Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala scored twice to give the champion a 3-0 victory over Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga restart on Friday as the club remembered Germany great Franz Beckenbauer who died last week.
Bundesliga top scorer Harry Kane was also on target in stoppage time to take his league tally to 22 goals to equal Robert Lewandowski’s all-time league record for most goals at the halfway stage of a Bundesliga season.
The Bavarians are in second place in the standings on 41 points, one behind leader Bayer Leverkusen, in action 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.”
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The Germany international was assisted both times by Leroy Sane, who has set up 10 league this season.
“We are really good friends, we like to play together and we both are very strong with the ball. It’s really fun to play with Leroy,” he said.
Beckenbauer, a World Cup winner as both Germany player and coach, helped establish Bayern as a European powerhouse with three consecutive European Cup wins in the 1970s among other titles before also 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 players gathered in the stands to pay tribute to ‘der Kaiser’ along with 75,000 fans.
The team warmed up with shirts bearing Beckenbauer’s number five while stadium screens played highlights of his career.
Images of Bayern and Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer are displayed on a screen before the German Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. | Photo Credit: AP
After a minute’s silence the hosts quickly got down to business, boxing Hoffenheim in their own half from the start.
Their relentless pressure paid off in the 18th minute when Musiala threaded a shot in off the post from a tight after a Leroy Sane assist.
Bayern has scored now scored in its last 65 consecutive Bundesliga home games - a league record.
With new signing Eric Dier not yet in the squad, Bayern kept up the pressure. It hit the post with Musiala early in the second half and missed half a dozen golden chances before allowing the visitors to waste their own share of opportunities to level.
In a three-minute spell Hoffenheim came close three times, with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer denying them twice in the 63rd and 64th and the crossbar stopping Maximilian Beier’s 65th minute shot.
Musiala settled the hosts’ nerves after combining well again with Sane, who took his season tally to 10 assists, to tap in their second goal in the 70th minute.
Things got even worse for Hoffenheim with Grischa Proemel sent off for a second booking just four minutes later and Kane’s left-footed shot in stoppage time sealing Bayern’s win.
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