Leaders Bayern brush Union aside on Bundesliga return
Robert Lewandowski bagged his 26th league goal this year as leaders Bayern Munich resumed their Bundesliga title chase with a 2-0 win at Union Berlin behind closed doors within their first match in 8 weeks on Sunday.
Lewandowski netted a first-half penalty and defender Benjamin Pavard scored a late header for Bayern in Berlin. The Bundesliga on Saturday became the first top European league to restart through the coronavirus pandemic.
Poland star Lewandowski, who missed two games with injury prior to the league was interrupted in mid-March, reached 40 goals for the campaign in every competitions as Bayern restored their four-point lead over Borussia Dortmund.
Dortmund, who thrashed Schalke 4-0 in the Ruhr derby on Saturday, host Bayern in a pivotal fixture on, may 26, another game that will be behind closed doors good league's strict hygiene guidelines.
"I have to say, each minute is quite long when there are no fans no noise," said Bayern captain Manuel Neuer.
"It had been a different atmosphere to what you would expect at the Alten Forsterei, but, okay, it's about motivation and attitude.
"We still have a little of work to accomplish, but are pleased to have dominated the overall game and can head house with the three points."
Union had shocked previous leaders Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach earlier in the growing season, backed by passionate home support at their Alten Forsterei stadium.
With players' voices echoing around the empty ground, Thomas Mueller looked to have given Bayern the lead on 18 minutes only for the target to be disallowed for offside.
Bayern eventually broke through when Union defender Neven Subotic fouled Leon Goretzka in the area on 38 minutes, with Lewandowski upgrading to slot home the resulting penalty.
Bayern coach Hansi Flick brought on French winger Kingsley Coman for his 100th Bundesliga appearance as the visitors sought to make the points safe.
It had been Coman's countryman Pavard who grabbed the second goal on 80 minutes when he headed a Joshua Kimmich corner inside far post.
- Fans protest 'ghost games' -
Saturday's restart attracted over six million viewers in Germany, a fresh record for broadcasters Sky, according to professional website DWDL.de.
Even though millions tuned directly into watch, a significant part of match-going supporters are livid at the idea of games going ahead without the noisy backdrop provided by German fans.
On Saturday, Augsburg fans left a banner of their team's ground which read "Football gives life -- your business is sick".
Second-division St Pauli meanwhile published a picture on Twitter of a banner that read "Football lives through its fans! Without you, it's all nothing!"
With clubs having agreed to draconian hygiene guidelines in a plan approved by the German government, Hertha Berlin defender Dedryck Boyata denied planting a kiss on team-mate Marko Grujic throughout their 3-0 win over Hoffenheim.
"I am sorry for putting my hands on (Grujic's) face," Boyata wrote on Instagram, explaining that "it wasn't a kiss" or "a celebration" when he grabbed the Serbia midfielder.
"I was giving him instructions in regards to a set piece."
"We must definitely be careful given that we play under this example," he added.
In Cologne, striker Mark Uth said that the lack of fans was no excuse for throwing out a two-goal lead in Sunday's early game -- a 2-2 draw with struggling Mainz.
"If you are up 2-0, you must finish things off -- with or without spectators," fumed goalscorer Uth.
The hosts took an early on lead when Uth converted a penalty with just six minutes gone and Florian Kainz added another when he headed home a cross with just over around 30 minutes left.
Replacement striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who had only been on for 5 minutes, tapped home from close range for his first Bundesliga goal to provide Mainz hope.
Cameroon midfielder Pierre Kunde then earned a point for Mainz when he beat two defenders and poked the ball past goalkeeper Timo Horn to equalise on 72 minutes.
"It had been like street football, an enormous game for us," said Mainz sports director Rouven Schroeder.
"For the first game after so many weeks, it was really good. The guys didn't wish to be left behind."
