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BUNDESLIGA: BAYERN MUNICH HELD AT HOME BY ARMINIA IN SIX GOALS THRILLER

Robert Lewandowski claimed his 25th Bundesliga goal this season with a brilliant volley as Bayern Munich needed three second-half goals to salvage a 3-3 draw at home to strugglers Arminia Bielefeld in heavy snow on Monday. “It was a tough game, regardless of the weather, but we showed a fighting spirit, so a 3-3 draw is okay,” said Bayern forward Eric Choupo-Moting. Despite the draw, Bayern are still five points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.

However, four days after winning the Club World Cup final in Qatar, Bayern struggled on their Bundesliga return in Munich as Bielefeld raced into a 2-0 lead.

Bayern needed second-half goals by Lewandowski, Corentin Tolisso and a thunderbolt of a volley from Alphonso Davies to rescue a point.

“A lot of things came together in the first half,” said Bayern coach Hansi Flick.

“We didn’t defend well, Bielefeld scored two goals from two chances and conditions weren’t the best.

“But the team still showed their mentality again and we have to be satisfied with the point.”

A wintry shower just before kick-off covered the Allianz Arena turf with thick snow and Bielefeld coped far better with the icy conditions.

Bielefeld are third from bottom, yet they dominated the world champions in the first-half.

Bayern looked tired, especially with Thomas Mueller in quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19 last week in Qatar.

The hosts fell behind when Dutch striker Michel Vlap scored just nine minutes into his Bundesliga debut as his brilliant turn wrong-footed the defence before he calmly slotted past Manuel Neuer.

The 23-year-old scored with his first shot in the Bundesliga.

Vlap struck again when he floated in a corner which centre-back Amos Pieper headed past Neuer on 37 minutes.

Bayern pulled a goal back three minutes after the break when Lewandowski chested the ball down and volleyed home with a brilliant finish — it was his 25th goal in his 20th league game.

Bielefeld went 3-1 up when left-wing Andreas Voglsammer beat Bayern right-back Bouna Sarr for pace and Christian Gebauer tapped home

Tolisso struck with a header to pull it back to 3-2 with 57 minutes played before Davies equalised with a thunderbolt shot with 20 minutes left.

Bielefeld’s Venezuelan forward Sergio Cordova had the ball in Bayern’s net for the fourth time, but the goal was ruled offside 16 minutes from time

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FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP: BENJAMIN PAVARD SCORES AS BAYERN EDGE TIGRES TO LIFT CUP

Bayern Munich won the Club World Cup final in Qatar on Thursday as Benjamin Pavard’s second-half winner sealed a 1-0 victory over Mexico’s Tigres, the Germans claiming a “six pack” of titles within 12 months.

Pavard’s close-range tap-in was enough to give European champions Bayern their sixth title in quick succession.

This is the eighth year in a row that the Champions League winners have gone on to win the Club World Cup, as Bayern follow in the footsteps of last year’s champions Liverpool.

Bayern are the second side to win all six available titles within a year after Barcelona managed the feat in 2009.

Hansi Flick’s men had already won the Champions League, Bundesliga, German Cup, UEFA Super Cup and German Super Cup last season.

“It feels good to have the six pack — six titles in a row is something very special for us,” said Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski, who helped set up Pavard’s goal.

“I think this is one of the biggest achievements in football, how we played will be remembered for a long time.”

Since Flick took charge of Bayern in November 2019, the European champions have lost just five games, giving him more titles than defeats as boss.

“I hope there won’t be any defeats in the near future and there will be more victories than defeats,” said Flick.

“In terms of the title, this was a statement. It’s amazing what the team was able to do.

“It was really impressive how everyone played.”

Defeat meant heartbreak for Tigres, the first Mexican side to reach the Club World Cup final as CONCACAF champions.

Bayern grabbed the winner when Joshua Kimmich’s cross — intended for Lewandowski — bounced off the hands off Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman and into the path of Pavard on 59 minutes.

The goal stood after a lengthy VAR review, while Bayern also had a first-half goal by Kimmich ruled out with Lewandowski offside.

Bayern were forced into two changes to their starting line-up after a double blow in the build-up.

Thomas Mueller dropped out after being quarantined having tested positive for COVID-19 , while defender Jerome Boateng flew back to Germany for “personal reasons” amid reports his former girlfriend was found dead in Berlin.

“Thomas feels good, he has no symptoms,” said Lewandowski.

“It was bad news (that) he tested positive for Covid, but we knew we had to not think about the situation and win for Thomas.”

Serge Gnabry took Mueller’s place, with Lucas Hernandez and Niklas Suele forming a new centre-back partnership.

After a strong start, Bayern looked to have gone ahead when Kimmich let fly with a long-range strike, but Lewandowski saw the flag go up.

After Pavard gave Bayern the lead, Bayern midfielder Corentin Tolisso hit the post.

Bayern deserved the win and kept up the pressure, with Flick clenching his fists in celebration at the final whistle.

Flick will give his squad two days off when they get back to Germany before Bayern’s next Bundesliga game against strugglers Arminia Bielefeld on Monday.

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FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP: BAYERN MUNICH BEAT AL AHLY TO SET UP FINAL WITH TIGRES

Bayern Munich moved closer to clinching their second-ever FIFA Club World Cup title by defeating Al Ahly in the penultimate round of the competition. The reigning European champions put in an impressive performance to cruise to a 2-0 victory on Monday.

The Bavarians, having named a strong starting lineup for the test, were fully in control from start to finish. It did not take them long to leave their mark with Robert Lewandowski opening the scoring in the 17th minute. The Polish striker then put the game to bed by heading home his second of the night in the 86th minute.

With the night’s result, Bayern Munich will take on Mexican side Tigres in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday. The latter defeated South American champions Palmeiras to set up the showdown with Hansi Flick’s. They resultantly became the first team from the CONCACAF region to reach the final of the competition.

For Bayern Munich, the upcoming clash presents them with the opportunity to win their sixth title in 12 months. The German club stamped their dominance in 2020 by securing the German league title and DFB Pokal, the UEFA Champions League, as well as the German and European Super Cups

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EGYPT’S AL AHLY TO FACE BAYERN MUNICH IN FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP.

Egyptian giants Al Ahly will face Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Fifa Club World Cup after defeating host side Al Duhail 1-0 on Thursday.

Wearing grey and black because of a colour clash with the red strip of Duhail, Ahly advanced thanks to a 30th-minute goal from midfielder Hussein el Shahat. The victory ensured Ahly became the first African side since 2013 to win their opening Club World Cup match.

The reward for the African champions is a semi-final on Monday against tournament favourites and Uefa Champions League winners Bayern Munich.

Success came as a huge relief for an Egyptian outfit coached by South African Pitso Mosimane as they achieved only one top-three finish in five previous Club World Cup appearances.

It was also a joyful occasion for Mosimane, who lost both matches when he took previous club, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, to the 2016 edition.

Backed by the majority of the crowd in the Education City Stadium, Ahly led 1-0 at half-time and had a second goal ruled offside.

The only goal came when Duhail cheaply surrendered possession close to their box and one pass set up El Shahat to fire a low shot into the corner of the net.

Walter Bwalya netted eight minutes later for the nine-time African champions after racing clear and the goal was initially awarded before VAR revealed the Congolese was fractionally offside.

Starved of possession in the first half, Duhail were more assertive at the start of the second half and forced two corners in quick succession.

Ahly rode the storm and held on to the slender lead despite having far less of the ball than during the opening 45 minutes.

In the first quarter-final earlier Thursday, Tigres of Mexico came from behind to edge Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea 2-1 and book a Sunday meeting with Palmeiras of Brazil for a place in the final.

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BAYERN BOUNCE BACK IN WIN AGAINST FREIBURG.

Bayern Munich opened up a four-point lead in the Bundesliga on Sunday as the German champion beat Freiburg 2-1 to return to winning ways after two rare defeats.

Thomas Muller knocked in the winning goal in the 74th minute on a snowy day in Munich to avoid a third winless game in a row, which would have been a record under coach Hansi Flick. The victory came after a 3-2 loss to Borussia M?nchengladbach in the league and elimination from the German Cup on penalties against second-division Holstein Kiel.

Even after Bayern slipped up, its title rivals have failed to take advantage. When Bayern lost to Gladbach last week, second-place Leipzig lost to Borussia Dortmund and followed up Saturday with a draw at Wolfsburg. Third-place Bayer Leverkusen and fourth-place Dortmund are in similarly mixed recent form.

After Bayern had an early penalty appeal for handball turned down on video review, Robert Lewandowski gave Bayern the lead in the seventh minute when he found space in the penalty area from a Muller pass.

Lewandowski had another shot deflected onto the crossbar in the 59th. Shortly after, Freiburg won a corner and substitute Nils Petersen scored with his first touch of the game at the far post with a diving header. That meant Bayern has conceded at least one goal in 11 Bundesliga games in a row since October.

With Bayern seemingly heading for a draw, Leroy Sane directed a Kingsley Coman cross on for Muller to score with a low shot, adding a goal to his earlier assist. Petersen hit the crossbar for Freiburg in stoppage time.

Eintracht Frankfurt plays Schalke later Sunday in what could be Serbian striker Luka Jovic’s first game for Frankfurt since returning to Germany on loan from Real Madrid.

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LEV 1-2 MUN: LEWANDOWSKI SENDS BAYERN TOP OF THE TABLE WITH STOPPAGE TIME WINNER.

Robert Lewandowski scored a dramatic injury-time winner, his second goal of the game, to earn Bayern Munich a 2-1 comeback victory at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, sending them top of the Bundesliga table going into the Christmas break.

Patrik Schick brilliantly volleyed the hosts in front in the 14th minute, with Bayern falling behind for the seventh successive Bundesliga match.

Bayern had not lost any of the previous six, and they again overturned the deficit as the newly-crowned Best FIFA Men’s Player, Lewandowski, equalised two minutes before halftime.

The match appeared to be heading for a draw before Lewandowski struck in the 93rd minute, sending Bayern top of the standings on 30 points, as Leverkusen dropped to second on 28 after their first league defeat of the season.

With RB Leipzig having missed the chance to go top earlier on Saturday after being held to a 0-0 draw by Cologne, Schick’s second goal in as many Bundesliga games looked to have put Leverkusen on course to retain top spot.

The hosts were masters of their own downfall, however, as they gave the ball away cheaply, Thomas Muller crossed and Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky missed the ball completely, leaving Lewandowski to head into an empty net to level things up.

While Bayern were improved after the break, they did not create too many clear-cut chances, with Leverkusen seemingly happy to take the point.

But Lewandowski’s year finished on a yet another high, as in his and Bayern’s final match until Jan. 3, the 32-year-old Pole fired home, via a deflection, to snatch another victory for the champions.

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UCL DRAW: BARCA FACE PSG, CHAMPIONS BAYERN DRAW LAZIO IN ROUND OF 16 FIXTURES.

Barcelona were drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in the standout tie of the Champions League round of 16, which took place on Monday at 11 a.m. GMT

The clash means that, if fit, Neymar will return to Camp Nou. The last time these teams met in the competition produced one of the most memorable matches in Champions League history as Barca — inspired by Neymar — won the round-of-16 second-leg clash 6-1 to recover from a 4-0 first-leg defeat. Neymar left in the summer of 2017, and this will be his first return.

Cristiano Ronaldo will make a return to Portugal as Juventus were drawn with Porto — a side he has mixed memories of playing against in the competition.

In 2004, his Manchester United side were eliminated by Porto after a draw at Old Trafford, which sparked Jose Mourinho’s famous run down the Old Trafford touchline. However, five years later, Ronaldo scored a stunning goal that decided their quarterfinal clash, and he was awarded the Puskas Award for it.

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard will face Diego Simeone as his side were paired with Atletico Madrid in a repeat of the 2014 semifinal.

Holders Bayern Munich were drawn against Lazio, who were unbeaten in the group phase and qualified for the knockout stages for the first time in 20 years, while Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp returns to Germany to face RB Leipzig.

Manchester City were drawn against Borussia Monchengladbach, while Real Madrid will face Atalanta. Europa League winners Sevilla were paired against Borussia Dortmund. The two-legged ties will be played starting Feb. 16.

Full draw
Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Manchester City

Lazio vs. Bayern Munich

Atletico Madrid vs. Chelsea

RB Leipzig vs. Liverpool

Porto vs. Juventus

Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain

Sevilla vs. Borussia Dortmund

Atalanta vs. Real Madrid

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ATLETICO 1-1 BAYERN: THOMAS MULLER LATE STRIKE EARNS THE GERMAN GIANTS A POINT.

Thomas Müller came off the bench to win and convert a late penalty for Bayern Munich as they held Atletico Madrid to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday, preventing the Spanish side from booking their place in the knockout stages.

Bayern were already guaranteed their spot in the Last 16 as Group A winners, meaning coach Hansi Flick had the luxury of rotating his squad at the Wanda Metropolitano: Robert Lewandowski, Manuel Neuer and Leon Goretzka were rested, with Müller, Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman and Benjamin Pavard on the bench.

A much-changed line-up – including teenagers Jamal Musiala and Bright Arrey-Mbi – rather struggled to find their rhythm in the early stages, although Leroy Sane should have done better than blast over the bar after neat work from Douglas Costa.

Atletico soon took control of proceedings and went ahead midway through the half, when Joao Felix stabbed home Marcos Llorente’s cross at the near post. Musiala almost drilled in a world-class effort from outside the area after ghosting past Mario Hermoso, but the home side continued to enjoy the lion’s share of the chances, and could have increased their lead by the break.

Diego Simeone’s men picked up where they left off in the second half, with Felix and Yannick Carrasco going close, although Lucas Hernandez almost brought Bayern level against his former club, heading over from a corner.

Flick made a triple substitution just after the hour mark, bringing on Müller, Gnabry and Chris Richards, and the tide soon began to turn in the visitors’ favour. Müller went close on 74 minutes when Gnabry scooped a ball into the Atletico area, but home keeper Jan Oblak was able to clear the danger.

With five minutes of normal time remaining, however, the Bayern No.25 was brought down inside by the area by substitute Felipe and the referee awarded a penalty. Müller dusted himself off and slammed it home, meaning that the reigning European champions remain unbeaten in this competition since a 3-1 loss to Liverpool in March 2019.

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STUTTGART 1-3 BAYERN: GERMAN GIANT COMPLETES A SPIRITED FIGHTBACK IN BUNDESLIGA.

Bayern maintained their place at the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 victory over VfB Stuttgart, thanks to goals from Kingsley Coman, Robert Lewandowski and Douglas Costa.

The hosts took a shock lead on 20 minutes, when Tanguy Coulibaly side-footed home following a great ball across the box by Silas Wamangituka.

That lead was extinguished on 38 minutes however, after Coman struck home from the edge of the box to round off a clinical counter-attacking move.

Stuttgart thought they had put their noses in front once again immediately after, but Philipp Forster’s goal was disallowed for a foul spotted in the build-up by VAR. And Bayern took full advantage, with Lewandowski drilling home a rocket from outside the penalty area on the stroke of half-time.

The hosts pushed their visitors hard in the second half, and went close to stealing a point at the end, but Waldemar Anton’s strike whistled just wide of the post.

Bayern confirmed all three points through substitute Costa’s late strike, securing Die Roten’s place at the top of the Bundesliga for another week.

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DORTMUND 2-3 BAYERN: BAYERN EDGE YELLOWS IN A GOAL FEST.

Bayern Munich made it three Der Klassiker wins in 2020 by beating Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday. Robert Lewandowski, David Alaba, and Leroy Sane provided goals for visitors, while Marco Reus and Erling Braut Haaland were on the scoresheet for the hosts.

Hansi Flick was forced to make on change in the defense that played against Red Bull Salzburg. Benjamin Pavard missed out due to injury, so Bouna Sarr slotted in the right-back position. Leon Goretzka replaced Corentin Tolisso in the midfield. Dortmund made two changes to the team that won against Club Brugge in midweek. Mats Hummels replaced Mahmoud Dahoud, while Reus and Jadon Sancho replaced Thorgan Hazard and Julian Brandt in the attack.

The game started at an incredible tempo as both teams looked to stamp the authority straightaway. Dortmund looked threatening on the break while Die Roten used a more measured way to build attacks and break down the resilient defense of BVB. The first big chance fell for Lewandowski but his attempt hit the side netting.

The Polish striker scored in the 24th minute after some tidy play by Serge Gnabry on the left flank. However, the VAR chalked off the goal after replays suggested that Lewandowski was marginally offside. Both sides continued to create half-chances in the latter part of the first half. Dortmund managed to convert one of these chances as Reus blasted the shot in the net after a neat cross delivered by Raphael Guerreiro.

Die Roten reacted immediately after going down as a cleverly worked freekick was converted by Alaba. The Austrian defender continues to show his impeccable skills from setpieces. At half-time, both teams cancelled each other out with two well-crafted goals.

The German Champions roared back into the lead straight away after half-time as Lewandowski scored the 11th goal of the league campaign. The Pole headed past Roman Burki after Lucas Hernandez delivered a cushioned cross from the left flank. The visitors were all over BVB as Coman smashed the woodwork with a fierce attempt from the box.

Dortmund found it very difficult to contain Die Roten’s attack, but they did have chances at the other end to get back into the game. Jerome Boateng and Alaba had to defend resolutely as Haaland was often bullying them aerially.

The pressure on BVB increased when Sane came off the bench and curled it past Burki to double Bayern’s lead. The missed chances came back to bite Dortmund. The German winger scored his second goal of the week as he also came off the bench against RB Salzburg,

Haaland finally got his goal after he timed his run to perfection to meet Guerreiro’s chipped pass. Die Roten were on the ropes in the final five minutes, but they showed composure to see out the game. Lewandowski had scored the fourth goal in injury time, but it was once again disallowed due to offside.

Flick will be pleased with the performance as Die Roten look formidable in the Bundesliga. His main concern will be the extent of Joshua Kimmich‘s injury as the German midfielder hobbled off in the first half. Bayern remains top of the table after this win, with a two points lead over RB Leipzig.