Bayern Munich delivered a dominant performance against St. Pauli, winning 5-0 in their latest Bundesliga match. This victory not only allowed them to set a new record for the most goals scored in a single season, surpassing their previous mark, but also extended their lead at the top of the league to 12 points with five matches remaining.
The Bavarian side, poised to face Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final next week after securing a 2-1 victory in the first leg, is now at 76 points. In contrast, their closest rival, Borussia Dortmund, remains at 64 points following a 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.
Bayern’s Jamal Musiala opened the scoring with a header in the ninth minute, tying the record of 101 goals for a season, set by the club during the 1971-72 season. The visitors quickly added to their tally with Leon Goretzka scoring in the 53rd minute, followed by a goal from Michael Olise just a minute later, establishing a new record for the club.
Nicolas Jackson then netted the fourth goal in the 65th minute, while Raphaël Guerreiro completed the rout with a fifth goal. Coach Vincent Kompany opted to rest several key players, including Harry Kane. Bayern remains in contention for three titles this season, with a German Cup semi-final against Leverkusen scheduled for April 22.
In another Bundesliga match, Bayer Leverkusen defeated Borussia Dortmund 1-0, with captain Robert Andrich scoring the decisive goal in the first half. This win keeps Leverkusen in the hunt for a top-four finish, positioning them fifth with 52 points, just one point behind Stuttgart, who will face Hamburg on Sunday. The top four teams are guaranteed a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Across the Spanish league, Barcelona made significant strides toward clinching the La Liga title with a 4-1 triumph over Espanyol, pulling nine points ahead of Real Madrid. Ferran Torres was instrumental, scoring twice in the first half, assisted by Lamine Yamal. His first goal came from a header during a corner in the 10th minute, followed by a second in the 25th minute after breaking free from another assist by Yamal.
Espanyol managed to score in the 56th minute when Pol Lozano found the net from close range, but Barcelona regained control as Lamine Yamal scored in the 87th minute during a swift counterattack, and Marcus Rashford added a fourth goal from a cross by Frenkie de Jong. Barcelona now sits on 79 points with seven matches left to play, while Real Madrid dropped points with a 1-1 draw against Girona.
Ferran Torres remarked, “It’s not over until we’ve won the league, but the outcome is in our hands, and that’s a great feeling. The match was challenging, and the score doesn’t fully reflect how close it was. We made some mistakes that nearly cost us, but we take pride in our performance.”
In Italy, AC Milan faced a disheartening 3-0 defeat at home to Udinese, which has left them nervously eyeing the teams below them in the Serie A standings. Following their third loss in four matches, the Rossoneri were booed off the pitch, now sitting nine points behind league leaders Inter and just six points above sixth-place Roma in the race for Champions League qualification. Juventus, currently in fifth, are set to compete against Atalanta later in the day.
Udinese took an early lead due to an own goal by Davide Bartesaghi, followed by Jurgen Ekkelenkamp’s header that made it 2-0 in the 37th minute. Atta scored the third goal for Udinese with 20 minutes remaining, skillfully faking a shot before placing the ball into the bottom corner.
Meanwhile, Cagliari secured a vital 1-0 victory over fellow relegation battlers Cremonese, marking their first win since January. Sebastiano Esposito scored the only goal of the match in the 63rd minute, heading in a cross from Zé Pedro, who had just entered the game. This win elevates Cagliari six points clear of the relegation zone.
Hellas Verona, however, remains nine points adrift of safety after a 2-1 loss to Torino.
In the Swiss Super League, a match between Thun and Basel was postponed following a fire that severely damaged the first-team dressing room at St Jakob-Park, destroying equipment and kits. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. The club confirmed they are unable to participate in the away match against Thun due to the extensive damage. The league has approved the postponement, and a new date will be determined.
Basel, the reigning champions, currently sit fourth in the league, trailing Thun by 18 points, with Thun leading the standings with 71 points from 32 games. This weekend’s fixtures are the last before the 12-team league splits into two groups of six. Thun, promoted last season, is on track to secure their first-ever league title.
This news story will be updated as more information becomes available.
