Bayern Munich vs. Schalke: Score, Reaction from 2016 Bundesliga Game

Bayern Munich took another step closer to the Bundesliga title on Saturday as they moved 10 points clear at the top with a 3-0 win over Schalke at the Allianz Arena.  

Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring nine minutes following the half-time interval with a smart turn and finish and would add a second via his head 11 minutes after.

With time running out for Andre Breitenreiter’s men to salvage anything from their trip south, Arturo Vidal sealed maximum points with a goal from close range.

Pep Guardiola made six changes to the side that drew, 2-2, with Benfica in the UEFA Champions League in midweek as Rafinha, Mehdi Benatia, Juan Bernat, Mario Gotze, Kingsley Coman and Lewandowski all returned to Bayern’s starting lineup.

The Bavarians struggled to find their rhythm in the opening stages of the domestic clash due to Schalke’s resolute defending, combined with their cautious approach. Bayern had their Ruhr opponents pinned back in their own half, but the visitors were offering nothing going forward.

DW Sports Editor Ross Dunbar was less than impressed with the early action on show in Munich:

Schalke continued to concede possession with their defensive approach and almost went behind when goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann denied Lewandowski on 29 minutes. Guardiola will not have been impressed with his team’s bluntness, with Schalke’s game plan paying off in the opening 45 minutes with the sides entering the break goalless.

However, it didn’t take long for Bayern to make amends for their first-period profligacy, as they went ahead soon after the break. 

David Alaba played a searching ball from the right to the head of Vidal, who immediately played a header back toward the penalty spot. From there, Polish striker Lewandowski was on hand to control and swivel before firing low past Fahrmann.

Bayern's official Twitter account celebrated Lewandowski's strike, detailing the striker's sensational scoring record:

Meanwhile, Opta were on hand to provide the stats to show his first-goal contribution:

Eleven minutes later and the Champions League semi-finalists had their cushion. Vidal collected a ball on the right flank, waited for the overlapping Rafinha to arrive before the curling a pinpoint cross to the head of Lewandowski.

The former Borussia Dortmund marksman made no mistake from inside the six-yard box to take his tally to 27 league goals for the campaign. After six games without a goal, the strike was welcome relief to the forward as he moved four goals clear of closest challenger Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the scoring charts.

The 27-year-old is back to his best following a rare blip in form, as shown by the official Champions League account:

Squawka also revealed the statistics that make him one of the most prized assets in world football:

Two minutes following Lewandowski’s second, Schalke had their best opening of the game, but Leroy Sane could only find the outstretched arms of Manuel Neuer with a header from close range.

They were made to pay for that miss with 17 minutes to play, as Bayern sewed up the match with Vidal’s third goal in four games. Franck Ribery had a huge part to play in the goal as he caused Schalke right-back Sascha Riether serious problems, forcing the defender into his own area. 

WhoScored.com confirmed Vidal's impressive recent record in front of goal:

The former France international showed his perseverance to pick out Vidal at the third attempt, and the in-form ex-Juventus midfielder simply could not miss.

Bundesliga writer Stefan Bienkowski acknowledged the contribution the Chilean has made to the team in recent weeks:

Bayern's win sees them move 10 points away from second-placed Borussia Dortmund at the summit of the table, with Thomas Tuchel's men still to play this weekend. They play host to Hamburg at Signal Iduna Park on Sunday. 

Post-Match Reaction

Per Bayern Munich’s official Twitter account, their Spanish boss was unsatisfied with his team’s first-half showing in front of their home crowd and hinted that his players could be taking their foot off the gas domestically after building a strong hold at the top of the table. 

Guardiola is quoted as saying: “The difference between the first and second half was huge. We need to give our all in every training [session] and match.”

Schalke did well to stifle the German heavyweights in the opening 45 minutes as the first half ended with neither side able to open their account. Despite going on to win the match comfortably, Guardiola wanted to see more from his players, adding in the post-match press conference: “The first half was very dangerous for us.”