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Kane-less Bayern brush aside Gladbach to continue title march / Photo: © AFP
Kane-less Bayern brush aside Gladbach to continue title march
Bayern Munich cruised to a 4–1 win over a struggling Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday, barely missing the absent Harry Kane as they continued their relentless march towards another Bundesliga title.
Kane was ruled out with a calf strain on Thursday, having scored 45 goals in 37 games in all competitions this campaign.
The hosts barely felt the England captain's absence however, with Bayern winning thanks to goals from Luis Diaz, Konrad Laimer, Jamal Musiala and Nicolas Jackson.
The victory sent Bayern 14 points clear of Borussia Dortmund with nine games remaining, and was an ideal tune-up for next week's first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Atalanta.
Bayern already have 92 goals, nine shy of their own Bundesliga record set in 1971-72, while Kane still needs 12 goals to beat Robert Lewandowski's league record of 41 in a 34-game season.
Gladbach were reduced to 10 men when Rocco Reitz was sent off after conceding a penalty on 55 minutes, with Musiala scoring from the spot.
Five-time Bundesliga winners Gladbach have spent just one season this century in the second division but now sit just three points clear of Werder Bremen in the relegation play-off spot.
Gladbach midfielder Wael Mohya, 17, scored in the 89th minute to become the club's youngest ever goalscorer.
Kane's double in Bayern's 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund last weekend all but sealed another Bundesliga title for the German giants, who have won 12 of the past 13 league crowns.
With Kane out and Michael Olise on the bench, Gladbach may have hoped for better but were behind just after the half-hour mark when Diaz volleyed in a Leon Goretzka pass.
Bayern dealt Gladbach another blow just before half-time when Diaz fed Laimer, who hammered in a second.
Any hopes the visitors had were dashed when their captain Reitz held back Jackson in the box, giving away a penalty and seeing red.
With regular spot-kick taker Kane cooling his heels in the VIP suite, Musiala stepped up to convert the penalty. It was Musiala's first league goal this campaign after he missed the first six months with a broken leg.
Jackson tapped in a Lennart Karl cross to make it four before Mohya pulled one back in the final minute for Gladbach.
C.Noh--SG
