Tempers flare for Ancelotti, Bayern after Lewandowski's heroics vs. Hertha Berlin
You'd think a 5-1 win over Arsenal would have taken some pressure off Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti, but not so. The Champions League triumph was seen as not so much down to Bayern’s brilliance but Arsenal’s fallibility. Back in Bundesliga play, Bayern took on Hertha Berlin and needed a Robert Lewandowski equalizer after 96 minutes to sneak away with a 1-1 draw.
“It wasn’t a cup game, we weren’t playing for 120 minutes, the referee has to blow [the whistle],” complained Hertha boss Pal Dardai, who called the time added on a "Bayern Bonus."
Tempers were frayed late on: after the goal, Hertha keeper Rune Jarstein kicked the ball into the back of Xabi Alonso, prompting a scuffle in which even Manuel Neuer got involved. On the bench, the normally mild-mannered Ancelotti raised his middle finger to the Hertha fans whom he later said had spat on him. Expect the fallout from this one to run this week, with the German federation already requesting a statement from Ancelotti about the events that transpired.
Behind Bayern, RB Leipzig beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 away to come back within five points of the leader. The two teams face each other on the penultimate matchday of the season. Bayern should have the title wrapped up by then, but given the stop-start nature of its game under Ancelotti, anything goes.
