Bayern eases to 3-0 win over Freiburg but Bayer Leverkusen returns to top




Bayern Munich players celebrate after Bayern's Kingsley Coman, second right, scored his side's second goal during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Union Berlin at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Sunday, Feb.26, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexandra Beier )
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BERLIN (AP) — Kingsley Coman scored twice as Bayern Munich eased to a 3-0 win over Freiburg but it was Bayer Leverkusen which returned to the top of the Bundesliga on Sunday.

Goals from Coman and Leroy Sané gave the 11-time defending champion its fifth win from seven league games and extended Freiburg’s miserable run in Munich. Freiburg has never beaten Bayern in Munich in 24 attempts in the Bundesliga.

Coman opened the scoring in the 12th minute when what looked like an intended cross flew over the Freiburg goalkeeper, Noah Atubolu, and in off the far post.

Sané made it 2-0 in the 25th when he played a one-two with Harry Kane through a host of players before finishing for his sixth goal of the season.

Sané scored again before the break, with a brilliant finish inside the far post after he played the ball through a defender’s legs, but the goal was ruled out through VAR for an apparent offside.

Freiburg failed to put any notable pressure on Bayern, which was content to maintain possession without taking too many risks.

Coman provided a rare moment of excitement in the second half when his shot landed on the roof of the net.

Leon Goretzka struck the crossbar before Coman finally grabbed his second in the 85th.

“A deserved win for Bayern,” Freiburg’s Vincenzo Grifo said.

EXCITING LEVERKUSEN

While Bayern just did what it needed to do, Leverkusen produced another spectacle of attacking soccer in a 3-0 win over local rival Cologne that kept Xabi Alonso’s team top after this round, a point ahead of Stuttgart and two ahead ahead of Bayern.

Victor Boniface scored again. The Nigeria forward completed the scoring in the 68th minute against Cologne, which had won on its previous two visits to Leverkusen but remains bottom with just one point from its opening seven games.

Jonas Hofmann opened the scoring in the 22nd when he swept the ball inside the right post after Florian Wirtz set him up with his heel.

Leverkusen was dominating play and Alex Grimaldo whipped the ball across the face of goal for Jeremie Frimpong to score the second 10 minutes later.

Cologne goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe prevented Frimpong from scoring Leverkusen’s third early in the second half, but he was powerless to stop Hofmann crossing for Boniface’s easy finish to seal it. It was Boniface’s seventh goal of the season, helped by Frimpong, whose perfectly weighted pass sent Hofmann through.

Boniface almost scored again late on when his shot whizzed past the far post.

Promoted Heidenheim traveled to Eintracht Frankfurt for the late game.

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