BERLIN — Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry, who came on as a substitute, netted a goal in the dying moments of the game to secure a commanding 4-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, who currently sit in third place. This win further solidifies Bayern’s lead in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
Gnabry managed to slot the ball between the legs of Frankfurt’s goalkeeper, Kevin Trapp, in the second minute of stoppage time. This was shortly after Jamal Musiala showcased his skill by skillfully maneuvering past several defenders and scoring Bayern’s third goal following a favorable bounce from the ball.
Despite the absence of their top goal scorer, Harry Kane, who only made a late appearance in the match, Bayern maintained an eight-point cushion over the defending champions, Bayer Leverkusen, with just 11 matches left in the season.
The only downside for Bayern was the injury of midfielder Joshua Kimmich, who had to exit the game early after experiencing discomfort in the back of his left thigh.
Coach Vincent Kompany decided against starting Kane, who recently suffered a facial injury during the draw with Leverkusen the previous week. He implemented six changes from the squad that drew with Celtic 1-1 in the Champions League playoffs earlier in the week, with veteran Thomas Müller taking the lead in the attack.
Bayern board member for sport, Max Eberl, commented on the team’s recent performances, stating, “We heard a few things about ourselves last week. We remained composed and concentrated on our objective: defeating the team ranked third in the Bundesliga at our home ground. We achieved that.”
Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitiké had the earliest opportunity to score but failed to capitalize on a mistake made by Hiroki Ito. Shortly after, Musiala’s effort was cleared off the line, ensuring more chances were yet to come for Bayern.
Bayern took control of the match and opened the scoring through Michael Olise before halftime. Ito then found the net for the second goal in the 61st minute, marking his first goal for Bayern from a corner kick.
In relegation news, both Stuttgart and Leipzig were unable to gain ground in their pursuit of qualification for the Champions League after drawing their respective matches on Sunday. Leipzig managed a 2-2 draw at home against Heidenheim, who are battling against relegation, while Stuttgart missed an opportunity against Hoffenheim, which concluded in a 1-1 draw after both teams exchanged goals.
As a result, Freiburg now occupies the fourth position, the final spot for Champions League qualification, with Mainz following closely, ahead of Leipzig due to goal difference. Stuttgart remains in seventh place, two points shy of sixth-placed Leipzig.
