BERLIN (AP) — Thomas Müller set a Bayern Munich record for Bundesliga appearances and celebrated by scoring in a 3-0 win over Bochum to keep the defending champions on top on Saturday.
It was Müller’s 428th league appearance for Bayern, one more than club great Gerd Müller, and the most for any outfield player at the club. Only goalkeepers Oliver Kahn (429) and Sepp Meier (473) have played more Bundesliga games for Bayern.
Müller capitalized on a botched backpass from Bochum defender Saidy Janko to break the deadlock in the 41st minute.
Bayern substitute Kingsley Coman finished some fine combination play in the 64th and Serge Gnabry sealed it with a penalty in the 73rd after he was fouled by the luckless Janko.
It kept Bayern one point clear of Union Berlin, which came from behind to beat Leipzig 2-1 again in the late game.
Bayern next visits Paris Saint-Germain the Champions League. Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann was evidently thinking of Tuesday’s game when he took Müller off at halftime and gave some time off to João Cancelo, Jamal Musiala, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Leroy Sané.
Nagelsmann said he took Müller off as a precaution because of a calf problem and he thinks the veteran will be fit for Paris.
UNION’S INCREDIBLE RUN
Union defeated Leipzig 2-1 for the fifth consecutive time in the Bundesliga and ended Leipzig’s 18-game unbeaten run across all competitions. Leipzig hadn’t lost at home in the league since its previous 2-1 loss on Union’s last visit.
“It’s a bit surreal,” Union captain Rani Khedira said of passing the club’s preseason target of 40 points for Bundesliga survival.
The visiting fans stayed silent for the first 15 minutes in protest against Leipzig, disliked by rivals as a marketing tool for Red Bull since its formation by the energy drinks manufacturer in 2009. The fans held banners saying “In Leipzig just Chemie and Lok,” referring to the city’s traditional clubs.
Benjamin Henrichs let fly to put Leipzig ahead in the 24th, but the visitors improved in the second half and Janik Haberer equalized with a perfectly struck volley from the edge of the penalty area in the 61st.
Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan then conceded a penalty for attacking the ball with his arm. Robin Knoche scored what proved to be the winner from the spot in the 72nd.
Yussuf Poulsen had an equalizer ruled out through VAR for offside and Union held on for a club-record fifth consecutive Bundesliga win, its sixth including the German Cup.
DORTMUND KEEPS CHASE
Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzić’s changes again paid off in a 2-0 win at Werder Bremen that stretched the team’s winning run to six games across all competitions this year.
“We’ve always said, there are players who start for us, players who finish games for us, and players who decide games for us,” Terzić said of substitute Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, who broke the deadlock in the 67th. “It’s the 10th time in the Bundesliga that a player has scored for us from the bench. We also had it in the Champions League and cup.”
Bremen goalkeeper Jiří Pavlenka kept the visitors at bay until Terzić brought Bynoe-Gittens on for Gio Reyna, who’d made his first start since Nov. 11. The English teenager scored a minute later, firing inside the top corner to beat Pavlenka.
Julian Brandt sealed the win with a brilliant finish in the 85th after good work from Raphaël Guerreiro to set him up.
Dortmund forward Youssoufa Moukoko went off injured in the first half.
Dortmund next hosts Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday.
MATARAZZO’S UNFORTUNATE DEBUT
Pellegrino Matarazzo’s debut as Hoffenheim coach ended with a 3-1 defeat at home to Bayer Leverkusen. The New Jersey-born Matarazzo was appointed coach on Wednesday, two days after the club fired André Breitenreiter.
Vincenzo Grifo scored two penalties for Freiburg to beat relegation-threatened Stuttgart 2-1 and Lee Jae-sung scored twice to help Mainz defeat Augsburg 3-1.
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