Bayern Munich 3-0 Hoffenheim: Musiala double leads the way as Champions win at season restart
Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala scored twice to lead the champions to a 3-0 win over Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga restart on Friday, as the club remembered Germany's great Franz Beckenbauer, who died last week.
Bundesliga top scorer Harry Kane also scored in stoppage time, bringing his league tally to 22 goals, matching Robert Lewandowski's all-time league record for most goals at halfway through a Bundesliga season.
The Bavarians are second in the standings with 41 points, one behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who play at Augsburg on Saturday.
"It was a great game. We had possession a lot and did good counter-pressing," Musiala said. "We could have created more chances, we are all hungry. The most important thing is that we kept a clean sheet and got the three points."
The Germany international was assisted both times by Leroy Sane, who has ten league goals this season.
Beckenbauer, a World Cup winner as a player and coach for Germany, helped establish Bayern as a European powerhouse by winning three consecutive European Cups in the 1970s, among other titles, before becoming club president until 2009.
Hours after his funeral in Munich, the stadium was illuminated with the words 'Thank You Franz' as dozens of former Bayern Munich players gathered in the stands to pay tribute to 'der Kaiser' alongside 75,000 fans.
The team warmed up wearing shirts bearing Beckenbauer's number five, while stadium screens showed highlights from his career.
After a minute of silence, the hosts quickly got to work, boxing Hoffenheim in their own half from the start.
Their relentless pressure paid off in the 18th minute, when Musiala threaded a shot off the post from close range following a Leroy Sane assist.
Bayern have now scored in 65 consecutive Bundesliga home games, setting a league record.
Bayern maintained the pressure despite the fact that new signing Eric Dier had yet to join the squad. They hit the post with Musiala early in the second half and missed half a dozen golden opportunities before allowing the visitors to squander their own chances to equalize.
Hoffenheim came close three times in three minutes, with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer denying them twice in the 63rd and 64th minutes, and Maximilian Beier's shot hitting the crossbar in the 65th.
Musiala calmed the hosts' nerves by combining well with Sane, who increased his season assist total to ten, to score their second goal in the 70th minute.
Things got worse for Hoffenheim when Grischa Proemel was sent off for a second yellow card four minutes later, and Kane's left-footed shot in stoppage time sealed Bayern's victory.
SportsLigue