Bayern brings title into focus with dominant win
Bayern Munich cruised to a 4-0 victory away to Bundesliga struggler Heidenheim to go nine points clear at the top of the table with just four games remaining.
The victory puts Bayern on 72 points, although second-placed Bayer Leverkusen will have the chance to cancel out the victory in its game in hand against St Pauli on Monday (AEST).
Vincent Kompany's Bayern side did not hang around in its pursuit of three points, racing into a three-goal lead after 36 minutes.
First, Harry Kane directed the ball home after being found by Michael Olise on 12 minutes, before Konrad Laimer doubled the lead on 19 minutes and Kingsley Coman ended the game as a contest with a 36th-minute goal.
Kane could have had a second goal after just 22 minutes, but headed just wide when pressure on the home goal was relentless.
Joshua Kimmich made it 4-0 after arrowing a shot into the corner in the 56th minute to make it a rout.
Heidenheim did come back into the game and almost pulled a goal back just after the hour, but visiting goalkeeper Jones Urbig was alert to deny Sirlord Conteh.
After the result, Heidenheim is seven points from safety and occupies the relegation play-off spot, two points above the bottom two.
Next up for Bayern Munich is a home game against Mainz next weekend, before matches against RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach.
Despite Heidenheim being 16th on the table and currently bound for the relegation play-off, Kompany was keen to lavish praise upon his players.
"I know that now afterwards everyone will say that it's normal for Bayern that we win here like this," Kompany, whose Bayern side suffered a UEFA Champions League exit in midweek at the hands of Inter, said.
"But if you look at the last games of Heidenheim like against Bayer Leverkusen, and how difficult that was for the opponents, then I knew that it wouldn't be easy.
"It was a complete performance, that's of course a big compliment for the boys after the somewhat difficult week."
After hosting Mainz next weekend, Bayern has games against RB Leipzig and Borussia Moenchengladbach, then wraps up its campaign with a trip to Hoffenheim.
