Follow us at @WorldSportCNN and like us on Facebook
Story highlights
Bayern Munich on course to clinch title in March after another emphatic win
Pep Guardiola's side thrash Schalke 5-1; Borussia Dortmund up to second
Bayern now 20 points clear with 11 games remaining
Chelsea beat Fulham 3-1 go four points clear in EPL; Arsenal lose 1-0 to Stoke
Thomas Muller’s pre-match remarks could have backfired on him and his Bayern Munich teammates.
“The Bundesliga has already been decided,” the 24-year-old confidently predicted in an interview with Munich newspaper TZ. “I don’t think anyone is reckoning that we will lose six of our last remaining 12 matches …”
Make that six of their last 11 as Bayern Munich walloped Schalke 5-1 at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
For the Bundesliga’s fourth-placed side it was a forgettable end to a miserable week.
After being taken to the cleaners by Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, Pep Guardiola’s side found Schalke’s defense in equally accommodating mood come the weekend.
David Alaba scored from a free kick in the third minute with Arjen Robben doubling the lead after a quarter of an hour.
Mario Mandzukic headed in a third in the 24th minute before Robben’s second four minutes later ended any hopes of a Schalke fightback.
Four nil had been the scoreline in the corresponding fixture earlier in the season, but Bayern weren’t quite finished.
Brazilian right-back Rafinha scored an own goal in the 64th minute to gift the visitors a goal, but 12 minutes later Schalke’s center back Kyriakos Papadopoulos was shown a straight red for bringing down Mandzukic in the penalty area.
Up stepped Robben to claim a hat-trick and round off a depressing week for Schalke manager Jens Keller.
With Bayer Leverkusen losing 1-0 at home to Mainz, Bayern extended their lead to 20 points and could be crowned champions by the end of March.
Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund backed up an impressive 4-2 win at Zenit St Petersburg in the Champions League on Tuesday with an 3-0 win against Nurnberg.
Second-half goals from Mats Hummels, Robert Lewandowski and Henrik Mkhitaryan move Jurgen Klopp’s side up to second with 45 points.
In the other matches played Saturday, Werder Bremen beat Hamburg 1-0 while the matches between Augsburg and Hannover and Braunschweig and Monchengladbach both ended in 1-1 draws.
Chelsea extend title lead as Arsenal stumble
After registering the only goal and point for English clubs in the last 16 of the Champions League in midweek, Chelsea returned to English Premier League action on Saturday facing west London rivals Fulham.
Fulham boss Felix Magath’s task of avoiding relegation got a little bit harder after Jose Mourinho’s side enjoyed a comfortable 3-1 win at Craven Cottage.
A second-half hat-trick by Geman international Andre Schurrle earned Chelsea all three points – John Heitinga scoring a consolation for the home side – and a four-point lead at the top of the table.
Arsenal would have expected to maintain the one-point deficit with Chelsea as they traveled to Stoke but instead slumped to defeat.
A 76th minute penalty by Jonathan Walters ensured Mark Hughes’ side scored only a second win in ten matches to boost their survival chances – victory lifts them to 12th place with 30 points.
Whereas Arsene Wenger’s side appear to be stalling in the title race, Liverpool continue to score goals for fun and keep their supporters wondering if they can claim their first league title in 24 years.
The foundations for an emphatic 3-0 win against Southampton were laid by a Luis Suarez – the Uruguayan tucking away his first goal in six games in the 16th minute.
Raheem Sterling adding a second in the 58th minute before Steven Gerrard’s injury time penalty made sure of three points. Brendan Rodgers’s team now rise to second ahead of Arsenal on goal difference.
Merseyside rivals Everton bounced back from back-to-back defeats with a 1-0 win against West Ham United at Goodison Park while Newcastle United’s mini-revival continued with a 4-1 win against Hull City at the KC Stadium.
But the victory was overshadowed when Newcastle boss Alan Pardew was sent to the stands by the referee after clashing with Hull City’s David Meyler.
Pardew appeared to head-butt Meyler after the midfielder had brushed past him to retrieve the ball for a throw-in in the 72nd minute. The English Football Association says it will investigate the incident.
Manchester City will take Sunderland in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday while three league fixtures will also be played with Aston Villa taking on Norwich, Swansea entertaining Crystal Palace and Cardiff traveling to Tottenham Hotspur.
