, his 28th league goal in 23 appearances this season, before Choupo-Moting added a final goal in added time, knocking in a cross from Serge Gnabry from close range. The victory took the leaders to 55 points from 23 games and left Fuerth propping up the table on 13 points.
Later on Sunday afternoon, the Borussia Dortmund captain, Marco Reus, played a part in five goals as his side hammered his former club Borussia Mönchengladbach 6-0 to stay in touch with Bayern. Reus, who left Gladbach for Dortmund just over a decade ago, scored two goals and provided three assists, though he opted not to take a penalty his side were awarded in added time.
The victory soothed the pain of two humbling recent home defeats for Dortmund: Thursday’s 4-2 reverse to Rangers in the Europa League and a 5-2 loss to Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga two weeks ago.
Marco Reus celebrates his second goal. Photograph: Alex Grimm/Getty Images
Reus opened the scoring in the 26th minute when he pounced on the rebound after Yann Sommer had parried a shot from Donyell Malen. Reus returned the favour six minutes later, playing a one-two with the Dutchman, who powered a shot through the grasp of Sommer to double Dortmund’s advantage.
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It was Dortmund who struck next to put the result beyond doubt, Reus teeing up the substitute Marius Wolf to score in the 70th minute.
The captain added his third assist of the game four minutes later as Youssoufa Moukoko, another substitute, netted Dortmund’s fourth and Reus added to his tally by smashing the ball in after a long punt from Mats Hummels. Emre Can completed Gladbach’s humiliation from the spot after Wolf was felled in the box.
RB Leipzig reclaimed fourth place and the last spot for Champions League qualification with a 6-1 rout at coronavirus-hit Hertha Berlin, wo remain in relegation trouble.
Hertha competed well in the first hour despite missing eight players infected with Covid-19, deservedly equalizing through Stevan Jovetic in the 48th minute after Benjamin Henrichs had put the visitors ahead in the 20th.
But Marc Oliver Kempf’s sending off in the 62nd ended Hertha’s hopes. The defender was shown a red card for hauling down Christopher Nkunku, who was through on goal. Nkunku scored from the penalty spot and added another goal three minutes later before Dani Olmo got Leipzig’s fourth in the 74th.
American midfielder Tyler Adams was introduced in the 80th minute and set up Amadou Haidara two minutes later, before Yussuf Poulsen completed the scoring.
There will be no Bundesliga blog from Andy Brassell this week but it will return on Monday 28 February