Stuttgart (Reuters)
Matthijs de Ligt made a great performance and scored the net to lead Bayern Munich to a difficult 2-1 victory at its host Stuttgart, and to regain the top spot in the German Football League.
The Dutch defender opened the scoring with a long-range shot in the 39th minute, and two minutes before that he intervened in time to deny Stuttgart the lead, when he cleared the ball from the goal line.
Bayern, who hosts Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday after its 1-0 victory in France, has 49 points, ahead of Borussia Dortmund, who beat 2-1 at home to Leipzig on Friday.
Union Berlin remained in third place with 44 points, following a goalless draw with its guest Cologne earlier yesterday.
Stuttgart started the match strongly and disturbed the Bayern defense with its advanced pressure, and goalkeeper Jan Sommer intervened on several occasions, before the visiting team began to impose its control.
Despite his possession of the ball in the first half, Bayern failed to take advantage of that, and settled for attempts at intervals of individual effort from Jamal Musiala.
The solution came through De Ligt, who hit a long-range ball, which Stuttgart goalkeeper Fabian Breedlove failed to stop, as it passed under his hand into the net.
Two minutes earlier, De Ligt saved his defending champions, when he removed Konstantinos Mavropanos’ attempt from the goal line.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who recently extended his contract with Bayern, strengthened the visitors’ advantage with three brilliant passes that left the Stuttgart defense to watch.
The Cameroon striker took his tally to ten goals in the league this season.
Stuttgart narrowed the gap by Juan Jose Perea in the 88th minute, paving the way for an exciting end during which Bayern missed the opportunity to score the third goal.
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