Niklas Süle had to smile after the game: "That was such a sweet shot," said the 23-year-old about his goal turned out to be the winner in the 1-0 win for FC Bayern against Werder Bremen. After his team-mates had squandered numerous decent chances, it was a deflected shot from the central defender on 75 minutes that decided the match – and that means Bayern hold on to top spot in the Bundesliga once again.
The fact it was the thigh of Bremen's Davy Klaassen that deflected the ball past his keeper Jiri Pavlenka was somewhat unlucky for the visitors but did not alter the justice of the Bayern victory. "It was a one-goal game," said Serge Gnabry. After an evenly balanced first half, the stats show a different story in the second half with 22 shots on goal and one against in favour of the hosts, which was in part due to the dismissal of Bremen's Milos Veljkovic on 57 minutes. Half an hour with a man down at the Allianz Arena made it an uphill struggle according to the Werder coach Florian Kohfeldt.
22 to 1 shots on goal for Bayern in second half
It was one-way traffic for Bayern that again demonstrated the desire and determination of the team under Niko Kovac to win the seventh league title in succession. "We have to win – and if we win all the games then we've done it," said the FC Bayern coach in regard to the one-point lead over second placed Borussia Dortmund at the start of the matchday. "Now it's about the title and it's the results that count," declared Leon Goretzka and the goalscorer Süle had to admit "sometimes a scrappy goal can help."
FCB have completed their task in the league for the moment and the record champions now prepare for the next fixture for another title this season – Werder Bremen are again the opponents. The DFB Cup semi-final at the Weserstadion on Wednesday will be "a different game," said Kovac. It is "a knockout game. I know what it's like at Bremen when the floodlights are on." The 47-year-old is expecting an "intensive and difficult game." Then we'll see, "who's in the final."
DFB Cup semi-final on Wednesday
The clear target for Bayern is the final at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on 25 May. "We've still got the chance of winning two titles this season. We are definitely going to try and win both and then it could be a very, very good season," said Süle. However, the Germany international will not be able to help his team-mates in Bremen – the central defender is suspended for the semi-final after being sent off in the previous round.
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