Schalke 0-4 Bayern Munich
Bundesliga Matchday 18
24/01/21
Bayern Munich beat Schalke 4-0 to go seven points clear at the top of Bundesliga.
It was a relatively routine day in the status quo of German football, Schalke having not defeated Bayern for a decade now.
Muller scored with a header in the first half and another header in the 88th minute either side of Lewandowski’s superb finish. David Alaba added one at the end with a 25yard strike that went under Schalke keeper Ralf Fahrmann.
The victory keeps Bayern top by 7 whilst Schalke remain bottom of Bundesliga with relegation looming for the Royal Blues.
Further articles:
–Borussia Dortmund’s Title Tilt All But Over After Gladbach Beat The Blackyellows For The First Time In 5 Years: Match Report
–Bayern Munich Survive Late Scare To Beat Freiburg 2-1 In Bundesliga: Match Report
–Inquest: Bayern Crash Out The Cup To Division 2 Side Kiel Ending Defence Of The Treble – Are There Problems Emerging At The European Champions?
First half: Bayern lead through Muller
In some ways Bayern Munich owe Schalke quite a lot. Three of the Bavarian club’s stars – Leroy Sane, Leon Goretzka and Manuel Neuer – all formulated their careers in Gelsenkirchen.
Neuer and Goretzka are now mainstays in this historic Bayern side, Goretzka making his 100th appearance for the club today.
Sane is a recent acquisition. The former Man City forward was drafted in for the game in place of Kingsley Coman to play against his former club.
The Manchester connection was felt on both sides with Matija Nastasic who, after a promising start to his career at City, now plies his trade in the heart of the Ruhr Valley.
It has been a tumultuous season for club’s in the Rhur. Dortmund, supposed to be the main challengers to Bayern’s 9IAR, are down to 7th in the league whilst for Schalke, the Royal Blues are fighting for their premier league survival.
In doing that Schalke have gone through unimaginable dark times in the history of the club including a thirty game winless streak (only ended three games ago) and changing managers like pairs of socks.
Christian Gross is now at the helm after Manuel Baum was given a colossal nine matches to prove his worth at the Veltins-Arena. Gross is closer to insipid than inspiring. The Swiss may just be remembered by Tottenham fans after a brief spell as manager of the North London club for half of the 97/98 season, where Spurs finished 14th.
It was all bad news for Schalke and good for Bayern. The Blues were without former Arsenal defender and captain Sead Kolasinac and returning hero Klass Jan Huntelarr, the Dutchman signed back from Ajax in this, most likely the 37-year-old’s swansong season.
Bayern have seen their challengers collapse around them recently with Dortmund having lost the last two and now Leipzig succumbing, losing to second bottom Mainz yesterday 3-2. It meant if Bayern won they would go 7 clear at the top in a stage in the season where they rarely slip up – 1 defeat in the last 34 matches in the second half of campaigns.
Bayern, as per, were relentless from the get go. Lewandowski, looking likely to beat Gerd Muller’s 49 year 40 goal scoring record, should have buried a header from six yards that is meat and drink for the best player on the planet.
Serge Gnabry hasn’t scored for Bayern in 10 and it showed as the former West Brom forward spurned numerous chances including a rebound off Lewan’s freekick on 23’ and a header wide at the front post on 26’.
Bayern don’t have to worry too much though because if Gnabry isn’t scoring, or Sane, or Coman, or (dare we say it) Lewan, they always have Muller, who opened the scoring with a header on 33’ after a brilliant cross by Joshua Kimmich.
Schalke had their moments. Serdar with a header on 8’ just wide and saves from Neuer against Mark Uth on 11’ and Ozan Kabak from a corner on 29’.
Even though Neuer and a few of the Bayern player’s should show a little more gratitude to Schalke for helping set off their careers, serial winners like these just don’t.
Second half: More records broken by Lewandowski
This is likely to be the year that Gerd Muller’s record of 40 goals in a single Bundesliga season (71/72) is broken.
Robert Lewandowski now needs 17 goals from the remaining 16 games to match Muller’s record after showing poise and strength to both bring down Kimmich’s pass and shrug off the attentions of Kabak to put Bayern two up nine minutes into the half.
Not only did his finish keep up a record of most goals scored against a single club – 14 in 11 straight games against the Blues – it broke the Bundesliga record for run of goals scored away from home – 8 in a row.
Schalke hadn’t beaten Bayern in a decade and even though the Royal Blues had numerous chances they never looked as though they believed they could win.
Goals form Muller (header) and Alaba (25 yard strike) assured history repeated itself in the most routine fashion in Gelsenkirchen this afternoon.
MOTM: Robert Lewandowski
Three drafts of the MOTM with Kimmich and Muller just behind the Pole, but with Lewan having broken the record for most goals scored away from home (8 in a row) and most scored against a single club (14 in last 11 v Schalke), MOTM goes to Bayern’s number 9. The goal showed touch, poise and strength to finish. World class.
Schalke 04, 4-2-3-1: Fahrmann (GK) – Kabak, Nastasic, Becker, Oczipka – Serdar, Stambouli (C) – Uth, Harit (>72’), Raman – Hoppe (>72)
Subs: Langer (GK), Mendyl, Mascarell, Boujellab (>72’), Schopf (>72’), Thiaw, Mercan, Bozdogan
Bayern Munich, 4-2-3-1: Neuer (GK) (C) – Davies (>68’), Boateng, Sule, Alaba – Kimmich, Goretzka – Gnabry (>64’), Müller, Sane (>64) – Lewandowski (>80’)
Subs: Nübel (GK), Pavard, Costa, Choupo-Moting (>80’), Hernandez (>68’), Roca, Coman (>64’), Musiala (>64’)
Goals: Muller 33’, 88′ Lewandowski 54’, Alaba 90’
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 