Bayern Munich 5-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
I thought there might be Bundesliga highlights.
What I didn’t expect was Bundesliga goals galore – so many, in fact, that even my prediction of up to six goals with the SBOBET Bundesliga betting odds was inaccurate.
For this was a seven-goal thriller at the Allianz Arena!
Highlights of the game
Revenge was certainly on the menu for champions Bayern Munich who had been thrashed 5-1 in Frankfurt earlier in the season.
That Bayern actually won this contest with something to spare was not a surprise.
After all, Frankfurt were distinctly second best and were caught cold a week ago, while they also have the worst away record in the league this term, taking just seven points from now 39.
Meanwhile, Bayern, spearheaded by 26-goal Robert Lewandowski, preserved their four-point lead at the top of the table with a 2-0 win at Union Berlin.
It was his 40th in all competitions this term with Benjamin Pavard adding the second late on.
However, to score five time was particularly impressive and means Bayern have scored 65 goals in coach Hans Flick’s 17 games in charge – the best return in that time frame in Bundesliga history.
To highlight the strength of their squad going into this encounter, Kingsley Coman and Ivan Perisic came in with Thiago and Serge Gnabry missing out with minor injuries.
That embarrassment of riches was evident within 12 minutes when Lewandowski smashed a shot against the crossbar.
Within five minutes though, they were in front as the assist king Thomas Muller’s ball was slightly behind the Polish frontman but Leon Goretzka made no mistake.
One became two shortly before the break as Muller flicked home a cross from the blossoming Alphonso Davies.
When Lewandowski powered home a header from a Coman cross within a minute of the restart, it seemed game over.
Yet Bayern had reckoned without Martin Hinteregger.
The top scoring defender in the Bundesliga this season responded almost immediately with a close-range volley and then gave the home side a further scare within three minutes by glancing a fine header across Manuel Neuer.
Just when it seemed Die Adler could be about to end a four game losing streak, Davies put some further daylight between the hosts and their spirited opponents, finding the net with aplomb after his initial pass to Perisic was cut out.
Only an outstanding save from Neuer denied Serbian Mijat Gacinovic but Bayern still had the final word as a shot from substitute Gnabry was saved by Kevin Trapp only to go in in off the luckless Hinteregger.
As if to highlight Frankfurt’s bad luck, Filip Kostic then saw his fine solo effort come back off the post with Neuer beaten.
Bundesliga players had been reminded of the return-to-play guidelines before this encounter as football eases back.
Yet one thing was exactly the same.
Crowds or not, this is the same old Bayern!
Key statistics
Bayern are the only unbeaten Bundesliga team in 2020, collecting 37 from a possible 39 points.
The defending champions have now scored 55 goals in 17 Bundesliga managers under coach Flick (50 in 16 Bundesliga matches).
Muller now has 17 assists for the season – the most of any player in Europe’s top five leagues and equalling the Bundesliga record held by Kevin De Bruyne set in 2014-15 when the Belgian was playing for Wolfsburg.
He is also now back one ahead of Jadon Sancho in the Bundesliga assists chart.
Lewandowski is only the second player in the league’s history to reach 27 goals after as many rounds of fixtures, alongside Bayern legend Gerd Müller (1971/72).
The Bavarians now have 54 wins and 22 draws in the Bundesliga against Frankfurt, while Die Adler have come out on top on just 21 occasions.
No Bundesliga team has ever scored 80 goals in their first 27 league games – until now.
Hinteregger has scored eight Bundesliga goals following corners this season, setting a new record in the competition. No other defender in Europe’s main five leagues has scored as many goals as the Austrian.
Frankfurt have only won two of their last 20 league Bundesliga meetings with Bayern and last won in Munich in November 2000.
Frankfurt have also lost on their last 11 trips to Munich.
What’s next?
Now for Der Klassiker. It’s the big one on Tuesday (May 26) where surely a Bayern win will all but end the title race. Borussia Dortmund will have other ideas, however,
For Frankfurt, a home match awaits against European chasing SC Freiburg.
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