Bayern Munich scored three times in seven minutes to cruise past Union Berlin 4-0 in the Bundesliga on Saturday to stay clear at the top while edging closer to an all-time club scoring record.
The Bavarian club, chasing three trophies and fresh from their midweek Champions League quarter-final qualification with a 10-2 aggregate win over Atalanta, are nine points clear at the top.
Bayern have now scored 97 league goals, four short of equalling the all-time club record in the 1971-72 Bundesliga campaign. “We will get the record but the priority for me is something else,” Vincent Kompany, their coach, said. “I am not someone who likes talking about this record. I am not too interested. Your playing style does not stop because the season is coming to an end.
“We must never forget what our strengths are and keep bringing them to the pitch regardless of the opponent.”
Union managed to compete for half an hour before the hosts turned up the pressure, with the teenager Lennart Karl, who earned a Germany call-up this week, hitting a post. Michael Olise did better in the 42nd minute, curling a shot past Frederik Rønnow to put Bayern ahead.
Serge Gnabry fired home the second goal in first-half stoppage time before the Bundesliga’s leading scorer Harry Kane added the third four minutes after the restart. Kane, chasing Robert Lewandowski’s 41-goal record in a single Bundesliga season, now has 31 league goals with seven matches remaining.
Gnabry unleashed a powerful shot to bag his second goal in the 67th minute as the one-way traffic continued and Olise hit the woodwork with a low drive late in the game, before Kane nearly added another but chipped the ball wide.
Second-placed Borussia Dortmund missed a penalty but scored three goals in 11 minutes late in the second half to race back from 2-0 down and snatch a 3-2 victory over visitors Hamburg.
Dortmund found themselves 2-0 down in the first half with Hamburg taking a 19th-minute lead through Philip Otele’s tap-in and Albert Sambi Lokonga doubling it in the 38th.
The hosts missed a chance to cut the deficit before the break when Felix Nmecha sent a stoppage-time penalty wide but they got a second chance with a 73nd-minute penalty. Ramy Bensebaini did it better to pull a goal back before the substitute Serhou Guirassy scored from close range to level six minutes later.
The hosts were then awarded a third penalty and Bensebaini scored from the spot again in the 84th minute to complete their late comeback.
Milan changed gears in the second half to storm to a 3-2 win against Torino and trim the gap to Serie A leaders Inter to five points.
Torino had the better of the first half although Milan managed to take the lead in the 37th minute with a stunning goal from the defender Strahinja Pavlovic. A cross was cleared to Pavlovic and he took a touch before hitting a half-volley that looped up before coming down just between the bar and Alberto Paleari’s outstretched hand.
Giovanni Simeone levelled shortly before half-time, when some jeers rang out from the home fans. But whatever the manager, Massimiliano Allegri, said to his players during the break worked as Milan found another gear.
Adrien Rabiot restored Milan’s lead in the 54th minute, bundling in Christian Pulisic’s cross with his knee, and Youssouf Fofana extended the Rossoneri’s advantage two minutes later.
There was a nervy finale as Nikola Vlasic pulled one back from the penalty spot after Pavlovic was adjudged to have dragged down Simeone.
Later on Saturday Juventus must beat Sassuolo to ensure they are not overtaken on Sunday by Cesc Fàbregas’s Como. In France, Paris Saint-Germain visit Nice seeking to return to the top of Ligue 1 at the expense of Lens, who have played two games more but went two points clear on Friday with a 5-1 win against Angers.
