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Shot and in: Robert Lewandowski on his 21st goal of the season
Photo: ALEXANDER HASSENSTEIN / POOL / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
In the DFB-Pokal, the club experienced a surprise at Holstein Kiel, in the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich extended their league lead: FC Bayern beat SC Freiburg 2-1 (1-0).
Robert Lewandowski scored the opening goal (7th minute).
It was already the 21st goal of the season for the Pole - making him the first player in Bundesliga history to score more than 20 goals in the first half of the season.
Nils Petersen equalized seconds after being substituted on (62nd).
In the 74th minute, Thomas Müller rewarded his team, which had to shake and couldn't inspire, but had been the more dangerous team in the second half.
The final point, however, was set by Petersen - with a shot on the crossbar (90th).
The Munich team took advantage of the mistakes on matchday 16 from RB Leipzig (draw against Wolfsburg), Borussia Dortmund (draw against Mainz) and Bayer Leverkusen (defeat at Union Berlin).
Munich's lead in the table is now four points over RB, which means that Bayern will finish the first half of the season, which will be concluded next week, as first in the table.
For Freiburg, the game in Munich could hardly have started worse, Baptiste Santamaria injured himself after two minutes.
No sooner was the strong Freiburg record entry (ten million euros transfer fee) off the field than the ball was in goal for the first time after a shot by Lewandowski from close range.
Shortly before that, SC Freiburg was lucky when a possible handball by Manuel Gulde in the penalty area had no consequences.
Freiburg, most recently with five league wins in a row, remained brave without Santamaria, had more possession at times and was sometimes astonishingly high.
The reward was smaller chances, but FC Bayern’s defensive defense, which was so shaky recently, has not really come under pressure.
The Munich team showed only a few successful combinations in the attacking third after the early goal, long-range shots (such as Serge Gnabry's in the 24th minute) were usually the most dangerous means.
The flood of goals conceded
In the second half, Bayern increased the pressure, Lewandowski hit the crossbar (58th minute), and Freiburg equalized with Petersen, who had just been substituted on.
Thus Bayern conceded at least one goal in their eleventh league game in a row, most recently there were three in the defeat in Mönchengladbach (2: 3) last weekend alone.
This was followed by Müller's goal and further great opportunities for Lewandowski (79th) and Leroy Sané (89th).
The Bundesliga continues on Tuesday with the last matchday of the first half of the season.
Freiburg (against Eintracht Frankfurt) and Bayern Munich (against FC Augsburg) will only be in action on Wednesday (8.30 p.m., TV: Sky; live ticker SPIEGEL.de).
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