With 52 points, Bayern are three steps ahead of Borussia Dortmund (49), which moves to the lawn of the last Schalke 04, in Gelsenkirchen in the evening (6:30 p.m.), for the “Revierderby”. Dortmund will have to sign a ninth success in a row, which would be a record for the club, in order to stay in contact with the ten-time German champions in title.
Three days after the success (2-0) against Paris SG in the Champions League and qualification for the quarter-finals, Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann rotated his team a bit with five changes compared to the eleven players who started against PSG.
In an Allianz Arena under the sun but crossed by a north wind, the Munich people were picked up cold by Augsburg, conceding a goal from the 3rd minute by Mergim Berisha, taking advantage of the hesitations of the Munich defense.
But Bayern turned the situation around in just over three minutes, first with Joao Cancelo’s equalizer in the 15th minute, then with a double from Benjamin Pavard.
Suspended for the eighth return of C1 on Wednesday, the Bayern central defender distinguished himself by his offensive qualities for the Bavarian derby, by scoring his first double for his seventh season in Germany (three in Stuttgart and four in Munich).
Return the Mazraoui
In the 19th minute, ideally placed in the penalty area, he volleyed a return from Sadio Mané. And in the 35th minute, in an equally spectacular way, he gave his team a two-goal lead with an acrobatic scissor.
Pavard started in a three-man central defense that has been favored by Nagelsmann since late January, alongside Dayot Upamecano and Matthijs De Ligt, with Alphonso Davies on the left and Cancelo on the right.
Deprived of Éric Maxim Choupo-Moting, slightly injured in the back, Julian Nagelsmann was able to count on the return to competition of Moroccan international defender Noussair Mazraoui, three months after his pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart) following a a Covid-19 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Behind Bayern and Dortmund, RB Leipzig took 3rd place with 45 points, thanks to their big victory on their lawn against Bourssia Mönchengladbach (3-0).
Deprived of their French striker Christopher Nkunku, Marco Rose’s men put pressure on Union Berlin, one point less and who travel to Wolsfburg on Sunday (7:30 p.m.) at the end of the 24th day.
With full confidence, Leipzig will travel to Manchester City on Tuesday, in the knockout stages of the Champions League after a draw (1-1) at home.
On the other hand, Eintracht Frankfurt still left points along the way against the poorly ranked Stuttgart, unable to do better than a draw (1-1). With 40 points, Randal Kolo Muani’s teammates are now 12 points behind Bayern and five over Leipzig, before going to Naples on Wednesday in the eighth return of C1.