Bayern routs Gladbach 5-1 to catch Dortmund in Bundesliga

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This article was published 02/03/2019 (2772 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BERLIN – Bayern Munich has all the momentum in the Bundesliga after winning 5-1 at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday.

Robert Lewandowski scored twice as the six-time defending champion moved level on points with leader Borussia Dortmund after its 11th win in 12 league games.

Dortmund, which enjoyed a nine-point lead at one stage, slumped to a 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Augsburg on Friday and has only one win from its last five games.

“This round of matches was super for us,” Bayern forward Thomas Mueller said.

The visitors stormed into an early lead with Javi Martinez heading in James Rodriguez’s corner in the second minute – with the aid of a push on Gladbach defender Nico Elvedi – while Mueller beat Yann Sommer in the 11th to make it 2-0.

Sommer, who had denied Lewandowski in the first minute, produced two more excellent saves to keep his side in the game.

Lars Stindl pulled one back eight minutes before the break when Thorgan Hazard played him in and he finished with a blistering shot past Manuel Neuer.

But Bayern struck again two minutes into the second half, Lewandowski taking Thiago Alcantara’s pass and blasting the ball in under the crossbar.

Serge Gnabry netted with 15 minutes remaining and Lewandowski took his league tally to 15 goals with a penalty in injury time.

SCHALKE’S DEBACLE

Schalke’s miserable season continued with a 4-0 defeat at home to Fortuna Duesseldorf in what could be coach Domenico Tedesco’s last game.

Coming at the end of a turbulent week — director Christian Heidel announced his resignation and the club brought in Jochen Schneider from Leipzig to replace him — Schalke’s 13th defeat in 24 league games will increase the pressure on Tedesco. He was already under scrutiny after failing to build on the club’s second-place finish last year.

The Schalke coach approached angry supporters after the game and apologized for the performance, but he ruled out quitting after the side’s sixth consecutive Bundesliga match without a win.

“I believe in my work,” Tedesco said.

Dodi Lukebakio’s first-half penalty and two goals from Dawid Kownacki, along with a strike from Benito Raman in the second half, was more than enough for Duesseldorf.

It could have been even worse for Schalke — Lukebakio had a goal ruled out through VAR and Hamza Mendyl made a crucial intervention to deny Raman.

FRANKFURT’S LATE SHOW

Goncalo Paciencia scored in the sixth minute of injury time for Eintracht Frankfurt to secure a 3-2 win over Hoffenheim, which had Kasim Nuhu sent off for a second yellow card in the second half.

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Hoffenheim was leading 2-1 until Sebastien Haller equalized in the 89th.

A 1-0 win at last-place Nuremberg was enough for Leipzig to climb up to third.

Niklas Stark made up for his own goal by scoring the winner as Hertha Berlin came from behind to beat Mainz 2-1, while Bayer Leverkusen secured a 2-0 win over Freiburg.

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More AP German soccer coverage: https://apnews.com/Bundesliga and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports