Kane and Musiala give Bayern Munich tight win over Wolfsburg
Mattias Svanberg almost scored a stunning opener for the hosts in the first five minutes after being played through one-on-one with Manuel Neuer, but shot straight at the Bayern keeper.
Thomas Tuchel’s side soon asserted their dominance in the contest though, as early chances fell to Kim Min-Jae and Harry Kane. Meanwhile, Leroy Sane was getting plenty of joy down the right-hand side, and his cross created havoc in the penalty area, before Raphael Guerreiro fired wide from the edge of the box.
It only seemed to be a matter of time before Die Roten would break the deadlock, and it was the classic combination of experience and youth that finally put the champions ahead.
After earlier heading against the bar, Thomas Muller provided a telling assist just past the half-hour mark, as Jamal Musiala marked becoming the youngest Bayern player to reach 100 Bundesliga appearances by nodding home from the veteran’s cross – his fifth goal of the season.
Their second goal came from a very familiar source, and Muller was once again instrumental, brilliantly laying the ball on a plate for Kane to rifle in an unstoppable long-range strike that swerved its way past an outstretched Koen Casteels.
But just when Bayern looked to be cruising into the break, Maximilian Arnold halved the deficit in first-half stoppage time with a left-footed strike – arguably as impressive as Kane’s – to bring the hosts back into the match.
Niko Kovac looked to reshuffle his pack with the introductions of Rogerio and Tiago Tomas early in the second half, and both had an early impact.
Rogerio made a superb weaving run down the left flank and saw his subsequent strike saved by Neuer, before Tiago Tomás fired just wide on the follow-up. Guerreiro had a chance to restore Bayern’s two-goal advantage when his swerving strike was blocked after being picked out by Konrad Laimer.
The second half lacked the drama of the first, but that will be of little concern for Tuchel, who saw his side claim a third consecutive victory across all competitions. They remain four points adrift of Bayer Leverkusen with a game in hand, while Wolfsburg drop down a place into 10th, having won only one of their previous five games across all competitions.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
