Bayern Munich already have their eyes on a decade of Bundesliga dominance after winning the league title for the ninth successive season on Saturday, celebrating their success with a 6-0 thrashing of Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick to leave him on 39 league goals this season -- one short of Gerd Mueller's all-time Bundesliga record -- as the champions swept Gladbach aside at the Allianz Arena.

"We wanted to show on the pitch that we are German champions," said Lewandowski, who will "keep stepping on the gas" in chasing Mueller's record.

"Today was a great game, we played really well and scored a lot of goals."

The emphatic victory leaves Bayern 10 points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig, whose 3-2 loss at Borussia Dortmund sealed Bayern the title, with two games left.

The players learned they were champions again while still warming up following Dortmund's victory.

"It was a bizarre situation. We were just getting ready, when we realised that we were champions," said Bayern captain Manuel Neuer.

Board member Oliver Kahn has alread challenged Bayern to secure a 10th title in a row.

"We watched the Leipzig game together, the atmosphere was great," said Kahn. "You don't get used to it, it's an incredible achievement.

"Now we can do something next season that no team in the world has ever done: become champions 10 times in a row."

The only blot on a near-perfect night for Bayern was a red card for Tanguy&nbsp;Nianzou for a clumsy tackle 15 minutes from time.

Bayern wasted no time in hitting their stride, Lewandowski finding the bottom corner of the net with just under two minutes gone.

Kingsley Coman struck the post before Jamal Musiala's pass picked out Thomas Mueller to slot in his 11th league goal of the season, then Lewandowski volleyed home his second on 34 minutes.

Kingsley Coman made it 4-0 before the break, then won a penalty which Lewandowski converted in the 66th minute to leave him one goal short of Gerd Mueller's historic mark, before Leroy Sane added a late sixth.

Julian Nagelsmann, the 33-year-old coach who will leave Leipzig to replace Flick at Bayern next season, offered a terse "congratulations on a deserved title" to his future employers.

<h2>- Sancho double -</h2>

Earlier, England winger Jadon Sancho netted twice as Dortmund's win lifted them into the Champions League places, but Eintracht Frankfurt can retake fourth spot if they beat Mainz on Sunday.

Even without injured striker Erling Braut Haaland, Dortmund were 2-0 up early in the second half thanks to goals from Marco Reus and Sancho.

Leipzig fought back through a Lukas Klostermann header and Dani Olmo's equaliser, only for Sancho to grab the winner.

The two clubs meet again on Thursday in the German Cup final at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.

"We showed a lot of morale, the game had absolutely nothing to do with the final in Berlin, but of course we want to win on Thursday too," said Reus.

Dortmund hope to have Haaland back from a thigh problem before the final, and even with their top-scorer watching from the stands, the hosts still raced into the lead after less than seven minutes.

Reus span out of Lukasz Piszczek's pass, sprinted behind the defence and took a beautiful back-heeled ball from Thorgan Hazard before sweeping his shot past Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.

Dortmund goalkeeper Marwin Hitz&nbsp;did not come out for the second half after being injured colliding with his centre-back Manuel Akanji just before the break and was replaced by Roman Buerki.

Dortmund doubled their lead just six minutes after the interval with a superb piece of skill from Sancho, who cut inside after a Raphael Guerreiro pass and fired in off the far post.

The visitors pulled a goal back on 63 minutes when Emil Forsberg floated in a corner and Klostermann steered his header past Buerki.

Leipzig drew level when South Korea striker Hwang Hee-chan broke clear of Dortmund defender Mats Hummels and squared for Olmo who tapped home from close range.

However, Sancho snatched all three points when he flicked the ball to Guerreiro, took a return pass and slotted in to hand Bayern the title.

Bayern Munich already have their eyes on a decade of Bundesliga dominance after winning the league title for the ninth successive season on Saturday, celebrating their success with a 6-0 thrashing of Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Bayern Munich already have their eyes on a decade of Bundesliga dominance after winning the league title for the ninth successive season on Saturday, celebrating their success with a 6-0 thrashing of Borussia Moenchengladbach. Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick to leave him on 39 league goals this season -- one short of Gerd Mueller's all-time Bundesliga record -- as the champions swept Gladbach aside at the Allianz Arena. "We wanted to show on the pitch that we are German champions," said Lewandowski, who will "keep stepping on the gas" in chasing Mueller's record. "Today was a great game, we played really well and scored a lot of goals." The emphatic victory leaves Bayern 10 points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig, whose 3-2 loss at Borussia Dortmund sealed Bayern the title, with two games left. The players learned they were champions again while still warming up following Dortmund's victory. "It was a bizarre situation. We were just getting ready, when we realised that we were champions," said Bayern captain Manuel Neuer. Board member Oliver Kahn has alread challenged Bayern to secure a 10th title in a row. "We watched the Leipzig game together, the atmosphere was great," said Kahn. "You don't get used to it, it's an incredible achievement. "Now we can do something next season that no team in the world has ever done: become champions 10 times in a row." The only blot on a near-perfect night for Bayern was a red card for Tanguy Nianzou for a clumsy tackle 15 minutes from time. Bayern wasted no time in hitting their stride, Lewandowski finding the bottom corner of the net with just under two minutes gone. Kingsley Coman struck the post before Jamal Musiala's pass picked out Thomas Mueller to slot in his 11th league goal of the season, then Lewandowski volleyed home his second on 34 minutes. Kingsley Coman made it 4-0 before the break, then won a penalty which Lewandowski converted in the 66th minute to leave him one goal short of Gerd Mueller's historic mark, before Leroy Sane added a late sixth. Julian Nagelsmann, the 33-year-old coach who will leave Leipzig to replace Flick at Bayern next season, offered a terse "congratulations on a deserved title" to his future employers. - Sancho double - Earlier, England winger Jadon Sancho netted twice as Dortmund's win lifted them into the Champions League places, but Eintracht Frankfurt can retake fourth spot if they beat Mainz on Sunday. Even without injured striker Erling Braut Haaland, Dortmund were 2-0 up early in the second half thanks to goals from Marco Reus and Sancho. Leipzig fought back through a Lukas Klostermann header and Dani Olmo's equaliser, only for Sancho to grab the winner. The two clubs meet again on Thursday in the German Cup final at Berlin's Olympic Stadium. "We showed a lot of morale, the game had absolutely nothing to do with the final in Berlin, but of course we want to win on Thursday too," said Reus. Dortmund hope to have Haaland back from a thigh problem before the final, and even with their top-scorer watching from the stands, the hosts still raced into the lead after less than seven minutes. Reus span out of Lukasz Piszczek's pass, sprinted behind the defence and took a beautiful back-heeled ball from Thorgan Hazard before sweeping his shot past Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi. Dortmund goalkeeper Marwin Hitz did not come out for the second half after being injured colliding with his centre-back Manuel Akanji just before the break and was replaced by Roman Buerki. Dortmund doubled their lead just six minutes after the interval with a superb piece of skill from Sancho, who cut inside after a Raphael Guerreiro pass and fired in off the far post. The visitors pulled a goal back on 63 minutes when Emil Forsberg floated in a corner and Klostermann steered his header past Buerki. Leipzig drew level when South Korea striker Hwang Hee-chan broke clear of Dortmund defender Mats Hummels and squared for Olmo who tapped home from close range. However, Sancho snatched all three points when he flicked the ball to Guerreiro, took a return pass and slotted in to hand Bayern the title.

Bayern eye decade of dominance after ninth straight Bundesliga title

Bayern Munich make their second attempt to wrap up the Bundesliga title on Saturday after Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig clash earlier in a rehearsal for next week's German Cup final.

A 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Mainz a fortnight ago cost Bayern the chance to be confirmed Bundesliga champions for the ninth straight season.

With three games left, they can now secure the title at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach late on Saturday.&nbsp;

However, Bayern's seven-point lead at the top could be cut before kick-off as second-placed Leipzig head to Dortmund earlier in the day.

Fifth-placed Dortmund are a point from the Champions League places and want a home win to boost their European ambitions while laying down a marker for next Thursday's domestic final.

"We want three points - and to win the cup five days later," admitted Dortmund captain Marco Reus.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dortmund posted losses of 26.3 million euros ($31.7 million) in the first half of the 2020/21 financial year, which could be eased by the 15.25 million euros each club receives for qualifying for the Champions League's group stages.

The pressure is on both clubs.

Leipzig want a confidence booster before the final and revenge for January's 3-1 home defeat when Erling Braut Haaland netted twice after Jadon Sancho's opening goal for Dortmund.

"It's going to be an interesting 'Dortmund week' for us with two important games," said Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann, who will leave to coach Bayern next season.

Dortmund are set to welcome back top-scorer Haaland, who missed last Saturday's 5-0 trashing of second-tier Holstein Kiel in the cup semi-finals with a thigh injury.

After training again this week, Haaland is hopefully "pain-free and an option", head coach Edin Terzic said Thursday.

Leipzig are missing midfielders Christopher Nkunku and Tyler Adams, who are both suffering from back problems.

Later in Munich, a home win will guarantee Bayern a ninth straight league title as they look to avenge a 3-2 defeat at Moenchengladbach last January.

Thomas Mueller has warned the Bavarians will not repeat the mistakes made in Mainz and are fresh after a two-week break due to last weekend's German Cup semi-finals.

"We got hungry again in the two weeks in which we had no game and had time to recover physically and mentally," said Mueller.

"In the last few years we have never had an easy time against Gladbach, so we know what to expect."

<h2>One to watch: Robert Lewandowski</h2>

Despite missing the previous four weeks out with a knee injury, the Bayern striker netted in the shock defeat at Mainz to leave the FIFA best male player of 2020 on 36 Bundesliga goals this season.

With three games left, Lewandowski is closing in on Gerd Mueller's all-time Bundesliga record of 40 goals in the 1971/72 season.

The 75-year-old Bayern legend is in poor health and suffering from dementia, but Lewandowski recently told magazine Sport Bild he believes "Gerd Mueller would want and understand it, if I take the record".

<h2>Key facts</h2>

5 - Lewandowski's goals in 17 games against Moenchengladbach, his lowest tally against any club currently in the Bundesliga's top seven.

4 - Moenchengladbach wins over Bayern, who have won three of the last seven meetings between the clubs.

1 - Nagelsmann has just a solitary win against Dortmund in ten matches as a coach. His lone victory came three years ago with former club Hoffenheim.

&nbsp;

Fixtures (all 1330GMT unless stated)

Friday

VfB Stuttgart v Augsburg (1830)

Saturday

Borussia Dortmund v RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim v Schalke 04, VfL Wolfsburg v Union Berlin, Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich v Borussia Moenchengladbach (1630)

Sunday

Cologne v Freiburg (1130), Eintracht Frankfurt v Mainz, Hertha Berlin v Arminia Bielefeld (1600)

Bayern Munich make their second attempt to wrap up the Bundesliga title on Saturday after Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig clash earlier in a rehearsal for next week's German Cup final.

Bayern Munich make their second attempt to wrap up the Bundesliga title on Saturday after Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig clash earlier in a rehearsal for next week's German Cup final. A 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Mainz a fortnight ago cost Bayern the chance to be confirmed Bundesliga champions for the ninth straight season. With three games left, they can now secure the title at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach late on Saturday. However, Bayern's seven-point lead at the top could be cut before kick-off as second-placed Leipzig head to Dortmund earlier in the day. Fifth-placed Dortmund are a point from the Champions League places and want a home win to boost their European ambitions while laying down a marker for next Thursday's domestic final. "We want three points - and to win the cup five days later," admitted Dortmund captain Marco Reus. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dortmund posted losses of 26.3 million euros ($31.7 million) in the first half of the 2020/21 financial year, which could be eased by the 15.25 million euros each club receives for qualifying for the Champions League's group stages. The pressure is on both clubs. Leipzig want a confidence booster before the final and revenge for January's 3-1 home defeat when Erling Braut Haaland netted twice after Jadon Sancho's opening goal for Dortmund. "It's going to be an interesting 'Dortmund week' for us with two important games," said Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann, who will leave to coach Bayern next season. Dortmund are set to welcome back top-scorer Haaland, who missed last Saturday's 5-0 trashing of second-tier Holstein Kiel in the cup semi-finals with a thigh injury. After training again this week, Haaland is hopefully "pain-free and an option", head coach Edin Terzic said Thursday. Leipzig are missing midfielders Christopher Nkunku and Tyler Adams, who are both suffering from back problems. Later in Munich, a home win will guarantee Bayern a ninth straight league title as they look to avenge a 3-2 defeat at Moenchengladbach last January. Thomas Mueller has warned the Bavarians will not repeat the mistakes made in Mainz and are fresh after a two-week break due to last weekend's German Cup semi-finals. "We got hungry again in the two weeks in which we had no game and had time to recover physically and mentally," said Mueller. "In the last few years we have never had an easy time against Gladbach, so we know what to expect." One to watch: Robert Lewandowski Despite missing the previous four weeks out with a knee injury, the Bayern striker netted in the shock defeat at Mainz to leave the FIFA best male player of 2020 on 36 Bundesliga goals this season. With three games left, Lewandowski is closing in on Gerd Mueller's all-time Bundesliga record of 40 goals in the 1971/72 season. The 75-year-old Bayern legend is in poor health and suffering from dementia, but Lewandowski recently told magazine Sport Bild he believes "Gerd Mueller would want and understand it, if I take the record". Key facts 5 - Lewandowski's goals in 17 games against Moenchengladbach, his lowest tally against any club currently in the Bundesliga's top seven. 4 - Moenchengladbach wins over Bayern, who have won three of the last seven meetings between the clubs. 1 - Nagelsmann has just a solitary win against Dortmund in ten matches as a coach. His lone victory came three years ago with former club Hoffenheim. Fixtures (all 1330GMT unless stated) Friday VfB Stuttgart v Augsburg (1830) Saturday Borussia Dortmund v RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim v Schalke 04, VfL Wolfsburg v Union Berlin, Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich v Borussia Moenchengladbach (1630) Sunday Cologne v Freiburg (1130), Eintracht Frankfurt v Mainz, Hertha Berlin v Arminia Bielefeld (1600)

Bayern Munich renew bid to win league as Borussia Dortmund battle RB Leipzig

Julian Nagelsmann will take over as Bayern Munich coach from next season to replace Hansi Flick, the reigning German and European champions announced on Tuesday.

Nagelsmann, 33, will move from RB Leipzig on a five-year contract after Flick, whose relationship with the club's powerful sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has deteriorated, asked to be released from his contract.

"FC Bayern agreed to current head coach Hansi Flick's request to have his contract terminated on 30 June 2021, two years earlier than its original expiry date," the club said in a statement.

Nagelsmann has never hidden his desire to coach Bayern, especially as he comes from the Bavaria region.

Last season, he led Leipzig to the semi-finals of the Champions League and this season his side has replaced Borussia Dortmund as Bayern's main title challengers.

Julian Nagelsmann will take over as Bayern Munich coach from next season to replace Hansi Flick, the reigning German and European champions announced on Tuesday.

Julian Nagelsmann will take over as Bayern Munich coach from next season to replace Hansi Flick, the reigning German and European champions announced on Tuesday. Nagelsmann, 33, will move from RB Leipzig on a five-year contract after Flick, whose relationship with the club's powerful sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has deteriorated, asked to be released from his contract. "FC Bayern agreed to current head coach Hansi Flick's request to have his contract terminated on 30 June 2021, two years earlier than its original expiry date," the club said in a statement. Nagelsmann has never hidden his desire to coach Bayern, especially as he comes from the Bavaria region. Last season, he led Leipzig to the semi-finals of the Champions League and this season his side has replaced Borussia Dortmund as Bayern's main title challengers.

Nagelsmann to coach Bayern Munich from next season

Bundesliga club Bayern Munich were left disappointed after manager Hansi Flick publicly revealed that he is willing to leave the team by the end of the season.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hansi-flick-wants-to-quit-as-bayern-coach-at-end-of-season-378271" hreflang="en">Hansi Flick wants to quit as Bayern coach at end of season</a>

Flick, on Saturday, revealed that he is willing to end his contract with the defending Bundesliga champions.&nbsp;

"I told the team that I informed the club during the week that I want out of my contract at the end of the season," Flick said.

"It was not an easy decision for me.

"It was important that the team heard it from me.

"I want to give my thanks and compliments to the club for giving me the opportunity to coach such a team."

The German club, however, were disappointed with Flick's statements and said that the 56-year-old should not have gone public.&nbsp;

A statement on the club's website: "FC Bayern head coach Hansi Flick made public his wish to terminate his contract, which runs until June 2023, at the end of the current season.

"Hansi Flick had informed the FC Bayern München AG executive board of this wish during the past week. Hansi Flick and FC Bayern had agreed to place the focus on the matches against VfL Wolfsburg, Bayer 04 Leverkusen (20 April) and 1. FSV Mainz 05 (24 April), in order not to disrupt the concentration of the whole club on these three important matches.

"FC Bayern disapproves of the unilateral communications issued by Hansi Flick and will continue talks after the match at Mainz, as agreed."

Bundesliga club Bayern Munich were left disappointed after manager Hansi Flick publicly revealed that he is willing to leave the team by the end of the season. ALSO READ: Hansi Flick wants to quit as Bayern coach at end of season Flick, on Saturday, revealed that he is willing to end his contract with the defending Bundesliga champions.

Bundesliga club Bayern Munich were left disappointed after manager Hansi Flick publicly revealed that he is willing to leave the team by the end of the season. ALSO READ: Hansi Flick wants to quit as Bayern coach at end of season Flick, on Saturday, revealed that he is willing to end his contract with the defending Bundesliga champions. "I told the team that I informed the club during the week that I want out of my contract at the end of the season," Flick said. "It was not an easy decision for me. "It was important that the team heard it from me. "I want to give my thanks and compliments to the club for giving me the opportunity to coach such a team." The German club, however, were disappointed with Flick's statements and said that the 56-year-old should not have gone public. A statement on the club's website: "FC Bayern head coach Hansi Flick made public his wish to terminate his contract, which runs until June 2023, at the end of the current season. "Hansi Flick had informed the FC Bayern München AG executive board of this wish during the past week. Hansi Flick and FC Bayern had agreed to place the focus on the matches against VfL Wolfsburg, Bayer 04 Leverkusen (20 April) and 1. FSV Mainz 05 (24 April), in order not to disrupt the concentration of the whole club on these three important matches. "FC Bayern disapproves of the unilateral communications issued by Hansi Flick and will continue talks after the match at Mainz, as agreed."

Bayern Munich 'disapproves of the unilateral communications issued by Hansi Flick'

Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick said on Saturday he wants to leave the club at the end of the season.

Flick told Sky he "wants to be released" from his Bayern contract, which expires in 2023, after Saturday's 3-2 win at Wolfsburg which moved the Bavarians seven points clear in the Bundesliga table.

The 56-year-old, who steered Bayern to last season's treble which included the Champions League title, said he had already informed the squad.

(More to follow)

Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick said on Saturday he wants to leave the club at the end of the season. Flick told Sky he "wants to be released" from his Bayern contract, which expires in 2023, after Saturday's 3-2 win at Wolfsburg which moved the Bavarians seven points clear in the Bundesliga table.

Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick said on Saturday he wants to leave the club at the end of the season. Flick told Sky he "wants to be released" from his Bayern contract, which expires in 2023, after Saturday's 3-2 win at Wolfsburg which moved the Bavarians seven points clear in the Bundesliga table. The 56-year-old, who steered Bayern to last season's treble which included the Champions League title, said he had already informed the squad. (More to follow)

Hansi Flick wants to quit as Bayern coach at end of season

Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer said his team paid for missing several chances in the first leg after the German side's Champions League title defence ended with a loss on away goals to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

Despite a 1-0 quarter-final second-leg victory at the Parc des Princes, Bayern were dumped out of Europe after a 3-3 aggregate draw.

"It wasn't tonight that saw us knocked out," Neuer said. "The 1-0 win here was deserved but it was the result in Munich (3-2 loss) which wasn't good. We were in a bad position at kick-off."

Bayern dominated for long periods over the tie, especially in the first leg when they had 31 attempts at the PSG goal but could only convert two of them without injured top-scorer Robert Lewandowski and winger Serge Gnabry.

"It was annoying to have missed so many chances in the first leg," added Neuer.

"Was Lewandowski missed? We missed all the players who weren't there tonight. Against a classy team like PSG, it's difficult.

"But the players who were on the pitch gave it their all."

Hansi Flick's Bayern will now turn their attentions to winning a ninth straight Bundesliga title, with the Bavarian giants sitting five points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig in the table.

"We have a good chance of winning the Bundesliga, at the end it will still be a positive season," insisted Neuer.

Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer said his team paid for missing several chances in the first leg after the German side's Champions League title defence ended with a loss on away goals to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer said his team paid for missing several chances in the first leg after the German side's Champions League title defence ended with a loss on away goals to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. Despite a 1-0 quarter-final second-leg victory at the Parc des Princes, Bayern were dumped out of Europe after a 3-3 aggregate draw. "It wasn't tonight that saw us knocked out," Neuer said. "The 1-0 win here was deserved but it was the result in Munich (3-2 loss) which wasn't good. We were in a bad position at kick-off." Bayern dominated for long periods over the tie, especially in the first leg when they had 31 attempts at the PSG goal but could only convert two of them without injured top-scorer Robert Lewandowski and winger Serge Gnabry. "It was annoying to have missed so many chances in the first leg," added Neuer. "Was Lewandowski missed? We missed all the players who weren't there tonight. Against a classy team like PSG, it's difficult. "But the players who were on the pitch gave it their all." Hansi Flick's Bayern will now turn their attentions to winning a ninth straight Bundesliga title, with the Bavarian giants sitting five points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig in the table. "We have a good chance of winning the Bundesliga, at the end it will still be a positive season," insisted Neuer.

Neuer blames first-leg loss for Bayern's Champions League exit

Depleted Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday, three days before their Champions League return leg at Paris Saint-Germain.

Teenager Jamal Musiala beat three defenders to give Bayern the lead midway through the second half at the Allianz Arena only for Marcus Ingvartsen to equalise for Union four minutes from time.

"That is very annoying," Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer told Sky. "We played well over long stretches and would have deserved the victory."

In Paris on Tuesday, European champions Bayern need to overturn a 3-2 first-leg defeat in the quarter-finals and started reserve team players Tiago Dantas, on a season-long loan from Benfica, and Josip Stanisic against Union.

The club world champions have nine players sidelined, including injured top-scorer Robert Lewandowski and winger Serge Gnabry, who was quarantined after testing positive for Covid-19.

Musiala showed great footwork to pick his way through the Union defence for the opening goal, only for Ingvartsen to beat Stanisic to the ball and grab the visitors' late equaliser.

Off the field, tensions are brewing between sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic and coach Hansi Flick, who has Neuer's backing.

"I think Hansi Flick is the right coach for us," said Neuer.

The draw trims Bayern's lead at the top of the Bundesliga table to five points ahead of second-placed RB Leipzig, who romped to a 4-1 win at Werder Bremen.

Leipzig dominated throughout and raced into a 3-0 lead as Dani Olmo gave them the lead before Alexander Sorloth netted twice.

Although Milot Rashica pulled a goal back for Bremen, Marcel Sabitzer made it 4-1 midway through the second half.

The sides meet again in Bremen on April 30 in the German Cup semi-finals.

Eintracht Frankfurt took another key step towards reaching the Champions League for the first time since 1960 with a thrilling 4-3 home win over Wolfsburg.

Daichi Kamada, Luka Jovic, Andre Silva and Erik Durm all netted for Frankfurt.

Third-placed Wolfsburg pulled goals back through Ridle Baku and Wout Weghorst before Frankfurt's Brazilian defender Tuta turned the ball into his own net for an own goal five minutes from time.

<h2>- Knauff rescues Dortmund -</h2>

The result leaves Frankfurt with a seven-point cushion in fourth after fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund, later earned a dramatic 3-2 win at Stuttgart.

Dortmund need to overturn a 2-1 first leg defeat at home to Manchester City on Wednesday in the Champions League.

Substitute striker Ansgar Knauff came off the bench to score Dortmund's winner on only his third league appearance.

The 19-year-old, who made his Champions League debut in the defeat at City after being promoted from the reserves, dribbled clear following Erling Braut Haaland's pass to score his first Bundesliga goal.

"It's been an unbelievable week with my Champions League debut and first Bundesliga goal," said Knauff. "I hope things keep going so well."

This was Haaland's sixth game without a goal for club or country, but he claimed two assists.

The visitors were 1-0 down at half-time, but after Jude Bellingham equalised, Haaland left the ball for Marco Reus to put Dortmund 2-1 up.

Daniel Didavi fired Stuttgart level before Knauff hit the winner 10 minutes from time as Dortmund avenged their 5-1 thrashing at home by Stuttgart last December.

Borussia Moenchengladbach earned a 2-2 draw at Hertha Berlin despite playing 77 minutes a man down after goalkeeper Yann Sommer was shown an early red card for fouling Jhon Cordoba.

Goals by forwards Alassane Plea and Lars Stindl had put Gladbach in control after Santiago Ascacibar gave Hertha the lead with a superb strike, before Cordoba equalised just after the break.

Depleted Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday, three days before their Champions League return leg at Paris Saint-Germain.

Depleted Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday, three days before their Champions League return leg at Paris Saint-Germain. Teenager Jamal Musiala beat three defenders to give Bayern the lead midway through the second half at the Allianz Arena only for Marcus Ingvartsen to equalise for Union four minutes from time. "That is very annoying," Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer told Sky. "We played well over long stretches and would have deserved the victory." In Paris on Tuesday, European champions Bayern need to overturn a 3-2 first-leg defeat in the quarter-finals and started reserve team players Tiago Dantas, on a season-long loan from Benfica, and Josip Stanisic against Union. The club world champions have nine players sidelined, including injured top-scorer Robert Lewandowski and winger Serge Gnabry, who was quarantined after testing positive for Covid-19. Musiala showed great footwork to pick his way through the Union defence for the opening goal, only for Ingvartsen to beat Stanisic to the ball and grab the visitors' late equaliser. Off the field, tensions are brewing between sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic and coach Hansi Flick, who has Neuer's backing. "I think Hansi Flick is the right coach for us," said Neuer. The draw trims Bayern's lead at the top of the Bundesliga table to five points ahead of second-placed RB Leipzig, who romped to a 4-1 win at Werder Bremen. Leipzig dominated throughout and raced into a 3-0 lead as Dani Olmo gave them the lead before Alexander Sorloth netted twice. Although Milot Rashica pulled a goal back for Bremen, Marcel Sabitzer made it 4-1 midway through the second half. The sides meet again in Bremen on April 30 in the German Cup semi-finals. Eintracht Frankfurt took another key step towards reaching the Champions League for the first time since 1960 with a thrilling 4-3 home win over Wolfsburg. Daichi Kamada, Luka Jovic, Andre Silva and Erik Durm all netted for Frankfurt. Third-placed Wolfsburg pulled goals back through Ridle Baku and Wout Weghorst before Frankfurt's Brazilian defender Tuta turned the ball into his own net for an own goal five minutes from time. - Knauff rescues Dortmund - The result leaves Frankfurt with a seven-point cushion in fourth after fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund, later earned a dramatic 3-2 win at Stuttgart. Dortmund need to overturn a 2-1 first leg defeat at home to Manchester City on Wednesday in the Champions League. Substitute striker Ansgar Knauff came off the bench to score Dortmund's winner on only his third league appearance. The 19-year-old, who made his Champions League debut in the defeat at City after being promoted from the reserves, dribbled clear following Erling Braut Haaland's pass to score his first Bundesliga goal. "It's been an unbelievable week with my Champions League debut and first Bundesliga goal," said Knauff. "I hope things keep going so well." This was Haaland's sixth game without a goal for club or country, but he claimed two assists. The visitors were 1-0 down at half-time, but after Jude Bellingham equalised, Haaland left the ball for Marco Reus to put Dortmund 2-1 up. Daniel Didavi fired Stuttgart level before Knauff hit the winner 10 minutes from time as Dortmund avenged their 5-1 thrashing at home by Stuttgart last December. Borussia Moenchengladbach earned a 2-2 draw at Hertha Berlin despite playing 77 minutes a man down after goalkeeper Yann Sommer was shown an early red card for fouling Jhon Cordoba. Goals by forwards Alassane Plea and Lars Stindl had put Gladbach in control after Santiago Ascacibar gave Hertha the lead with a superb strike, before Cordoba equalised just after the break.

Injury-hit Bayern Munich held ahead of PSG clash

Kylian Mbappe insisted Paris Saint-Germain still have it all to do after he scored twice in a thrilling 3-2 win at holders Bayern Munich in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Bayern had their 19-match unbeaten run in the Champions League ended in a repeat of last year's final, as the German giants suffered their first European defeat since March 2019.

PSG&nbsp;raced into a 2-0 lead after just 28 minutes behind closed doors at the Allianz Arena as Neymar created goals for Mbappe and Marquinhos.

Bayern, whose top scorer Robert Lewandowski is sidelined by a knee injury, drew level courtesy of headers by Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Thomas Mueller.

However, Mbappe showed his class with a superb second goal to give the visitors an advantage for the return leg in Paris.

"We used all our chances and had a bit of luck, but nothing has been decided," Mbappe told Sky, with the second leg to come in Paris on Tuesday.

PSG&nbsp;goalkeeper Keylor Navas played a key role with a&nbsp;string of saves as Bayern peppered his goal with 31 shots compared to the French club's six.

"We have to score a lot more goals," said Mueller. "If it had ended 5-3 or 6-3 for us, no one could have complained based on the chances."

Bayern coach Hansi Flick, who finished on the losing side for the first time in the Champions League, also rued the number of missed chances.

"With the chances we had, we could have got a good result despite conceding three goals," Flick said.

"We don't like to lose, but the way the team played was top."

This was a record 19th appearance in the Champions League quarter-finals for Bayern, but there was little for them to celebrate at the final whistle.

"Kylian Mbappe made the difference. It's a very positive result for us, but everything is still open," said&nbsp;PSG&nbsp;coach Maurico Pochettino.

&nbsp;

<h2>- Marquinhos scores and limps off -</h2>

&nbsp;

Covid-19 cast its shadow over both teams with Bayern winger Serge Gnabry, plus&nbsp;PSG&nbsp;pair Alessandro Florenzi and Marco Verratti quarantined after testing positive.

Heavy snow fell in the first half in Munich as the visitors put the heat on the holders.

The opening goal came after Neymar sprinted through a gaping hole in the defence and laid the ball off for Mbappe, whose shot flew into the net through Manuel Neuer's legs.

PSG&nbsp;forward Julian Draxler had a goal disallowed with Mbappe offside in the build-up as the visitors kept up the pressure.

Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka powered a header into the feet of Navas&nbsp;just before the hosts fell two goals behind.

A clearance kick only got as far as Neymar, whose ball over the top found Marquinhos unmarked in the area to stroke his shot past Neuer, shortly before the&nbsp;PSG&nbsp;captain limped off injured.

Flick responded by bringing on Alphonso Davies to provide pace on the flanks and moved David Alaba into defensive midfield.&nbsp;

The hosts pulled a goal back when Mueller's cross was headed past Navas by Choupo-Moting to make it 2-1 at half-time.

Neymar was denied by Neuer and Angel Di Maria had an effort cleared off the line, while Leroy Sane went close at the other end for Bayern as both teams had their chances after the break.

Bayern then equalised when Mueller nodded in a superb Joshua Kimmich free-kick on the hour.

However, the wintry night in Munich belonged to Mbappe, who showed his class by turning Bayern defender Jerome Boateng inside and out before driving his shot past Neuer with 22 minutes left.

Bayern went down fighting as Alaba and Mueller both fired agonisingly wide in the dying stages.&nbsp;

Kylian Mbappe insisted Paris Saint-Germain still have it all to do after he scored twice in a thrilling 3-2 win at holders Bayern Munich in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Kylian Mbappe insisted Paris Saint-Germain still have it all to do after he scored twice in a thrilling 3-2 win at holders Bayern Munich in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg. Bayern had their 19-match unbeaten run in the Champions League ended in a repeat of last year's final, as the German giants suffered their first European defeat since March 2019. PSG raced into a 2-0 lead after just 28 minutes behind closed doors at the Allianz Arena as Neymar created goals for Mbappe and Marquinhos. Bayern, whose top scorer Robert Lewandowski is sidelined by a knee injury, drew level courtesy of headers by Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Thomas Mueller. However, Mbappe showed his class with a superb second goal to give the visitors an advantage for the return leg in Paris. "We used all our chances and had a bit of luck, but nothing has been decided," Mbappe told Sky, with the second leg to come in Paris on Tuesday. PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas played a key role with a string of saves as Bayern peppered his goal with 31 shots compared to the French club's six. "We have to score a lot more goals," said Mueller. "If it had ended 5-3 or 6-3 for us, no one could have complained based on the chances." Bayern coach Hansi Flick, who finished on the losing side for the first time in the Champions League, also rued the number of missed chances. "With the chances we had, we could have got a good result despite conceding three goals," Flick said. "We don't like to lose, but the way the team played was top." This was a record 19th appearance in the Champions League quarter-finals for Bayern, but there was little for them to celebrate at the final whistle. "Kylian Mbappe made the difference. It's a very positive result for us, but everything is still open," said PSG coach Maurico Pochettino. - Marquinhos scores and limps off - Covid-19 cast its shadow over both teams with Bayern winger Serge Gnabry, plus PSG pair Alessandro Florenzi and Marco Verratti quarantined after testing positive. Heavy snow fell in the first half in Munich as the visitors put the heat on the holders. The opening goal came after Neymar sprinted through a gaping hole in the defence and laid the ball off for Mbappe, whose shot flew into the net through Manuel Neuer's legs. PSG forward Julian Draxler had a goal disallowed with Mbappe offside in the build-up as the visitors kept up the pressure. Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka powered a header into the feet of Navas just before the hosts fell two goals behind. A clearance kick only got as far as Neymar, whose ball over the top found Marquinhos unmarked in the area to stroke his shot past Neuer, shortly before the PSG captain limped off injured. Flick responded by bringing on Alphonso Davies to provide pace on the flanks and moved David Alaba into defensive midfield. The hosts pulled a goal back when Mueller's cross was headed past Navas by Choupo-Moting to make it 2-1 at half-time. Neymar was denied by Neuer and Angel Di Maria had an effort cleared off the line, while Leroy Sane went close at the other end for Bayern as both teams had their chances after the break. Bayern then equalised when Mueller nodded in a superb Joshua Kimmich free-kick on the hour. However, the wintry night in Munich belonged to Mbappe, who showed his class by turning Bayern defender Jerome Boateng inside and out before driving his shot past Neuer with 22 minutes left. Bayern went down fighting as Alaba and Mueller both fired agonisingly wide in the dying stages.

UEFA Champions League: Mbappe stars as PSG win at holders Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski on Tuesday has been ruled out for four weeks after sustaining a sprained ligament in his right knee during a World Cup qualifying match against Andorra.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-president-lists-11-key-reforms-to-combat-corruption-in-football-374768" hreflang="en">FIFA President lists 11 key reforms to combat corruption in football</a>

His teammate, Thomas Mueller, feels that Lewandowski's injury came at the worst time for the club as Bayern Munich are set to face second-placed (in Bundesliga) RB Leipzig and UEFA Champions League fixture against Paris St. Germain.&nbsp;

"Injury to 'Lewy' is bitter news for us. It's the worst possible time," said Bayern forward Mueller.

"Well, others will have to step into the breach."

Poland skipper was ruled out of the match against England on Wednesday and underwent scans on Monday.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/irreplaceable-aguero-won-hearts-and-minds-of-city-fans-guardiola-374600" hreflang="en">'Irreplaceable' Aguero won hearts and minds of City fans: Guardiola</a>

The Poland striker continued his sublime form this season too as he scored 42 goals in all competitions, which includes 35 league goals. He was set to break former German legend Gerd Mueller's 1971-72 Bundesliga season record of 40 league goals.&nbsp;

Earlier this month, Lewandowski climbed to second place in the Bundesliga all-time scorers list after scoring 271 goals in the league. He is behind Mueller, who had a stunning record of 365 goals.&nbsp;

Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski on Tuesday has been ruled out for four weeks after sustaining a sprained ligament in his right knee during a World Cup qualifying match against Andorra.

Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski on Tuesday has been ruled out for four weeks after sustaining a sprained ligament in his right knee during a World Cup qualifying match against Andorra. ALSO READ: FIFA President lists 11 key reforms to combat corruption in football His teammate, Thomas Mueller, feels that Lewandowski's injury came at the worst time for the club as Bayern Munich are set to face second-placed (in Bundesliga) RB Leipzig and UEFA Champions League fixture against Paris St. Germain. "Injury to 'Lewy' is bitter news for us. It's the worst possible time," said Bayern forward Mueller. "Well, others will have to step into the breach." Poland skipper was ruled out of the match against England on Wednesday and underwent scans on Monday. ALSO READ: 'Irreplaceable' Aguero won hearts and minds of City fans: Guardiola The Poland striker continued his sublime form this season too as he scored 42 goals in all competitions, which includes 35 league goals. He was set to break former German legend Gerd Mueller's 1971-72 Bundesliga season record of 40 league goals. Earlier this month, Lewandowski climbed to second place in the Bundesliga all-time scorers list after scoring 271 goals in the league. He is behind Mueller, who had a stunning record of 365 goals.

'Bitter news for us': Thomas Mueller on Robert Lewandowski's injury

Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski has been ruled out for four weeks after sustaining a sprained ligament in his right knee during a &nbsp;World Cup qualifying match against Andorra, the club said on Tuesday.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bale-willing-to-boycott-social-media-over-abuse-of-footballers-374122" hreflang="en">Bale willing to boycott social media over abuse of footballers</a>

Poland skipper was ruled out of the match against England on Wednesday and underwent scans on Monday.&nbsp;

Lewandowski's absence comes as a big blow for Bayern as they are set to travel to RB Leipzig on Saturday. Leipzig are second-placed in Bundesliga. The star striker is set to miss out on both legs of the Champions League quarter-finals against Paris St. Germain. These legs are set to take place on April 7 and April 13.

The Poland striker continued his sublime form this season too as he scored 42 goals in all competitions, which includes 35 league goals. He was set to break former German legend Gerd Mueller's 1971-72 Bundesliga season record of 40 league goals.&nbsp;

Earlier this month, Lewandowski climbed to second place in the Bundesliga all-time scorers list after scoring 271 goals in the league. He is behind Mueller, who had a stunning record of 365 goals.&nbsp;

Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski has been ruled out for four weeks after sustaining a sprained ligament in his right knee during a World Cup qualifying match against Andorra, the club said on Tuesday.

Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski has been ruled out for four weeks after sustaining a sprained ligament in his right knee during a World Cup qualifying match against Andorra, the club said on Tuesday. ALSO READ: Bale willing to boycott social media over abuse of footballers Poland skipper was ruled out of the match against England on Wednesday and underwent scans on Monday. Lewandowski's absence comes as a big blow for Bayern as they are set to travel to RB Leipzig on Saturday. Leipzig are second-placed in Bundesliga. The star striker is set to miss out on both legs of the Champions League quarter-finals against Paris St. Germain. These legs are set to take place on April 7 and April 13. The Poland striker continued his sublime form this season too as he scored 42 goals in all competitions, which includes 35 league goals. He was set to break former German legend Gerd Mueller's 1971-72 Bundesliga season record of 40 league goals. Earlier this month, Lewandowski climbed to second place in the Bundesliga all-time scorers list after scoring 271 goals in the league. He is behind Mueller, who had a stunning record of 365 goals.

Robert Lewandowski ruled out for four weeks after sustaining knee injury

Holders Bayern Munich cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals as a 2-1 win over Lazio in Wednesday's last-16 second leg sealed a 6-2 aggregate victory.

Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty before a deft chip from his second-half replacement Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting doubled the advantage on the night.

Lazio grabbed a consolation when Marco Parolo was left unmarked to head in a late free-kick from close range.

"The win is very important to us. It's in our DNA that we want to win every game," Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich told Sky.

"We played confidently, even if it wasn't a brilliant performance and it was annoying to concede a goal."

Their passage into the last eight takes Bayern past Barcelona's tally of 18 Champions League quarter-final appearances since the competition was rebranded from the European Cup.

Snow fell during the game at the Allianz Arena, but Bayern made light work of the wintry conditions.

They extended their unbeaten run in the Champions League to 19 games over two years.

"We needed a good performance and we bow out of the competition with a positive game," Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi told Sky.

"Some teams are unplayable: Bayern are one of them."

With his side trailing 4-1 from the first leg, Inzaghi opted to rest top-scorer Ciro Immobile, with the 1.94m-tall Vedat Muriqi starting up front.

Bayern had captain and Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer sidelined by a cold as understudy Alexander Nuebel made only his third start of the season.

Bayern were awarded a penalty on 31 minutes when Muriqi brought Leon Goretzka down in the area.

After a VAR review, Lewandowski smashed in the resulting spot-kick.

It was the Poland star's 39th goal in all competitions this season and fifth in the Champions League.

Lewandowski hit the post with Lazio goalkeeper Pepe Reina beaten on 67 minutes.

It was one of his last involvements as he and Thomas Mueller made way for Choupo-Moting and 18-year-old Jamal Musiala.

Less than two minutes later, David Alaba slid a pass through for Choupo-Moting to sprint onto and flick a shot over Reina.

Bayern were guilty of sloppy defending eight minutes from the final whistle when Andreas Pereira's free-kick was headed home by Muriqi's replacement Parolo.

Serge Gnabry fired wide late on as Bayern kept Lazio under pressure.

Lazio defender Francesco Acerbi said the Italians played better than in their heavy first-leg defeat, but admitted that "Bayern are probably the best in the world".

Holders Bayern Munich cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals as a 2-1 win over Lazio in Wednesday's last-16 second leg sealed a 6-2 aggregate victory. Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty before a deft chip from his second-half replacement Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting doubled the advantage on the night.

Holders Bayern Munich cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals as a 2-1 win over Lazio in Wednesday's last-16 second leg sealed a 6-2 aggregate victory. Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty before a deft chip from his second-half replacement Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting doubled the advantage on the night. Lazio grabbed a consolation when Marco Parolo was left unmarked to head in a late free-kick from close range. "The win is very important to us. It's in our DNA that we want to win every game," Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich told Sky. "We played confidently, even if it wasn't a brilliant performance and it was annoying to concede a goal." Their passage into the last eight takes Bayern past Barcelona's tally of 18 Champions League quarter-final appearances since the competition was rebranded from the European Cup. Snow fell during the game at the Allianz Arena, but Bayern made light work of the wintry conditions. They extended their unbeaten run in the Champions League to 19 games over two years. "We needed a good performance and we bow out of the competition with a positive game," Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi told Sky. "Some teams are unplayable: Bayern are one of them." With his side trailing 4-1 from the first leg, Inzaghi opted to rest top-scorer Ciro Immobile, with the 1.94m-tall Vedat Muriqi starting up front. Bayern had captain and Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer sidelined by a cold as understudy Alexander Nuebel made only his third start of the season. Bayern were awarded a penalty on 31 minutes when Muriqi brought Leon Goretzka down in the area. After a VAR review, Lewandowski smashed in the resulting spot-kick. It was the Poland star's 39th goal in all competitions this season and fifth in the Champions League. Lewandowski hit the post with Lazio goalkeeper Pepe Reina beaten on 67 minutes. It was one of his last involvements as he and Thomas Mueller made way for Choupo-Moting and 18-year-old Jamal Musiala. Less than two minutes later, David Alaba slid a pass through for Choupo-Moting to sprint onto and flick a shot over Reina. Bayern were guilty of sloppy defending eight minutes from the final whistle when Andreas Pereira's free-kick was headed home by Muriqi's replacement Parolo. Serge Gnabry fired wide late on as Bayern kept Lazio under pressure. Lazio defender Francesco Acerbi said the Italians played better than in their heavy first-leg defeat, but admitted that "Bayern are probably the best in the world".

Bayern down Lazio to stroll into Champions League quarter-finals

Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry both scored twice as Bayern Munich romped to a 5-1 win at home to Cologne on Saturday to open up a five-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting headed Bayern into an early lead before Lewandowski, the league's top scorer, struck twice to increase his league tally for the season to 28 goals.

Gnabry came off the bench to claim two late goals at the Allianz Arena on his first appearance since tearing his thigh a fortnight ago in Bayern's Club World Cup final win in Qatar.

The result sees Bayern bounce back in the Bundesliga after taking just a point from their previous two league games.

However, second-placed RB Leipzig can trim Bayern's lead when they host Borussia Moenchengladbach later on Saturday.

Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry both scored twice as Bayern Munich romped to a 5-1 win at home to Cologne on Saturday to open up a five-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.

Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry both scored twice as Bayern Munich romped to a 5-1 win at home to Cologne on Saturday to open up a five-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting headed Bayern into an early lead before Lewandowski, the league's top scorer, struck twice to increase his league tally for the season to 28 goals. Gnabry came off the bench to claim two late goals at the Allianz Arena on his first appearance since tearing his thigh a fortnight ago in Bayern's Club World Cup final win in Qatar. The result sees Bayern bounce back in the Bundesliga after taking just a point from their previous two league games. However, second-placed RB Leipzig can trim Bayern's lead when they host Borussia Moenchengladbach later on Saturday.

Lewandowski, Gnabry net twice as Bayern Munich go five points clear

Austrian defender David Alaba on Tuesday confirmed that he will leave Bayern Munich at the end of 2020-21 season after spending 13 years with the German giants. Alaba has been at the heart of Bayern Munich&nbsp;defence&nbsp;for over a decade while playing in various positions such as left-back and central defender.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Alaba said that he will leave Allianz Arena following the expiry of his contract as he looks forward to a new challenge. Many European clubs are interested in Alaba's services with the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea among others in the hunt for the Austrian veteran.&nbsp;

Alaba, a two-time UEFA Champions League winner with Bayern Munich, said that it wasn't an easy decision to leave Bayern while adding he has made no decision as to which club he will join in the summer.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/new-tokyo-2020-chief-needs-deep-understanding-of-gender-equality-organisers-364037" hreflang="en">New Tokyo 2020 chief needs deep understanding of gender equality: Organisers</a>

"I have made the decision to leave FC Bayern at the end of this season and try something new. It obviously wasn't an easy decision - I've been here for 13 years and the club means a lot to me,” Alaba said on Tuesday.&nbsp;

“First of all, I haven’t decided which club I’m going to join yet," he added.&nbsp;

"This lies in the future and we will see.”&nbsp;

Spanish giants Real Madrid are reportedly leading the race to sign Alaba with at least five clubs in the fray to sign the defender.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/long-way-to-go-chelsea-boss-thomas-tuchel-despite-strong-start-363956" hreflang="en">'Long way to go': Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel despite strong start</a>

When asked who fought for him to stay at Bayern Munich, Alaba said:&nbsp;"Everyone, absolutely everyone. I'm really thankful for that and that's why it made this such a hard decision. I can call FC Bayern my family."&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich have already confirmed that they have signed Dayot Upamecano with the&nbsp;RB Leipzig defender set to join the club after the end of ongoing season.

Austrian defender David Alaba on Tuesday confirmed that he will leave Bayern Munich at the end of 2020-21 season after spending 13 years with the German giants. Alaba has been at the heart of Bayern Munich defence for over a decade while playing in various positions such as left-back and central defender.

Austrian defender David Alaba on Tuesday confirmed that he will leave Bayern Munich at the end of 2020-21 season after spending 13 years with the German giants. Alaba has been at the heart of Bayern Munich defence for over a decade while playing in various positions such as left-back and central defender. Alaba said that he will leave Allianz Arena following the expiry of his contract as he looks forward to a new challenge. Many European clubs are interested in Alaba's services with the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea among others in the hunt for the Austrian veteran. Alaba, a two-time UEFA Champions League winner with Bayern Munich, said that it wasn't an easy decision to leave Bayern while adding he has made no decision as to which club he will join in the summer. ALSO READ: New Tokyo 2020 chief needs deep understanding of gender equality: Organisers "I have made the decision to leave FC Bayern at the end of this season and try something new. It obviously wasn't an easy decision - I've been here for 13 years and the club means a lot to me,” Alaba said on Tuesday. “First of all, I haven’t decided which club I’m going to join yet," he added. "This lies in the future and we will see.” Spanish giants Real Madrid are reportedly leading the race to sign Alaba with at least five clubs in the fray to sign the defender. ALSO READ: 'Long way to go': Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel despite strong start When asked who fought for him to stay at Bayern Munich, Alaba said: "Everyone, absolutely everyone. I'm really thankful for that and that's why it made this such a hard decision. I can call FC Bayern my family." Meanwhile, Bayern Munich have already confirmed that they have signed Dayot Upamecano with the RB Leipzig defender set to join the club after the end of ongoing season.

David Alaba confirms he will leave Bayern Munich at the end of season

French international defender Dayot Upamecano will join Bayern Munich from RB Leipzig&nbsp;in the summer, the European champions confirmed on Sunday.&nbsp;

Bayern said the 22-year-old would sign a five-year contract but did not reveal the size of the transfer fee. German media reported that Upamecano had a €43 million buyout in his Leipzig contract.&nbsp;

Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic told German tabloid Bild on Friday that Bayern were signing Upamecano, but the club only officially confirmed that the deal had been completed on Sunday.

"We're happy that we've been&nbsp;able to&nbsp;sign&nbsp;Dayot&nbsp;Upamecano&nbsp;for&nbsp;FC Bayern Munich," Salihamidzic said on the club web site.&nbsp;"We're convinced that&nbsp;Dayot&nbsp;will be a very important member of&nbsp;our team in the coming years."&nbsp;

"We are happy to have been able to convince Dayot Upamecano to come to FC Bayern," Salihamidzic said on Sunday on the club's website. "Dayot will be a very important element for our team in the years to come."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ℹ️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBayern?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBayern</a> have agreed to sign Dayot <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Upamecano?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Upamecano</a> from 1st July 2021 🤝 
 
📰 <a href="https://t.co/h1HtzEKVDG">https://t.co/h1HtzEKVDG</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MiaSanMia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MiaSanMia</a>
— 🏆🏆🏆FC Bayern English🏆🏆🏆 (@FCBayernEN) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBayernEN/status/1360907647948640264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Upamecano, who has three France caps, had also been linked with Premier League clubs Liverpool and Chelsea.

"We knew that we had very strong competition," Salihamidzic told Bild. "Upamecano is a young player, 22, whose qualities are already exceptionally developed."

Bayern won the Club World Cup on Thursday to claim a sixth trophy in less than a year but are likely to have defensive vacancies by the summer when both David Alaba and Jerome Boateng are out of contract.

Alaba has made clear he plans&nbsp;to leave and, at 32, Boateng does not expect to be offered another contract.

Upamecano joined RB Salzburg at the age of 16 and moved to Leipzig 18 months later. He has played almost 140 matches for the club and helped them reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time last season.

"We presented him with our vision of his career at FC Bayern," Salihamidzic said, adding that negotiations had continued while he was in Doha for the Club World Cup. "At the end of a long process, players, family and management were convinced that FC Bayern is the right partner."

Bayern already have a strong French connection with internationals Kingsley Coman, Corentin Tolisso, Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard, as well as the former Metz and Marseille player Bouna Sarr and 18-year-old Tanguy Nianzou, a product of the Paris Sain-Germain youth system who joined last summer.

French international defender Dayot Upamecano will join Bayern Munich from RB Leipzig in the summer, the European champions confirmed on Sunday. Bayern said the 22-year-old would sign a five-year contract but did not reveal the size of the transfer fee.

French international defender Dayot Upamecano will join Bayern Munich from RB Leipzig in the summer, the European champions confirmed on Sunday. Bayern said the 22-year-old would sign a five-year contract but did not reveal the size of the transfer fee. German media reported that Upamecano had a €43 million buyout in his Leipzig contract. Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic told German tabloid Bild on Friday that Bayern were signing Upamecano, but the club only officially confirmed that the deal had been completed on Sunday. "We're happy that we've been able to sign Dayot Upamecano for FC Bayern Munich," Salihamidzic said on the club web site. "We're convinced that Dayot will be a very important member of our team in the coming years." "We are happy to have been able to convince Dayot Upamecano to come to FC Bayern," Salihamidzic said on Sunday on the club's website. "Dayot will be a very important element for our team in the years to come." ℹ️ #FCBayern have agreed to sign Dayot #Upamecano from 1st July 2021 🤝 📰 https://t.co/h1HtzEKVDG#MiaSanMia — 🏆🏆🏆FC Bayern English🏆🏆🏆 (@FCBayernEN) February 14, 2021 × Upamecano, who has three France caps, had also been linked with Premier League clubs Liverpool and Chelsea. "We knew that we had very strong competition," Salihamidzic told Bild. "Upamecano is a young player, 22, whose qualities are already exceptionally developed." Bayern won the Club World Cup on Thursday to claim a sixth trophy in less than a year but are likely to have defensive vacancies by the summer when both David Alaba and Jerome Boateng are out of contract. Alaba has made clear he plans to leave and, at 32, Boateng does not expect to be offered another contract. Upamecano joined RB Salzburg at the age of 16 and moved to Leipzig 18 months later. He has played almost 140 matches for the club and helped them reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time last season. "We presented him with our vision of his career at FC Bayern," Salihamidzic said, adding that negotiations had continued while he was in Doha for the Club World Cup. "At the end of a long process, players, family and management were convinced that FC Bayern is the right partner." Bayern already have a strong French connection with internationals Kingsley Coman, Corentin Tolisso, Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard, as well as the former Metz and Marseille player Bouna Sarr and 18-year-old Tanguy Nianzou, a product of the Paris Sain-Germain youth system who joined last summer.

Upamecano joining Bayern from Leipzig

Bayern Munich on Friday announced that Serge Gnabry tore a muscle in his left thigh during the FIFA Club World Cup final. The club said the injury was confirmed following an examination by the FC Bayern medical unit.

"FC Bayern will have to do without Serge Gnabry for the foreseeable. The forward tore a muscle in his left thigh in yesterday`s 1-0 triumph in the FIFA Club World Cup final against Tigres UANL. The injury was confirmed following an examination by the FC Bayern medical unit," the club said in a statement. Gnabry has played in 28 of 32 competitive matches so far this season and scored six goals.

On Thursday, FC Bayern defeated Tigres 1-0 in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup and thus secured a historic sixth title within one year. Only FC Barcelona (in 2009) had previously achieved this feat.

During the match, Bayern were dominant for long spells and had a goal ruled out for offside in the first half, but Benjamin Pavard scored the match-winner early in the second half, firing his side to the title.

Expressing elation over the historic feat, Bayern Munich`s Robert Lewandowski had said that now they have the "six-pack" as it was their sixth title in a year.

"We just wanted to win. Now we have the six-pack, that`s a big story, not only for Bayern Munich but for all of football. The way we played, that will keep for a long, long time," the club`s official website had quoted Lewandowski as saying.&nbsp;

Bayern Munich on Friday announced that Serge Gnabry tore a muscle in his left thigh during the FIFA Club World Cup final. The club said the injury was confirmed following an examination by the FC Bayern medical unit.

Bayern Munich on Friday announced that Serge Gnabry tore a muscle in his left thigh during the FIFA Club World Cup final. The club said the injury was confirmed following an examination by the FC Bayern medical unit. "FC Bayern will have to do without Serge Gnabry for the foreseeable. The forward tore a muscle in his left thigh in yesterday`s 1-0 triumph in the FIFA Club World Cup final against Tigres UANL. The injury was confirmed following an examination by the FC Bayern medical unit," the club said in a statement. Gnabry has played in 28 of 32 competitive matches so far this season and scored six goals. On Thursday, FC Bayern defeated Tigres 1-0 in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup and thus secured a historic sixth title within one year. Only FC Barcelona (in 2009) had previously achieved this feat. During the match, Bayern were dominant for long spells and had a goal ruled out for offside in the first half, but Benjamin Pavard scored the match-winner early in the second half, firing his side to the title. Expressing elation over the historic feat, Bayern Munich`s Robert Lewandowski had said that now they have the "six-pack" as it was their sixth title in a year. "We just wanted to win. Now we have the six-pack, that`s a big story, not only for Bayern Munich but for all of football. The way we played, that will keep for a long, long time," the club`s official website had quoted Lewandowski as saying.

Bayern Munich suffer blow as Gnabry out with thigh muscle tear

Bayern Munich beat Mexico's Tigres UANL 1-0 on Thursday (February 11) thanks to Benjamin Pavard's winner on the hour, to win the&nbsp;Club&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;title and earn their sixth trophy in less than nine months.

Pavard scored in the 59th minute following a VAR review and in front of around 12,000 spectators allowed into Education City Stadium, after Tigres keeper Nahuel Guzman had stopped a Robert Lewandowski header.

The Germans, who also twice hit the woodwork, won all domestic and European titles they competed for in 2020 and are the first team to match Barcelona's sextuple from 2009.

It was also Bayern coach's Hansi Flick's sixth trophy since he took over in November 2019.

The Bavarians were missing several players, including Thomas Mueller, Leon Goretzka, and Javi Martinez to COVID-19 infections and Jerome Boateng who returned to Germany for personal reasons.

But they quickly pinned back Tigres, the first North American&nbsp;club&nbsp;to reach the final, with their high-pressing game.

Early efforts from Kingsley Coman and Lewandowski did not seriously threaten Guzman, who was beaten in the 18th minute by Joshua Kimmich but his 20-metre missile was disallowed for offside.

With pressure mounting, Leroy Sane hit the crossbar with a powerful shot in the 34th minute. Tigres were struggling to break clear and with their French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac completely marked, it was only a matter of time until the Germans scored.

Sane had another chance after the break and Serge Gnabry curled his 51st-minute shot wide before Pavard found the net in the 59th.

Bayern should have added another with a string of chances late in the game and Corentin Tolisso hit the post with a low shot as well.

Bayern's second&nbsp;Club&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;title after 2013 means European&nbsp;clubs have now won the last eight consecutive finals.

Bayern Munich beat Mexico's Tigres UANL 1-0 on Thursday (February 11) thanks to Benjamin Pavard's winner on the hour, to win the Club World Cup title and earn their sixth trophy in less than nine months.

Bayern Munich beat Mexico's Tigres UANL 1-0 on Thursday (February 11) thanks to Benjamin Pavard's winner on the hour, to win the Club World Cup title and earn their sixth trophy in less than nine months. Pavard scored in the 59th minute following a VAR review and in front of around 12,000 spectators allowed into Education City Stadium, after Tigres keeper Nahuel Guzman had stopped a Robert Lewandowski header. The Germans, who also twice hit the woodwork, won all domestic and European titles they competed for in 2020 and are the first team to match Barcelona's sextuple from 2009. It was also Bayern coach's Hansi Flick's sixth trophy since he took over in November 2019. The Bavarians were missing several players, including Thomas Mueller, Leon Goretzka, and Javi Martinez to COVID-19 infections and Jerome Boateng who returned to Germany for personal reasons. But they quickly pinned back Tigres, the first North American club to reach the final, with their high-pressing game. Early efforts from Kingsley Coman and Lewandowski did not seriously threaten Guzman, who was beaten in the 18th minute by Joshua Kimmich but his 20-metre missile was disallowed for offside. With pressure mounting, Leroy Sane hit the crossbar with a powerful shot in the 34th minute. Tigres were struggling to break clear and with their French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac completely marked, it was only a matter of time until the Germans scored. Sane had another chance after the break and Serge Gnabry curled his 51st-minute shot wide before Pavard found the net in the 59th. Bayern should have added another with a string of chances late in the game and Corentin Tolisso hit the post with a low shot as well. Bayern's second Club World Cup title after 2013 means European clubs have now won the last eight consecutive finals.

Bayern beat Tigres 1-0 in Club World Cup final for sixth title in 9 months

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been termed as "the Messi of&nbsp;Africa" by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as the Bayern Munich CEO fueled transfer speculation by saying that&nbsp;"it would be an honour to have him" at the German club.&nbsp;

Salah, since his move to Liverpool in 2017, has become a prolific threat in front of the goal and is regarded as one of the most popular athletes in Africa.&nbsp;

The Egypt international has been a vital cog in Jurgen Klopp's Premier League and Champions League winning side. Reflecting on Salah's achievements and skills, Rummenigge said that the&nbsp;28-year-old can be compared to the likes of Lionel Messi at Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“In my opinion, Salah is the Messi of Africa and of course he has the skills to play for the best teams in the world,” Rummenigge told ON Time Sports.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/atletico-madrid-v-chelsea-champions-league-match-moved-to-bucharest-uefa-362652" hreflang="en">Atletico Madrid v Chelsea Champions League match moved to Bucharest: UEFA</a>

“What he [Salah] has achieved can be compared to what Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo did with Barcelona and Real Madrid.”&nbsp;

Salah has been constantly linked with a move away from the Anfield with reports, over the recent months, stating that the Egyptian is unhappy at the Merseyside club. However, with Barcelona and Real Madrid being tipped as the potential destination for Salah, the current financial problems of the clubs could make it difficult for them to sign the Liverpool star.&nbsp;

“At the moment we don’t plan on signing Salah, but certainly it would be an honour to have him,” Rummenigge said.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/from-no-hugs-to-150000-condoms-here-are-the-details-of-athlete-rulebook-for-tokyo-2020-362452" hreflang="en">From no hugs to 150,000 condoms: Here are the details of athlete rulebook for Tokyo 2020</a>

Salah is nearing his 200th&nbsp;goal of his club career and the Liverpool fans would love to see him touch another landmark in the red jersey.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Liverpool&nbsp;are&nbsp;currently struggling in the Premier League with the Reds losing last three home games at the Anfield.&nbsp;They currently sit fourth in the Premier League standings with 40 points, 10 points adrift of league leaders Manchester City.&nbsp;

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been termed as "the Messi of Africa" by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as the Bayern Munich CEO fueled transfer speculation by saying that "it would be an honour to have him" at the German club.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been termed as "the Messi of Africa" by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as the Bayern Munich CEO fueled transfer speculation by saying that "it would be an honour to have him" at the German club. Salah, since his move to Liverpool in 2017, has become a prolific threat in front of the goal and is regarded as one of the most popular athletes in Africa. The Egypt international has been a vital cog in Jurgen Klopp's Premier League and Champions League winning side. Reflecting on Salah's achievements and skills, Rummenigge said that the 28-year-old can be compared to the likes of Lionel Messi at Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. “In my opinion, Salah is the Messi of Africa and of course he has the skills to play for the best teams in the world,” Rummenigge told ON Time Sports. ALSO READ: Atletico Madrid v Chelsea Champions League match moved to Bucharest: UEFA “What he [Salah] has achieved can be compared to what Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo did with Barcelona and Real Madrid.” Salah has been constantly linked with a move away from the Anfield with reports, over the recent months, stating that the Egyptian is unhappy at the Merseyside club. However, with Barcelona and Real Madrid being tipped as the potential destination for Salah, the current financial problems of the clubs could make it difficult for them to sign the Liverpool star. “At the moment we don’t plan on signing Salah, but certainly it would be an honour to have him,” Rummenigge said. ALSO READ: From no hugs to 150,000 condoms: Here are the details of athlete rulebook for Tokyo 2020 Salah is nearing his 200th goal of his club career and the Liverpool fans would love to see him touch another landmark in the red jersey. Meanwhile, Liverpool are currently struggling in the Premier League with the Reds losing last three home games at the Anfield. They currently sit fourth in the Premier League standings with 40 points, 10 points adrift of league leaders Manchester City.

Bayern Munich CEO's 'Messi of Africa' praise for Mohamed Salah fuels transfer speculation

Bayern Munich are the overwhelming favourites to cap a remarkable last year as they head to Qatar for the delayed FIFA Club World Cup, taking place later than scheduled because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which overshadows the tournament.

Bayern qualified after their triumph in last season's UEFA Champions League, the crowning moment of a 2020 which also saw Hansi Flick's team win the Bundesliga, German Cup, UEFA Super Cup and German Super Cup.

Now they are hoping to become the eighth consecutive European winner of the Club World Cup, a run that started when Bayern themselves lifted the trophy in Morocco in 2013.

If they do so they can -- albeit with the caveat that this competition is being played in a different calendar year -- match the achievement of Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, who won six trophies in 2009.

"That would probably be the icing on the cake, but it's obviously going to be a challenge," said Flick.

"It's always the case at Bayern Munich that you want to have the most successful season possible and after the treble, you're obviously looking at the FIFA Club World Cup."

Bayern have named all the big guns, from Manuel Neuer to Thomas Mueller and Robert Lewandowski, in their squad ahead of their entrance in the semi-final next Monday against either African champions Al Ahly or host nation representative Al Duhail.

<h2>- Final against Palmeiras? -</h2>

The expectation is that they will go through to the February 11 final and likely face Palmeiras, with the Brazilians fresh from winning the Copa Libertadores last weekend.

Palmeiras play their semi-final on Sunday against either Tigres of Mexico, the CONCACAF Champions League winner, or Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea, who are back in Qatar after winning the Asian Champions League there in December.

Tigres and Ulsan Hyundai kick the tournament off on Thursday when they meet at the Ahmad Bin Ali stadium in Al Rayyan, on the outskirts of Doha.

<h2>- Muted atmosphere, but fans allowed in -</h2>

The mood in Doha is muted compared to the last Club World Cup in December 2019, which saw thousands of supporters of Liverpool and Brazilian giants Flamengo descend on the normally staid city.

This time, the tournament kicks off with Qatar seeing a spike in coronavirus cases and hospital admissions, and local authorities have taken a swathe of measures including banning travelling fans from outside the country.

New cases over the last week jumped by a third compared to the week before, according to official data, while hospital admissions due to Covid-19 are up 85 percent in the past month, according to the country's Ministry of Public Health.

As of Monday, 249 people had died from the virus while the overall case load has topped 151,000 in a country with a population of under three million.

<h2>- Obligatory testing -</h2>

However&nbsp;Abdulwahab al-Musleh, sports affairs adviser to Qatar's health ministry, claimed ahead of the tournament that fans faced a negligible risk of contracting the virus because of the requirement for them to present a negative test ahead of each match.

That comes after the experience of the domestic Emir of Qatar Cup final in December, where all 20,000 fans who attended the half-capacity match were required to present a negative test.

And so while sporting events across much of the world are currently going ahead behind closed doors, a limited number of spectators will be allowed inside Club World Cup games.

Spectator numbers are capped at 30 percent of capacity at each of the two 40,000-seat venues. Social distancing, mask wearing and use of Qatar's contact tracing app will be mandatory.

Meanwhile, following a cluster of cases in the Saudi Al-Hilal team during the AFC Champions League late last year, Musleh said "several measures to prevent that recurring" had been taken.

The pandemic has already directly impacted the tournament though as Oceania champions Auckland City withdrew due to quarantine measures required by the New Zealand authorities.

Despite the spectre of coronavirus, the tournament remains a useful test event for FIFA and organisers ahead of the fast-approaching 2022 World Cup in the country.

Bayern Munich are the overwhelming favourites to cap a remarkable last year as they head to Qatar for the delayed FIFA Club World Cup, taking place later than scheduled because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which overshadows the tournament.

Bayern Munich are the overwhelming favourites to cap a remarkable last year as they head to Qatar for the delayed FIFA Club World Cup, taking place later than scheduled because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which overshadows the tournament. Bayern qualified after their triumph in last season's UEFA Champions League, the crowning moment of a 2020 which also saw Hansi Flick's team win the Bundesliga, German Cup, UEFA Super Cup and German Super Cup. Now they are hoping to become the eighth consecutive European winner of the Club World Cup, a run that started when Bayern themselves lifted the trophy in Morocco in 2013. If they do so they can -- albeit with the caveat that this competition is being played in a different calendar year -- match the achievement of Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, who won six trophies in 2009. "That would probably be the icing on the cake, but it's obviously going to be a challenge," said Flick. "It's always the case at Bayern Munich that you want to have the most successful season possible and after the treble, you're obviously looking at the FIFA Club World Cup." Bayern have named all the big guns, from Manuel Neuer to Thomas Mueller and Robert Lewandowski, in their squad ahead of their entrance in the semi-final next Monday against either African champions Al Ahly or host nation representative Al Duhail. - Final against Palmeiras? - The expectation is that they will go through to the February 11 final and likely face Palmeiras, with the Brazilians fresh from winning the Copa Libertadores last weekend. Palmeiras play their semi-final on Sunday against either Tigres of Mexico, the CONCACAF Champions League winner, or Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea, who are back in Qatar after winning the Asian Champions League there in December. Tigres and Ulsan Hyundai kick the tournament off on Thursday when they meet at the Ahmad Bin Ali stadium in Al Rayyan, on the outskirts of Doha. - Muted atmosphere, but fans allowed in - The mood in Doha is muted compared to the last Club World Cup in December 2019, which saw thousands of supporters of Liverpool and Brazilian giants Flamengo descend on the normally staid city. This time, the tournament kicks off with Qatar seeing a spike in coronavirus cases and hospital admissions, and local authorities have taken a swathe of measures including banning travelling fans from outside the country. New cases over the last week jumped by a third compared to the week before, according to official data, while hospital admissions due to Covid-19 are up 85 percent in the past month, according to the country's Ministry of Public Health. As of Monday, 249 people had died from the virus while the overall case load has topped 151,000 in a country with a population of under three million. - Obligatory testing - However Abdulwahab al-Musleh, sports affairs adviser to Qatar's health ministry, claimed ahead of the tournament that fans faced a negligible risk of contracting the virus because of the requirement for them to present a negative test ahead of each match. That comes after the experience of the domestic Emir of Qatar Cup final in December, where all 20,000 fans who attended the half-capacity match were required to present a negative test. And so while sporting events across much of the world are currently going ahead behind closed doors, a limited number of spectators will be allowed inside Club World Cup games. Spectator numbers are capped at 30 percent of capacity at each of the two 40,000-seat venues. Social distancing, mask wearing and use of Qatar's contact tracing app will be mandatory. Meanwhile, following a cluster of cases in the Saudi Al-Hilal team during the AFC Champions League late last year, Musleh said "several measures to prevent that recurring" had been taken. The pandemic has already directly impacted the tournament though as Oceania champions Auckland City withdrew due to quarantine measures required by the New Zealand authorities. Despite the spectre of coronavirus, the tournament remains a useful test event for FIFA and organisers ahead of the fast-approaching 2022 World Cup in the country.

Covid tests for fans, limited crowds and Bayern favourites - Club World Cup kicks off in Qatar

Barcelona have topped the Deloitte Football Money League after the financial performances of the highest revenue-generating clubs were charted for the 2019-20 season. While Barca sit atop the&nbsp;list, the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich complete the top three.&nbsp;

For the first time since 2013, Manchester United dropped out of the top three of the Deloitte Football Money League while Liverpool's on-pitch success helped them be in the top five for the first time since 2001-02 season.&nbsp;

Manchester City continue to remain in the sixth spot with Premier League clubs Tottenham Hotspur (9), Arsenal (11) and Everton (17) also placed in the top 20.&nbsp;

Given the hardships amid COVID-19 pandemic, the top 20 clubs witnessed a revenue decline of 12 per cent as compared to the 2018-19 season. The sharp decline comes due to a drop in broadcast revenue and fall in matchday revenue.&nbsp;

<img alt="Deloitte" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4521844f-90a0-4723-93ee-2bb615100f16" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/deloitte-uk-dfml21-info-slide1.jpg" />

Tim Bridge, director of Deloitte Sports Business Group, said that the "digital model" helped Liverpool sit on the fifth spot besides their Premier League success.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/europes-top-clubs-face-two-billion-euro-coronavirus-hit-report-359468" hreflang="en">Europe's top clubs face two billion euro coronavirus hit - report</a>

"The on-pitch success is a massive factor," Bridge&nbsp;told Sky Sports. "Building on winning the Champions League and then taking the Premier League crown for the first time has had a significant impact. They have moved significantly towards a more digital model, and have been doing for a number of years.&nbsp;

"That has benefitted them in comparison to others during the pandemic because they are able to engage with their fans in a&nbsp;way others&nbsp;probably had to pay catch-up."&nbsp;

While Liverpool played both their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 matches in one financial year, Manchester City were forced to play the fixtures in two financial years due to COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="485" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/mNqh9vze6gvq7H" style="border:1px solid #CCC; border-width:1px; margin-bottom:5px; max-width: 100%;" width="595"></iframe>

<div style="margin-bottom:5px"><a href="//www.slideshare.net/deloitteuk/testing-times-football-money-league-241824944" target="_blank" title="Testing Times: Football Money League">Testing Times: Football Money League</a> from <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/deloitteuk" target="_blank">Deloitte UK</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"But with those placings, take a little bit of care because with the timings of the fixtures they were able to generate more revenue ahead of Manchester City," said Bridge.&nbsp;

"Had timings been a little bit different, those rankings may have been different."&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/will-they-wont-they-key-questions-for-troubled-tokyo-olympics-359408" hreflang="en">Will they, won't they? Key questions for troubled Tokyo Olympics</a>

Whereas Manchester United had largest year-on-year decline among the top 20 clubs in the Deloitte Football Money League. Bridge&nbsp;emphasised&nbsp;that the sharp drop comes due to their lack of Champions League football.&nbsp;

Bridge said: "The reason for the decrease is predominantly driven by the pandemic, as you can imagine Manchester United with a huge fanbase generate significant amounts of revenue every time they play at Old Trafford.&nbsp;

"They are going to be impacted in a more significant way than many other clubs. Of course, last year they didn't have Champions League football either, so the revenue differential from competing in the Europa League compared to the Champions League had a significant impact on the numbers.&nbsp;

"But caution is needed. With Bayern Munich moving ahead of them, they were able to complete their domestic season in the timeframe, so the numbers for Bayern represent a full year of domestic football, whereas for United they are curtailed."&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Barcelona have topped the Deloitte Football Money League after the financial performances of the highest revenue-generating clubs were charted for the 2019-20 season.

Barcelona have topped the Deloitte Football Money League after the financial performances of the highest revenue-generating clubs were charted for the 2019-20 season. While Barca sit atop the list, the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich complete the top three. For the first time since 2013, Manchester United dropped out of the top three of the Deloitte Football Money League while Liverpool's on-pitch success helped them be in the top five for the first time since 2001-02 season. Manchester City continue to remain in the sixth spot with Premier League clubs Tottenham Hotspur (9), Arsenal (11) and Everton (17) also placed in the top 20. Given the hardships amid COVID-19 pandemic, the top 20 clubs witnessed a revenue decline of 12 per cent as compared to the 2018-19 season. The sharp decline comes due to a drop in broadcast revenue and fall in matchday revenue. Tim Bridge, director of Deloitte Sports Business Group, said that the "digital model" helped Liverpool sit on the fifth spot besides their Premier League success. ALSO READ: Europe's top clubs face two billion euro coronavirus hit - report "The on-pitch success is a massive factor," Bridge told Sky Sports. "Building on winning the Champions League and then taking the Premier League crown for the first time has had a significant impact. They have moved significantly towards a more digital model, and have been doing for a number of years. "That has benefitted them in comparison to others during the pandemic because they are able to engage with their fans in a way others probably had to pay catch-up." While Liverpool played both their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 matches in one financial year, Manchester City were forced to play the fixtures in two financial years due to COVID-19 pandemic. Testing Times: Football Money League from Deloitte UK × "But with those placings, take a little bit of care because with the timings of the fixtures they were able to generate more revenue ahead of Manchester City," said Bridge. "Had timings been a little bit different, those rankings may have been different." ALSO READ: Will they, won't they? Key questions for troubled Tokyo Olympics Whereas Manchester United had largest year-on-year decline among the top 20 clubs in the Deloitte Football Money League. Bridge emphasised that the sharp drop comes due to their lack of Champions League football. Bridge said: "The reason for the decrease is predominantly driven by the pandemic, as you can imagine Manchester United with a huge fanbase generate significant amounts of revenue every time they play at Old Trafford. "They are going to be impacted in a more significant way than many other clubs. Of course, last year they didn't have Champions League football either, so the revenue differential from competing in the Europa League compared to the Champions League had a significant impact on the numbers. "But caution is needed. With Bayern Munich moving ahead of them, they were able to complete their domestic season in the timeframe, so the numbers for Bayern represent a full year of domestic football, whereas for United they are curtailed."

Barcelona top Deloitte Football Money League, Manchester United witness biggest drop

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer set a new Bundesliga record with the 197th clean sheet of his career in the German top flight as the league leaders thrashed Schalke on Sunday.

The 34-year-old, voted FIFA's best goalkeeper of 2020, bettered the previous record set by former Bayern and Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.

Kahn needed 557 Bundesliga matches, for Bayern and Karlsruher, to reach the old mark, which current Germany 'keeper Neuer has usurped after 423 league games for the Bavarians and former club Schalke.

On Sunday, Neuer pulled off saves to deny Mark Uth and Suat Serdar in Gelsenkirchen.

Neuer said he hopes Schalke avoid relegation having come through their academy before joining Bayern in 2011.&nbsp;

"I hope Schalke stay in the league and manage to turn the tide," Neuer told Sky, after brushing off questions about his record.

"They had one or two chances and we didn't defend as well as we could have done."

The 4-0 victory, which saw Thomas Mueller score twice, sent Bayern seven points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig in the table.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer set a new Bundesliga record with the 197th clean sheet of his career in the German top flight as the league leaders thrashed Schalke on Sunday.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer set a new Bundesliga record with the 197th clean sheet of his career in the German top flight as the league leaders thrashed Schalke on Sunday. The 34-year-old, voted FIFA's best goalkeeper of 2020, bettered the previous record set by former Bayern and Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn. Kahn needed 557 Bundesliga matches, for Bayern and Karlsruher, to reach the old mark, which current Germany 'keeper Neuer has usurped after 423 league games for the Bavarians and former club Schalke. On Sunday, Neuer pulled off saves to deny Mark Uth and Suat Serdar in Gelsenkirchen. Neuer said he hopes Schalke avoid relegation having come through their academy before joining Bayern in 2011. "I hope Schalke stay in the league and manage to turn the tide," Neuer told Sky, after brushing off questions about his record. "They had one or two chances and we didn't defend as well as we could have done." The 4-0 victory, which saw Thomas Mueller score twice, sent Bayern seven points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig in the table.

Neuer sets new Bundesliga record for most clean sheets

Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick was "shocked" as the holders crashed out of the German Cup on Wednesday after defeat at second division Holstein Kiel, who won a nail-biting penalty shoot-out 6-5 as the second round tie finished 2-2 after extra-time.

"It's a shock. We are enormously disappointed," Flick told Sky.

"It's all the more annoying that we conceded an equaliser which made it 2-2 in the last second (of normal time). Congratulations to Kiel.

"We have to put it behind us and do things better."

Bayern forward Thomas Mueller said the defeat was "brutal".

This is the first time Bayern have been knocked out of the cup by a non-Bundesliga club since losing to then fourth-tier Magdeburg in 2000/01.&nbsp;

After Bayern midfielder Marc Roca was the first player to miss with his team's sixth penalty, Kiel's Fin Bartels converted the winning spot-kick to spark wild celebrations.

The upset means this is the first time European champions Bayern have been eliminated from a cup competition since Flick took charge in November 2019.&nbsp;

Bayern were 2-1 up thanks to goals by Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane, either side of a superb Bartels strike, before a last-gasp header by Kiel captain Hauke Wahl on 95 minutes took the game to extra time, then penalties.

"Even if it sounds stupid after a cup defeat against an underdog from Kiel - luck wasn't on our side," said Mueller.

"It's certainly not FC Bayern's best phase," he added as the European champions also crashed to a 3-2 league defeat at Borussia Moenchengladbach last Friday.

"Being knocked out is brutal, we have to let that sink in first."

The German FA gave Bayern permission to postpone the cup tie from late December.&nbsp;

Bayern fielded a near-full strength side with only top-scoring striker Robert Lewandowski, who made a second-half cameo, and centre-back Jerome Boateng started on the bench.

Lewandowski's stand-in Gnabry gave Bayern the lead after only 14 minutes.

When Kiel goalkeeper Ioannis Gelios parried a Thomas Mueller header, it fell straight to the feet of Germany winger Gnabry who tapped into an empty net.

Having started 2021 top of the second division after five straight wins, Kiel caused nervous looks in Bayern's ranks when Bartels, 33, put them level.

The former Bremen veteran sprinted onto a long ball, avoided the challenge of Bayern defender Bouna Sarr and fired past Manuel Neuer eight minutes from half time.

However, Sane restored the lead just three minutes after the break.

Sane expertly curled his free-kick over the Kiel wall and out of reach of Gelios' glove.

As heavy snow started to fall, Kiel kept plugging away and were rewarded with the equaliser five minutes into added time.

Sloppy defending at a corner when Wahl was left free in the area and the centre-back flicked his header into the far corner of the Bayern net to force extra time.

The European champions laid siege to the Kiel goal in a bid to avoid penalties but Gelios pulled off a string of saves.

In the last 16, Kiel will host fellow second-division side Darmstadt on February 2.

Bayer Leverkusen, who beat Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1 on Tuesday in their postponed second round tie, are at Rot-Weiss Essen, the only fourth-tier club left in the competition.

Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick was "shocked" as the holders crashed out of the German Cup on Wednesday after defeat at second division Holstein Kiel, who won a nail-biting penalty shoot-out 6-5 as the second round tie finished 2-2 after extra-time.

Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick was "shocked" as the holders crashed out of the German Cup on Wednesday after defeat at second division Holstein Kiel, who won a nail-biting penalty shoot-out 6-5 as the second round tie finished 2-2 after extra-time. "It's a shock. We are enormously disappointed," Flick told Sky. "It's all the more annoying that we conceded an equaliser which made it 2-2 in the last second (of normal time). Congratulations to Kiel. "We have to put it behind us and do things better." Bayern forward Thomas Mueller said the defeat was "brutal". This is the first time Bayern have been knocked out of the cup by a non-Bundesliga club since losing to then fourth-tier Magdeburg in 2000/01. After Bayern midfielder Marc Roca was the first player to miss with his team's sixth penalty, Kiel's Fin Bartels converted the winning spot-kick to spark wild celebrations. The upset means this is the first time European champions Bayern have been eliminated from a cup competition since Flick took charge in November 2019. Bayern were 2-1 up thanks to goals by Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane, either side of a superb Bartels strike, before a last-gasp header by Kiel captain Hauke Wahl on 95 minutes took the game to extra time, then penalties. "Even if it sounds stupid after a cup defeat against an underdog from Kiel - luck wasn't on our side," said Mueller. "It's certainly not FC Bayern's best phase," he added as the European champions also crashed to a 3-2 league defeat at Borussia Moenchengladbach last Friday. "Being knocked out is brutal, we have to let that sink in first." The German FA gave Bayern permission to postpone the cup tie from late December. Bayern fielded a near-full strength side with only top-scoring striker Robert Lewandowski, who made a second-half cameo, and centre-back Jerome Boateng started on the bench. Lewandowski's stand-in Gnabry gave Bayern the lead after only 14 minutes. When Kiel goalkeeper Ioannis Gelios parried a Thomas Mueller header, it fell straight to the feet of Germany winger Gnabry who tapped into an empty net. Having started 2021 top of the second division after five straight wins, Kiel caused nervous looks in Bayern's ranks when Bartels, 33, put them level. The former Bremen veteran sprinted onto a long ball, avoided the challenge of Bayern defender Bouna Sarr and fired past Manuel Neuer eight minutes from half time. However, Sane restored the lead just three minutes after the break. Sane expertly curled his free-kick over the Kiel wall and out of reach of Gelios' glove. As heavy snow started to fall, Kiel kept plugging away and were rewarded with the equaliser five minutes into added time. Sloppy defending at a corner when Wahl was left free in the area and the centre-back flicked his header into the far corner of the Bayern net to force extra time. The European champions laid siege to the Kiel goal in a bid to avoid penalties but Gelios pulled off a string of saves. In the last 16, Kiel will host fellow second-division side Darmstadt on February 2. Bayer Leverkusen, who beat Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1 on Tuesday in their postponed second round tie, are at Rot-Weiss Essen, the only fourth-tier club left in the competition.

'Shocked' Bayern Munich knocked out of German Cup by second division Kiel

Lionel Messi is bang in form in the new year, Schalke avoided matching the Bundesliga record for the most consecutive games without a win and there was a very rare defeat for Bayern Munich.

AFP Sport rounds up some of the main talking points from across the continent:

<h2>- Messi means business -</h2>

Lionel Messi looks like a man on a mission at the start of 2021 and what could be his final six months as a Barcelona player. On Saturday he scored twice -- including direct from a free-kick, one of his late-career specialities -- in a 4-0 win at Granada. That followed a masterful double and two shots off the post in a 3-2 midweek victory at Athletic Bilbao.&nbsp;

Before that he provided the assist for Frenkie de Jong's winner at Huesca, and Barcelona have won three out of three since the turn of the year, while Messi is now La Liga's top scorer. Maybe it's not too late for Ronald Koeman's side to challenge for the title: they are third, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, albeit having played three games more.

<h2>- New Hoppe for Schalke -</h2>

Matthew Hoppe is the latest young American to break through in the Bundesliga and he is already a hero for Schalke supporters. The California-born 19-year-old, who made his debut in November, had never scored a senior goal before netting a hat-trick -- the first ever for an American in the Bundesliga -- in the 4-0 defeat of Hoffenheim that rescued the Royal Blues from equalling an unwanted record.

Their first win since January 17 last year, after 30 games without, prevented them from matching Tasmania Berlin's infamous German top-flight record of 31 games without a victory set in 1965/66. Hoppe has given hope to a whole club, and suddenly Schalke have new cause for optimism as they bid to beat the drop. They are off the bottom, above Mainz, but they remain in the relegation zone.

<h2>- Title race alive as Bayern come unstuck -</h2>

Bayern Munich had begun to look a little less irresistible on a run of eight straight Bundesliga matches in which they had conceded the opening goal. But they had won five and drawn three of those matches. Then on Friday they were 2-0 up away to Borussia Moenchengladbach only to lose 3-2, just their second Bundesliga defeat since losing at the same ground in December 2019.

It is a result that keeps the Bundesliga title race very much alive, although Hansi Flick's team have a winnable run of matches upcoming and they remain top, two points clear of RB Leipzig, who lost 3-1 at home to Borussia Dortmund, for whom Erling Braut Haaland scored twice. Third-placed Bayer Leverkusen are four points off the top after drawing 1-1 with Werder Bremen.

<h2>- Milan unfazed by Juve defeat -</h2>

Three days after a 3-1 home loss to reigning champions Juventus which ended a 27-game unbeaten run in Serie A stretching back to June, AC Milan bounced back to beat Torino 2-0 at San Siro. With second-placed city rivals Inter drawing at Roma, Milan are now three points clear at the top of the table, and remain seven ahead of Juventus, who are fourth but do have a game in hand.

Added good news for Milan came with the return of veteran top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a late substitute for his first appearance since November 22 after injury. The Swede came on for Rafael Leao, who had earlier scored his third goal in five games. Can Zlatan now fire the Rossoneri to their first Scudetto since 2011?&nbsp;

<h2>- Lyon lead way in France -</h2>

Mauricio Pochettino got his first victory as coach of Paris Saint-Germain, a 3-0 defeat of Brest, but it is Lyon who lead halfway through the Ligue 1 season. They claimed the symbolic title of autumn champions after coming back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Rennes on Saturday with Memphis Depay scoring one fine goal before setting up Jason Denayer's equaliser.

Rudi Garcia's team are unbeaten in 16 games although both PSG and Lille are just a point behind, and there is a very long way to go. Ensuring Depay stays to see out the remainder of his contract rather than leaving this month will be crucial.

Lionel Messi is bang in form in the new year, Schalke avoided matching the Bundesliga record for the most consecutive games without a win and there was a very rare defeat for Bayern Munich.

Lionel Messi is bang in form in the new year, Schalke avoided matching the Bundesliga record for the most consecutive games without a win and there was a very rare defeat for Bayern Munich. AFP Sport rounds up some of the main talking points from across the continent: - Messi means business - Lionel Messi looks like a man on a mission at the start of 2021 and what could be his final six months as a Barcelona player. On Saturday he scored twice -- including direct from a free-kick, one of his late-career specialities -- in a 4-0 win at Granada. That followed a masterful double and two shots off the post in a 3-2 midweek victory at Athletic Bilbao. Before that he provided the assist for Frenkie de Jong's winner at Huesca, and Barcelona have won three out of three since the turn of the year, while Messi is now La Liga's top scorer. Maybe it's not too late for Ronald Koeman's side to challenge for the title: they are third, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, albeit having played three games more. - New Hoppe for Schalke - Matthew Hoppe is the latest young American to break through in the Bundesliga and he is already a hero for Schalke supporters. The California-born 19-year-old, who made his debut in November, had never scored a senior goal before netting a hat-trick -- the first ever for an American in the Bundesliga -- in the 4-0 defeat of Hoffenheim that rescued the Royal Blues from equalling an unwanted record. Their first win since January 17 last year, after 30 games without, prevented them from matching Tasmania Berlin's infamous German top-flight record of 31 games without a victory set in 1965/66. Hoppe has given hope to a whole club, and suddenly Schalke have new cause for optimism as they bid to beat the drop. They are off the bottom, above Mainz, but they remain in the relegation zone. - Title race alive as Bayern come unstuck - Bayern Munich had begun to look a little less irresistible on a run of eight straight Bundesliga matches in which they had conceded the opening goal. But they had won five and drawn three of those matches. Then on Friday they were 2-0 up away to Borussia Moenchengladbach only to lose 3-2, just their second Bundesliga defeat since losing at the same ground in December 2019. It is a result that keeps the Bundesliga title race very much alive, although Hansi Flick's team have a winnable run of matches upcoming and they remain top, two points clear of RB Leipzig, who lost 3-1 at home to Borussia Dortmund, for whom Erling Braut Haaland scored twice. Third-placed Bayer Leverkusen are four points off the top after drawing 1-1 with Werder Bremen. - Milan unfazed by Juve defeat - Three days after a 3-1 home loss to reigning champions Juventus which ended a 27-game unbeaten run in Serie A stretching back to June, AC Milan bounced back to beat Torino 2-0 at San Siro. With second-placed city rivals Inter drawing at Roma, Milan are now three points clear at the top of the table, and remain seven ahead of Juventus, who are fourth but do have a game in hand. Added good news for Milan came with the return of veteran top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a late substitute for his first appearance since November 22 after injury. The Swede came on for Rafael Leao, who had earlier scored his third goal in five games. Can Zlatan now fire the Rossoneri to their first Scudetto since 2011? - Lyon lead way in France - Mauricio Pochettino got his first victory as coach of Paris Saint-Germain, a 3-0 defeat of Brest, but it is Lyon who lead halfway through the Ligue 1 season. They claimed the symbolic title of autumn champions after coming back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Rennes on Saturday with Memphis Depay scoring one fine goal before setting up Jason Denayer's equaliser. Rudi Garcia's team are unbeaten in 16 games although both PSG and Lille are just a point behind, and there is a very long way to go. Ensuring Depay stays to see out the remainder of his contract rather than leaving this month will be crucial.

Messi on form, a new American star and Bayern beaten: Talking points from around Europe

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has laid down the law to Leroy Sane, telling the former Manchester City winger that he needs to start delivering for the European champions.

A string of disappointing performances by Sane since he joined in a 50-million-euro ($61 million) move in the summer was capped on Saturday when he was removed just half an hour after entering the field as a substitute in Bayern's 2-1 win against Bayer Leverkusen.

"We put everything possible in play" to acquire the German international, Rummenigge&nbsp;told Sport 1 TV, "and now he has to justify it".

"He hasn't yet really got into the DNA of Bayern. His task now has got to be to make his talent bear fruit," the former Bayern forward said.

Rummenigge added: "I think he has got a good future ahead of him. We're prepared to support any player but we have demands too. He must now take the next step."

Sane, 24, admitted he had been surprised to be yanked off before the final whistle, telling Bild newspaper: "That is not something that has happened to me before."

Veteran midfielder Thomas Mueller acknowledged that coach Hansi Flick's decision to remove Sane before the end of the game had been "a bitter pill to swallow" for the winger.

Flick is believed to be unimpressed by Sane's work rate and&nbsp;willingness to work for the team and with France forward Kingsley Coman in fine form since he scored the winning goal in the Champions League final, Sane has mainly been used as a substitute.

With the Bundesliga now entering its winter break, Sane will have to wait until January to make an impression.

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has laid down the law to Leroy Sane, telling the former Manchester City winger that he needs to start delivering for the European champions.

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has laid down the law to Leroy Sane, telling the former Manchester City winger that he needs to start delivering for the European champions. A string of disappointing performances by Sane since he joined in a 50-million-euro ($61 million) move in the summer was capped on Saturday when he was removed just half an hour after entering the field as a substitute in Bayern's 2-1 win against Bayer Leverkusen. "We put everything possible in play" to acquire the German international, Rummenigge told Sport 1 TV, "and now he has to justify it". "He hasn't yet really got into the DNA of Bayern. His task now has got to be to make his talent bear fruit," the former Bayern forward said. Rummenigge added: "I think he has got a good future ahead of him. We're prepared to support any player but we have demands too. He must now take the next step." Sane, 24, admitted he had been surprised to be yanked off before the final whistle, telling Bild newspaper: "That is not something that has happened to me before." Veteran midfielder Thomas Mueller acknowledged that coach Hansi Flick's decision to remove Sane before the end of the game had been "a bitter pill to swallow" for the winger. Flick is believed to be unimpressed by Sane's work rate and willingness to work for the team and with France forward Kingsley Coman in fine form since he scored the winning goal in the Champions League final, Sane has mainly been used as a substitute. With the Bundesliga now entering its winter break, Sane will have to wait until January to make an impression.

Sane warned by Rummenigge to shape up fast at Bayern

Robert Lewandowski scored his 11th goal in just his sixth Bundesliga game this season as Bayern Munich went top of the table on Saturday with a 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund.

"In the end, we deserved the win and such victories are doubly important for us," said midfielder Leon Goretzka as Bayern saw off their rivals.

After Marco Reus had put Dortmund ahead, David Alaba blasted home a free-kick to make it 1-1 at half-time behind closed doors at Signal Iduna Park.

Lewandowski gave Bayern the lead with a superb header early in the second half before Leroy Sane grabbed the visitors' third.&nbsp;

Erling Braut Haaland gave Dortmund hope with a late goal, but was left to regret earlier misses.

"I have to score more goals, if we don't put our chances away at this level, then we won't win," said Haaland, who converted one of four shots on goal.

"They are the best team in the world and we have to work harder to take the next step to be as good as them".

The 32-year-old Lewandowski could have finished with a hat-trick against his former club after also having two goals disallowed by the VAR.

The win leaves Bayern two points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig with Dortmund third, three points behind Munich.&nbsp;

<h2>- Kimmich injury -</h2>

The away win could have come at a cost, however, as Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich had to be helped off in clear distress with a first-half knee injury.

"I think his knee got overstretched, it didn't look good," admitted Goretzka.

After the hosts made a bright start with Haaland firing wide, Lewandowski's effort on 24 minutes was ruled out by the VAR who spotted the Poland star offside in the build up.

Dortmund took the lead on 45 minutes when centre-half Mats Hummels sent a superb pass down the left flank for Jadon Sancho.

The England winger played Raphael Guerreiro into the area to provide the final pass which Reus fired home.

However, Bayern levelled four minutes later.

After Dortmund's midfield enforcer Thomas Delaney brought down Serge Gnarby on the edge of the area, Alaba blasted home a superb free-kick to make it 1-1 at the break.

Haaland fired wide at the start of the second half, just before Lewandowski powered home his header from a pin-point Lucas Herandez cross to put Bayern 2-1 up on 48 minutes.

Bayern had their tails up and Kingsley Coman's shot crashed off the post soon after.

Sane looked to have put the game beyond Dortmund when he cut inside, beat two defenders and fired home ten minutes from time.

However, Haaland fired home from a tight angle to give Dortmund hope while Reus volleyed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Lewandowski had the ball in the Dortmund net once more just before the whistle, only to again be denied by the VAR.

<h2>- Leipzig down Freiburg -</h2>

Earlier, RB Leipzig were impressive in their 3-0 home win over Freiburg.

Defender Ibrahima&nbsp;Konate fired home Leipzig's opener before midfielder Marcel Sabitzer added their second goal with a 70th-minute penalty.

Manchester City loanee Angelino claimed the third with a stunning free-kick which curled over the Freiburg wall just before the final whistle.

"We really deserved the win - we were very, very good in the first-half," said Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Union Berlin climbed to fourth with a 5-0 home thrashing of strugglers Arminia Bielefeld.

Former Germany striker Max Kruse helped set up Union's first three goals, then converted a late penalty.

Bottom side Mainz were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Schalke, who sit one place above them and have now gone 23 games without a league win dating back to January.

After five games without a win, Hertha Berlin roared back with a 3-0 victory in the fog at Augsburg.

Forwards Matheus Cunha, Dodi Lukebakio and Krzysztof Piatek, who cost Hertha 24 million euros ($28 million) from AC Milan in January, got on the scoresheet.

Robert Lewandowski scored his 11th goal in just his sixth Bundesliga game this season as Bayern Munich went top of the table on Saturday with a 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund.

Robert Lewandowski scored his 11th goal in just his sixth Bundesliga game this season as Bayern Munich went top of the table on Saturday with a 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund. "In the end, we deserved the win and such victories are doubly important for us," said midfielder Leon Goretzka as Bayern saw off their rivals. After Marco Reus had put Dortmund ahead, David Alaba blasted home a free-kick to make it 1-1 at half-time behind closed doors at Signal Iduna Park. Lewandowski gave Bayern the lead with a superb header early in the second half before Leroy Sane grabbed the visitors' third. Erling Braut Haaland gave Dortmund hope with a late goal, but was left to regret earlier misses. "I have to score more goals, if we don't put our chances away at this level, then we won't win," said Haaland, who converted one of four shots on goal. "They are the best team in the world and we have to work harder to take the next step to be as good as them". The 32-year-old Lewandowski could have finished with a hat-trick against his former club after also having two goals disallowed by the VAR. The win leaves Bayern two points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig with Dortmund third, three points behind Munich. - Kimmich injury - The away win could have come at a cost, however, as Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich had to be helped off in clear distress with a first-half knee injury. "I think his knee got overstretched, it didn't look good," admitted Goretzka. After the hosts made a bright start with Haaland firing wide, Lewandowski's effort on 24 minutes was ruled out by the VAR who spotted the Poland star offside in the build up. Dortmund took the lead on 45 minutes when centre-half Mats Hummels sent a superb pass down the left flank for Jadon Sancho. The England winger played Raphael Guerreiro into the area to provide the final pass which Reus fired home. However, Bayern levelled four minutes later. After Dortmund's midfield enforcer Thomas Delaney brought down Serge Gnarby on the edge of the area, Alaba blasted home a superb free-kick to make it 1-1 at the break. Haaland fired wide at the start of the second half, just before Lewandowski powered home his header from a pin-point Lucas Herandez cross to put Bayern 2-1 up on 48 minutes. Bayern had their tails up and Kingsley Coman's shot crashed off the post soon after. Sane looked to have put the game beyond Dortmund when he cut inside, beat two defenders and fired home ten minutes from time. However, Haaland fired home from a tight angle to give Dortmund hope while Reus volleyed wide with the goal at his mercy. Lewandowski had the ball in the Dortmund net once more just before the whistle, only to again be denied by the VAR. - Leipzig down Freiburg - Earlier, RB Leipzig were impressive in their 3-0 home win over Freiburg. Defender Ibrahima Konate fired home Leipzig's opener before midfielder Marcel Sabitzer added their second goal with a 70th-minute penalty. Manchester City loanee Angelino claimed the third with a stunning free-kick which curled over the Freiburg wall just before the final whistle. "We really deserved the win - we were very, very good in the first-half," said Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsmann. Union Berlin climbed to fourth with a 5-0 home thrashing of strugglers Arminia Bielefeld. Former Germany striker Max Kruse helped set up Union's first three goals, then converted a late penalty. Bottom side Mainz were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Schalke, who sit one place above them and have now gone 23 games without a league win dating back to January. After five games without a win, Hertha Berlin roared back with a 3-0 victory in the fog at Augsburg. Forwards Matheus Cunha, Dodi Lukebakio and Krzysztof Piatek, who cost Hertha 24 million euros ($28 million) from AC Milan in January, got on the scoresheet.

Lewandowski strikes as Bayern Munich down Dortmund to go top

bayern-munich

Bayern Munich, News on Bayern Munich, stories on Bayern Munich, articles on Bayern Munich, Bayern Munich stories at Wion, Bayern Munich news, Bayern Munich latest news

bayern munich