Bayern warms up for Madrid by smashing Bundesliga goal record and closing in on title

Audio By Carbonatix

BERLIN (AP) — Bayern Munich warmed up for Real Madrid's visit by smashing the Bundesliga record for goals in a season and taking a major step toward yet another league title on Saturday.

Leon Goretzka scored Bayern’s record-breaking 102nd league goal of the season as relegation-threatened St. Pauli was routed 5-0 away. Bayern opened a 12-point gap over Borussia Dortmund with five rounds remaining.

Jamal Musiala equaled the record of 101 goals set by Bayern’s 1971-72 team featuring Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller by opening the scoring with a header in the ninth minute, and Goretzka broke the record with a volley in the 53rd.

Michael Olise took the tally to 103 just a minute later, Nicolas Jackson grabbed Bayern’s fourth, and Raphaël Guerreiro scored late to lift the mark to 105.

The home fans' biggest cheer came when Goretzka had another goal ruled out after a VAR check for offside before referee Tobias Stieler blew the final whistle.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany fielded a weakened side as he rested a host of players including top scorer Harry Kane and Aleksandar Pavlović for Wednesday’s match against Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals. Bayern is defending a 2-1 advantage from the first leg in Madrid on Tuesday.

Bayer Leverkusen defeated second-placed Dortmund 1-0 earlier to leave Bayern a step closer to the title before it even played.

Leverkusen ended Dortmund’s four-game winning run and did Bayern a favor — with a warning before they meet in the semifinals of the German Cup on April 22.

There were whistles for Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck before and during the match after his contract extension was announced on Friday. Dortmund fans were apparently upset that the negotiations took so long and about a tabloid report the new deal includes a release clause effective this summer for Bayern and Real Madrid.

Dortmund started well and had more possession but a loss of it when Robert Andrich pounced on a loose pass from Ramy Bensebaini to Fabio Silva led to the only goal in the 42nd minute. The Leverkusen defender let fly inside the left post from around 25 meters.

It was enough for Leverkusen to move to fifth, a point behind Stuttgart in the last Champions League qualification spot. Stuttgart hosts Hamburger SV on Sunday.

Yan Diomande scored late for Leipzig to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-0 to ensure it will finish the weekend among the top four.

Leipzig moved three points above Stuttgart, which it was ahead of on goal difference.

Wolfsburg appears heading toward the second division after losing at home to Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1.

Oscar Höjlund and Arnaud Kalimuendo scored in the first half for the visitors to deal Wolfsburg its third straight loss and stretch its winless run to 12 games.

Wolfsburg, which has been in the Bundesliga since 1997, remained second to last, six points from safety and potentially seven when Cologne hosts Werder Bremen on Sunday.

Last-placed Heidenheim boosted its faint hopes of survival with a 3-1 home win over Union Berlin.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer