FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) – Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich needed a 71st minute goal from substitute Leroy Sane to break the resistance of Eintracht Frankfurt for a 1-0 win on Saturday that put them nine points clear at the top.
Before the start of the game both teams held a minute’s silence in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while the stadium screen displayed the words “Stop it Putin” in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But it was quickly back to business with both teams enjoying a hectic first half.
Bundesliga top scorer and Poland forward Robert Lewandowski, playing with a blue and yellow armband in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, was frustrated by Eintracht keeper Kevin Trapp, who also denied Joshua Kimmich and Kingsley Coman with superb saves.
Frankfurt also had a golden opportunity themselves in the second half but Evan Ndicka headed over the bar from point blank range in the 65th.
The visitors, however, were not prepared to end their record scoring run in the league and snatched the winner when Sane latched on to a perfectly-timed Kimmich through ball and tucked it away to beat Trapp.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting could have added another but his curled shot from a good position in the final minute was saved by Trapp.
“We needed to fight for this win,” said Bayern’s Kimmich. “We did it well, had several good chances and should have scored earlier to be more dominant in the end.
“The way we played was good and this win was really important,” he said after Bayern’s fifth win in their last six league games.
“But it is still a long way to go and there have been cases before when we had a bit of a cushion and then squandered it. We need to protect this advantage until the end.”
Bayern, who have now scored at least once in each of their last 71 Bundesliga matches and are chasing a record-extending 10th consecutive league title, are on 58 points.
Borussia Dortmund, in second place on 49, face Augsburg on Sunday. Bayer Leverkusen are in third place on 44 after beating Arminia Bielefeld 3-0 earlier.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
