Pro Sports

Lewandowski gets 32nd Bundesliga goal, Bayern beats Bremen

Posted March 13, 2021 6:00 am

By CIARÃN FAHEY

Bayern's Robert Lewandowski, center, celebrates with Kingsley Coman, left, after scoring his side's third goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich in Bremen, Germany, Saturday, March 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, Pool) The Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) - Robert Lewandowski scored again Saturday as Bayern Munich extended its Bundesliga lead with a 3-1 win at Werder Bremen.

Lewandowski took his season tally to 32 league goals and matched the record of scoring against 16 different teams within a season. He managed the same feat last season. Former Bayern great Gerd MÃ¼ller and Bremen striker AÃlton are the only others to manage it.

Lewandowski has so far only failed to score against Leipzig this season. The teams meet in Leipzig on April 3, when the Poland striker will be aiming to become the first player to score against every opponent in a season.

By scoring his 268th league goal on Saturday, Lewandowski also matched Klaus Fischer's haul from 1968-88. Only Gerd MÃ¼ller, who scored 365 goals for Bayern between 1965-79, has more.

Lewandowski is closing in on MÃ¼ller's league record of 40 goals from the 1971-72 season.

It wasn't just Lewandowski in Bremen.

Thomas MÃ¼ller starred with two assists for Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry as Bayern moved five points clear of Leipzig, which hosts Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

Goretzka opened the scoring in the 23rd when MÃ¼ller headed on Joshua Kimmich's corner, and MÃ¼ller was involved again in the 35th. He did brilliantly to control Kimmich's cross on his chest and then calmly slot the ball across for Gnabry.

Lewandowski drew good saves from Jiri Pavlenka and hit the crossbar before he finally got his goal in the 67th. A rebound from Bremen defender Ludwig Augustinsson landed at his feet for one of Lewandowski's easiest goals this season.

Niclas FÃ¼llkrug scored Bremen's consolation on a rebound in the 86th.

UNION TESTING NEW GROUND

Union Berlin captain Christopher Trimmel scored his first Bundesliga goal for the team to come from behind and beat Cologne 2-1, consolidating seventh place.

Union had been simply targeting survival in its second-ever season in the Bundesliga.

'œInternally we might have to correct the targets,'ť Trimmel said. 'œAnd then we'll press the pedal to the last day.'ť

People working at the stadium were given the option of taking a coronavirus test before the game. Participants had to wait 15 minutes for the result from their nasal swab. They were informed with a message to their mobile phone and the result was checked before admittance via a QR code attached to the person's wrist.

Union spokesman Christian Arbeit said 165 of 280 people entitled to take a test did so, and all test results were negative.

DORTMUND REVIVAL

The 16-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko sealed a 2-0 win for Borussia Dortmund over Hertha Berlin in the late game. He eluded visiting captain Niklas Stark before shooting through goalkeeper Rune Jarstein's legs in injury time.

Dortmund has concerns about captain Marco Reus, who was injured late in a bad challenge from Vladimir Darida, who apologized immediately before he was sent off.

Julian Brandt made the breakthrough in the 54th when he let fly from distance after combining with Erling Haaland and Reus.

Dortmund climbed to fifth, one point below Frankfurt, which currently occupies the last Champions League spot.

Only goal difference was keeping Hertha above Mainz in the relegation zone. Mainz beat Freiburg 1-0 earlier.

Former Arsenal and Germany defender Shkodran Mustafi scored an own-goal as last-place Schalke moved another step closer to relegation with a 5-0 trouncing at Wolfsburg.

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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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CiarÃ¡n Fahey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cfaheyAP

Bayern's Robert Lewandowski, left, heads the ball above Bremen's Niklas Moisander during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich in Bremen, Germany, Saturday, March 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, Pool) The Associated Press

Bayern's Robert Lewandowski, center, attempts a shot at goal in front of Bremen's goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka, right, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich in Bremen, Germany, Saturday, March 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, Pool) The Associated Press

Bremen's Omer Toprak reacts at the end of the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich in Bremen, Germany, Saturday, March 13, 2021. Bayern won 3-1. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, Pool) The Associated Press

Mainz' Robin Quaison, center, scores the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FSV Mainz 05 and SC Freiburg in Mainz, Germany, Saturday, March 13, 2021. Mainz won the match by 1-0. (Torsten Silz/dpa via AP) The Associated Press

Union's Grischa Proemel, right, and Cologne's Elvis Rexhbecaj, left, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and 1. FC Cologne in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, March 13, 2021. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP) The Associated Press

Bayern's Serge Gnabry celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich in Bremen, Germany, Saturday, March 13, 2021. (Carmen Jaspersen/Pool via AP) The Associated Press

Dortmund's Julian Brandt celebrates scoring his team's first goal, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Dortmund and Berlin Hertha, in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, March 13, 2021. (Friedemann Vogel/Pool Photo via AP) The Associated Press

Dortmund's Erling Haaland reacts, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Dortmund and Berlin Hertha, at Signal Iduna Park, in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, March 13, 2021. (Bernd Thissen/Pool Photo via AP) The Associated Press

Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, left and teammate Erling Haaland, watch as Hertha's Marton Dardai kicks the ball, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Dortmund and Berlin Hertha, at Signal Iduna Park, in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, March 13, 2021. (Bernd Thissen/Pool Photo via AP) The Associated Press

Hertha's Deyovaisio Zeefuik is injured on the ground, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Dortmund and Berlin Hertha, in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, March 13, 2021. (Friedemann Vogel/Pool Photo via AP) The Associated Press

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