BERLIN (AP) — Bayern Munich teenager Jamal Musiala starred for the Bavarian powerhouse to go seven points clear in the Bundesliga on Saturday before coach Hansi Flick said he wanted to leave at the end of the season.
Musiala scored two goals and was involved in the other as Bayern held on for a 3-2 win at third-place Wolfsburg. Following Leipzig’s scoreless draw with Hoffenheim the night before, it meant Bayern is closing in on a record-extending ninth consecutive title with just five rounds of the season remaining.
That's not enough to convince Flick to stay.
“I would like to get out of my contract at the end of the season. That’s a fact,”
Flick has a contract with Bayern to 2023 but has clashed with sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić. He has also been linked with the Germany national team job, which will be vacant once Joachim Löw steps down after this summer's European Championship.
The 18-year-old Musiala opened the scoring in the 15th minute when he eluded three Wolfsburg defenders before squeezing his shot under goalkeeper Koen Casteels.
Musiala was again involved for Bayern’s second in the 24th, playing in David Alaba. Casteels cut out the Austrian defender’s cross but dropped the ball right at the feet of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who gratefully tapped it in.
Wout Weghorst pulled one back against the run of play in the 35th, but Thomas Müller crossed for Musiala to head in his second goal two minutes later. All Wolfsburg coach Oliver Glasner could do was shake his head.
But his team regrouped after the break. Bayern left too much room for Paulo Otavio to cross from the left for Maximilian Philipp to score in the 54th. Jérôme Roussillon missed another good chance for Wolfsburg as Bayern held on for the win.
It was Wolfsburg's first defeat at home this season. It hadn't conceded in any of its previous five home games.
FUTURE EMPLOYERS MEET
Borussia Mönchengladbach beat Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 in the first game since it was announced that Frankfurt coach Adi Hütter will be taking over from Gladbach coach Marco Rose next season. Rose is leaving to take over Borussia Dortmund, which has a chance Sunday to close the gap on Frankfurt in the last place for Champions League qualification by beating Werder Bremen.
Frankfurt fans will be hoping their team doesn't experience a slump like Gladbach's once it announced Rose was leaving. Gladbach had been challenging for Champions League qualification at the time.
UNION WANTS MORE
Union Berlin had already achieved its goal of hitting the safety level of 40 points with a draw against Bayern last week. Now the club is thinking of European qualification after a 2-1 win over Stuttgart.
Christopher Trimmel delivered a captain’s performance despite having his broken nose straightened on Tuesday. Trimmel played with a mask. He did brilliantly to cross for Grischa Prömel to score at the back post with a diving header and also set up Union’s second when he crossed for Petar Musa before the break.
“If we land among the (qualification) places in the end, we'd be super happy,” Prömel said after his 100th competitive game for Union.
LEVERKUSEN WINS DERBY
Leon Bailey scored twice as Bayer Leverkusen beat Cologne 3-0 in the Rhine derby, dealing the visitors' survival hopes a blow in Friedhelm Funkel's debut as coach.
Cologne remained last but one, four points behind Arminia Bielefeld, which left the relegation zone earlier with a 0-0 draw at Augsburg. That left Hertha Berlin to take it place. Hertha’s next three games were called off
Also, Freiburg routed last-place Schalke 4-0. Schalke's 20th defeat brings its relegation even closer.
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Ciarán Fahey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cfaheyAP
