Berlin: Leon Goretzka took full advantage of the Bundesliga’s two-month break to emerge as the muscular driving force behind Bayern Munich’s march to yet another title.
The former Schalke midfielder scored the winning goal in the 86th minute on Saturday as Bayern beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 to move within touching distance of a record-extending eighth consecutive title.
“It’s not a big surprise for me,” Gladbach midfielder Christoph Kramer said of Goretzka. “He’s incredibly athletic, a brutal box-to-box type.” It was Goretzka’s second straight man-of-the-match performance, coming after he led Bayern to a 4-2 win over Bayer Leverkusen the weekend before.
The Bavarian powerhouse only needs to beat relegation-threatened Werder Bremen away on Tuesday to be crowned German champion once again. Goretzka looks completely transformed since the league was suspended due to coronavirus on March 13. Previously slim and nimble, he clearly used the break to beef up his physique, transforming himself into a fitter, faster more muscular midfield dynamo. “Drive is essential in modern soccer anyway. That applies not only for me, but for every player on the field,” he said after his latest starring performance.
“It was a huge challenge physically today. So in the end it came down to a will to win the thing.” The 25-year-old Germany international has scored three goals and set up two more in Bayern’s six games since the Bundesliga resumed.
He had scored just as many in 15 games before the league’s virus-imposed break. “Especially in such situations when there’s a turnover in possession, he simply has the athleticism and fast runs so he can grab goals at the front,” Bayern captain Manuel Neuer said. (AP)
