BERLIN: Harry Kane claimed his 33rd league goal of the season and Thomas Mueller scored twice as Bayern Munich hammered Union Berlin 5-1 away in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Just a week after Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen broke Bayern’s 11-year title run, the visitors were dominant and clinical in the German capital.
Kane blasted in an excellent free-kick and laid on a second-half goal for Mathys Tel and has now 51 goal involvements in all competitions this season, his best-ever mark.
In the Bundesliga, the England captain is eight shy of Robert Lewandowski’s single season record with four games remaining.
Bayern rested star attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala after Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Arsenal sent them through to the final four of the Champions League but they had no difficulty creating chances against the Union defense.
Handed a rare start, French teenager Tel set up Leon Goretzka’s 29th-minute opener, with Kane scoring a superb free-kick in first-half stoppage time.
Mueller, playing his 470th Bundesliga game for Bayern, scored both of his goals in the second half, either side of a strike from Tel.
Union, who faced Real Madrid and Napoli in the Champions League this season, pulled one back late through Yorbe Vertessen, have now won just one of their past eight and sit three points clear of the relegation places.
Earlier , RB Leipzig tightened their grip on fourth place, the final guaranteed Champions League spot, with a 2-1 win at Heidenheim as Lois Openda scored his 23rd goal of the season.
Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko opened the scoring shortly before half-time, pouncing on some disorganized defending from the home side for his 10th league goal this term.
Heidenheim, who have beaten Bayern Munich and drawn with Dortmund twice in their first season in the top division, struck back with 20 minutes remaining, Nikola Dovedan heading in following a free-kick.
Leipzig, who are in a battle with Champions League semifinalists Dortmund for fourth place and host them next week, grabbed the winner with five minutes remaining when Openda tapped in a Mohamed Simakan pass.
Leipzig sit three points clear of Dortmund who host champions Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday. Fourth place is guaranteed to play Champions League but fifth could also qualify due to the strong performances of German sides in the competition this season.
RB captain Willi Orban was pleased his side made it through an “incredibly difficult match,” telling Sky “plenty of top sides have dropped points here, but we’ve taken all three — it was deserved.”
Elsewhere, a hat-trick from Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Robin Hack was not enough as his side lost 4-3 at Hoffenheim.
Hoffenheim led 3-1 midway through the second half before Hack scored twice in 11 minutes to level the score with just a minute remaining, but Anton Stach scored in stoppage time for the home side to snatch victory.
Bottom side Darmstadt won their first league match since October, beating second-last Cologne 2-0 thanks to goals from Oscar Vilhelmsson and Cristoph Klarer.
Despite the win, Darmstadt remain 10 points from safety with four games remaining.
Cologne’s chances of beating the drop are falling fast. They are five points away from 15th-placed Bochum, the final safe spot.
Bochum lost 1-0 at Wolfsburg, with Ralph Hasenhuettl’s side winning thanks to a goal from Jonas Wind.
Wind’s goal deepened Bochum’s woes a week after sacking coach Thomas Letsch, with the side just one point clear of the relegation spots.
Mueller bags brace, Kane hits goal 33 as Bayern thump Union
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Mueller bags brace, Kane hits goal 33 as Bayern thump Union
- Just a week after Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen broke Bayern’s 11-year title run, the visitors were dominant and clinical in the German capital
- Mueller, playing his 470th Bundesliga game for Bayern, scored both of his goals in the second half, either side of a strike from Tel
Osimhen steers Nigeria into Africa Cup knockout stage, Senegal made to wait
- Nigeria is assured of its place in the last 16 with a maximum six points in Group C
- After two games, Senegal leads Group D with four points, ahead of Congo on goal difference
RABAT, Morocco: Victor Osimhen scored a rare Africa Cup of Nations goal and Nigeria booked its place in the knockout stage with an ultimately nervy 3-2 win over Tunisia on Saturday.
The Super Eagles almost squandered a three-goal lead as Montassar Talbi pulled a goal back in the 74th minute and Ali Abdi converted a penalty in the 87th.
Osimhen missed two good chances with headers early on as the Nigeria made a good start, but he finally made one count before the break with a header to Ademola Lookman’s cross.
It was just Osimhen’s second Africa Cup goal in his career.
Nigeria was cruising after the break when Lookman set up Wilfred Ndidi for the second goal, then Osimhen set up Lookman in the 67th.
The Carthage Eagles somehow found a way back and threatened an unlikely comeback after Bright Osayi-Samuel was penalized for handball after a VAR check. Talbi scored the penalty and fans in the Complexe Sportif de Fès set off flares in delight.
Tunisia captain Ferjani Sassi headed just wide in stoppage time and the Nigeria players ultimately showed enough experience to see out the win.
Nigeria is assured of its place in the last 16 with a maximum six points in Group C, three ahead of Tunisia while Tanzania and Uganda have a point each.
The top two progress automatically to the last 16, along with the best third-place finishers.
East Africa derby
Uganda and Tanzania – two of the three co-hosts of the next tournament with Kenya – drew 1-1 in a frenetic early Group C game, a result that did little for either after opening losses.
Uganda’s Allan Okello missed the chance to win the game when he struck a penalty well over in stoppage time, after a rain deluge had drenched the players and sent fans scampering for cover.
Tanzania’s Simon Msuva put the Taifa Stars ahead with a penalty early in the second half, then Uche Ikpeazu equalized with a diving header late, just three minutes after going on as a substitute. That goal prompted the heavens to open, adding to the chaos of the final minutes as both sides pushed for a win to boost their hopes of progress.
Senegal’s new star
The 17-year-old French-born Ibrahim Mbaye rejuvenated his team and provided the impetus for Sadio Mané to score in a 1-1 draw with Congo.
Senegal dominated possession and chances with Nicolas Jackson and Mané again missing good opportunities, as they did in the opening win against Botswana.
Cédric Bakambu pounced on the rebound to open the scoring for Congo in the 61st after Édouard Mendy had saved Théo Bongonda’s initial shot.
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw reacted by sending on Mbaye and the 17-year-old made an immediate impact, though not before Bongonda could have made it 2-0 on a break.
Mbaye ran at the Congolese defenders and had an effort saved by goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, with Mané tucking away the rebound to level in the 69th.
“We are not completely unhappy as the AFCON is always tough,” Mané said. “It was a tough match and in this competition you cannot underrate any team.”
Mbaye was left free when Congo defender Arthur Masuaku pulled up with what looked like an Achilles injury. Masuaku was unable to continue, but Mbaye, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, could get more opportunities to shine against Benin in Senegal’s final group game.
Earlier, Yohan Roche’s first-half strike was enough for Benin to beat Botswana 1-0 for its first ever Africa Cup win.
“It is a source of immense pride,” Roche said. “We were aware of the people’s expectations, and we managed to stay focused.”
After two games, Senegal leads Group D with four points, ahead of Congo on goal difference, with Benin third on three, followed by Botswana with none.
