Berlin (AFP)
Stuttgart ignited the struggle for “runner-up” with its guest, Bayern Munich, when it beat them 3-1, in the thirty-second stage of the German Football Championship.
Stuttgart was the first to score through its Swiss defender, Leonidas Stergio (29), but Bayern Munich responded eight minutes later through its English international top scorer, Harry Kane (37, from a penalty kick).
It is Kane’s 36th goal this season, strengthening his position as top scorer by 10 goals ahead of his closest pursuer, Stuttgart’s Guinean international striker Serho Geraci.
Kane is now five goals away from the record for the number of goals in one season (41) set by the former Bayern Munich star and current Barcelona star, the Spanish and Polish international Robert Lewandowski in the 2020-2021 season.
Stuttgart waited for the 83rd minute to advance again, through South Korean midfielder Woo-Yeung Jeong, before Democratic Congolese striker Silas delivered the final blow to the Bavarian team by scoring the third goal (93).
Stuttgart regained the tone of victories after a draw and a loss, and returned the debt to its opponent after losing to them 3-0 in the first leg, enhancing its chances of ending the season in runner-up for the first time since 2003, and fifth in its history, after 1935, 1953 and 1979.
Stuttgart strengthened its position in third place with 67 points, and is now four points away from surpassing the record number of points it achieved in the Elite League (70), when it was crowned champion in the 2006-2007 season.
Stuttgart reduced the gap to two points over Bayern, which suffered a painful blow before its trip to the Spanish capital next Wednesday to face Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final (they tied 2-2 in the first leg on Tuesday in Munich).
Bayern suffered a painful blow when its Portuguese international defender, Rafael Guerrero, was injured in the 17th minute, and its coach, Thomas Tuchel, was forced to pay Goretzka a billion in his place, after resting him at the beginning of the match, along with winger Leroy Sane and Moroccan international defender Noussair Mazraoui, before bringing them on in the second half.
Borussia Dortmund took advantage of Leipzig’s stumble against its host Hoffenheim 1-1 at the opening of the stage and tightened the pressure on it by honoring it and benefiting its guest Augsburg 5-1.
Dortmund decided the result of the match in the first half by scoring four goals, which were alternated between Youssoufa Moukoko (4 and 29), Dutchman Doniel Malen (20), and Marco Reus (34), before Felix Nemechan added the fifth goal in the 64th minute.
Swiss Ruben Vargas scored the only goal for the visitors in the 32nd minute.
Borussia Dortmund issued a stern warning to its French host, Paris Saint-Germain, before facing them next Tuesday in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, knowing that it won 1-0 in the first leg last Wednesday.
Dortmund played the match in the absence of seven starters who were rested by coach Edin Terzic on the horizon of his trip to Paris, including Englishman Jaydon Sancho, Karim Adeyemi, Julian Brandt and Niklas Volkrug.
Dortmund raised its score to 60 points in fifth place, compared to 63 for Leipzig.
Wolfsburg ensured its survival with its well-deserved victory over its guest, Darmstadt, which is in last place and the first to relegate, with a clean score, scored by Austrian Patrick Wimmer (8), Danish Jonas Wind (11), and Czech Vaclav Czerny (93).
Wolfsburg raised its score to 37 points in twelfth place, while Darmstadt’s score froze at 17 points.
Werder Bremen tied with its guest, Borussia Mönchengladbach, with two goals by Nick Voltmadi (45 and 64), compared to two goals by Robin Haack (8) and Florian Neuhaus (90).
Werder Bremen raised its score to 38 points in tenth place, compared to 33 points for Mönchengladbach, which is thirteenth and threatens to fall if Union Berlin wins over Bochum on Sunday.
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