BERLIN: Robert Lewandowski scored again in the Bundesliga as Bayern Munich romped to a 3-1 win at Werder Bremen on Saturday.

Lewandowski took his season tally to 32 league goals and matched the record of scoring against 16 different teams within a season. He managed the same feat last season. Former Bayern great Gerd Mueller and Bremen striker Ailton are the only others to manage it.

Lewandowski has so far only failed to score against RB Leipzig this season. The teams meet in Leipzig on April 3, when the Poland striker will be aiming to become the first player to score against every opponent in a season.

It wasn’t just Lewandowski in Bremen.

Thomas Mueller starred with two assists for Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry as Bayern moved up to 58 points, provisionally five clear of Leipzig. VfL Wolfsburg climbed to third spot on 48 points with a 5-0 demolition of basement club Schalke 04.

Goretzka opened the scoring in the 23rd when Mueller headed on Joshua Kimmich’s corner, and Mueller was involved again in the 35th. He did brilliantly to control Kimmich’s cross on his chest and then calmly slot the ball across for Gnabry.

Lewandowski drew good saves from Jiri Pavlenka and hit the crossbar before he finally got his goal in the 67th. A rebound from Bremen defender Ludwig August­insson landed at his feet for one of Lewandowski’s easiest goals this season.

Niclas Fuellkrug sco­red Bremen’s consolation on a rebound in the 86th.

Later, Borussia Dortmund’s 16-year-old striker Youssoufa Moukoko scored his first goal at Signal Iduna Park to seal a 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin.

Dortmund took the lead when a long-range shot by Julian Brandt evaded the grasp of Hertha goalkeeper Rune Jarstein on 54 minutes.

With ten minutes left, Hertha midfielder Vladimir Darida was shown a straight red card for a scything tackle on Dortmund captain Marco Reus.

Moukoko, who made his Bundesliga debut last Nove­mber, completed a miserable night for Hertha’s goalkeeper by firing between Jarstein’s legs on 90 minutes.

The victory moved Dortmund up to fifth, a point from the Champions League places, while only goal difference keeps Hertha above Mainz 05 in the relegation zone. Mainz beat Freiburg 1-0 earlier with Swedish striker Robin Quaison scoring six minutes from time.

Former Arsenal and Germany defender Shkodran Mustafi scored an own-goal as Schalke moved another step closer to relegation with a trouncing at Wolfsburg.

Union Berlin moved two points from the European places after their captain Christopher Trimmel scored their winner in a 2-1 home victory against Cologne.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2021