Football news - Leon Goretzka strikes late to put Bayern on the verge of title

Leon Goretzka struck late in the day to earn Bayern Munich a vital 2-1 victory over a determined Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday, leaving Bayern on the verge of an eighth-straight Bundesliga title.

In place of the suspended Robert Lewandowski, 19-year-old Joshua Zirkzee capitalised on a woeful error from Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer to give his side the lead in the 26th minute.

Gladbach did not let their heads drop, and were level 11 minutes later after Benjamin Pavard put through his own net when stretching to clear.

Bayern looked to be heading for a point that would give Dortmund hope in the title race, but Goretzka arrived right on cue to slot home the winner four minutes from time to put Bayern seven points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with three games to play.

Dortmund put pressure on Bayern with their last-gasp win at Fortuna Dusseldorf earlier on Saturday, and Gladbach started brightly against a much-changed Bayern, who were without star striker Lewandowski and Thomas Muller through suspension. The visitors thought they had taken a shock lead, but Jonas Hofmann was given offside by the VAR after sliding the ball past Manuel Neuer and into the net.

Sommer was the hero for Gladbach as he made a stunning save to deny Lucas Hernandez, before becoming the villain, as is wayward pass landed at the feet of young Zirkzee, who fired his fourth goal of the season into the empty net.

The goal came moments after Gladbach substitute Breel Embolo had missed the target from a yard out, having replaced the injured Marcus Thuram, but Gladbach remained in the ascendancy even after going behind, with Pavard putting through his own net when trying to cut out Herrmann’s cross, levelling things up.

After the break, Neuer twice denied Gladbach as the top-four chasers pressed, with Bayern looking shorn of ideas. However, Pavard atoned for his earlier error, capitalising on some slack marking before threading the ball across for Goretzka to slot home a winner which means Bayern can tie up the title with victory at Werder Bremen on Tuesday.

Winning like champions when not at their best. Hansi Flick rang the changes with Muller and Lewandowski out and Kingsley Coman and Alphonso Davies dropping to the bench, and it left the champions a little flat. All it took was one mistake to allow Pavard in down the right, however, and Bayern pounced. That is now 11 wins a row for Bayern – should the Champions League resume, are they in with a shout of the treble?

Manuel Neuer. Bayern were far from their best today, and Gladbach and some key chances in big moments, but the super shotstopper himself was at his best when called upon. Two saves early in the second half were key.

Bayern: Neuer 8, Pavard 6, Boateng 6, Alaba 6, Hernandez 6, Kimmich 7, Cuisance 5, Goretzka 7, Perisic 5, Gnabry 6, Zirkzee 6…Subs: Martinez N/A, Davies 6, Coman 6, Wriedt 6

Gladbach: Sommer 6, Lainer 6, Ginter 6, Elvedi 5, Bensebaini 6, Kramer 6, Neuhaus 7, Hofmann 6, Herrman 6, Stindl 6, Thuram 5… Subs: Wendt 6, Janstschke 6, Benes 6, Embolo 6.

16’ - NO GOAL! Jonas Hofmann slides the ball past Manuel Neuer to give his side a shock lead.... BUT NO! VAR intervenes, very swiftly, and gives Hofmann offside. Very tight indeed.

22’ - WHAT A SAVE! Defensive mix up puts it on a plate for Lucas Hernandez, in the centre of the goal, eight yards out, but Yann Sommer reads it, goes down early to his right and makes a remarkable save.

25’ - WHAT A MISS! Incredible scenes here! Wonderful cross from the right lands on the head of Embolo, who heads down, but Neuer blocks with his feet. The rebound comes back to Embolo, a yard out, but he slices wide!

26’ - GOOOOOAAALLLLL!!! Bayern 1-0 Gladbach. A howler from Sommer gifts the opener to Zirkzee. Ah the life of a goalkeeper. Minutes after making a worldie of a save, Sommer inexplicably passes across his goal, straight to Zirkzee, who fires into the empty net. An awful mistake, just when Gladbach were on top.

37’ - GOOOOOOAAAALLLLLL!!!! Bayern 1-1 Gladbach. Mistakes at both ends as Benjamin Pavard puts through his own net to equalise for Gladbach. Gladbach deserve that bit of luck for their endeavours here. Low cross from Herrmann is fizzed across, Embolo is arriving at the back post, Pavard tries to stretch to cut it out, but only find the bottom corner on the slide. Game on!

40’ - CLOSE! Bayern almost immediately get themselves back in front, Hernandez breaks down the left and stands a great ball into the box. Cuisance rises highest but heads wide from six yards. Glorious chance.

49’ - SAVE! Tremendous work from Neuer to deny Gladbach. Bensebaini is played in down the left and delivers a wicked ball into the six-yard box. Neuer manages to cut out the cross but Embolo looks set to convert the rebound, only for Neuer to brilliantly hack the ball to safety while on the ground.

86’ - GOOOOOOAAAALLLLLLL Bayern 2-1 Gladbach. Leon Goretzka arrives right on cue to surely win it for Bayern. Sign of champions. Bayern really have not been at the races today, but capitalising on the slack defending, Pavard is able to slide the ball across for Goretzka, who guides the ball into the bottom corner. The ball across for Pavard should have been cut out, but Pavard did well to set the chance up.

Joshua Zirkzee scored his fourth Bayern goal in the Bundesliga; he scored each goal with his first attempt of the game.

After today's gaffe to gift Zirkzee a goal, no player has committed more errors leading to an opposition goal than Yann Sommer (4) in the Bundesliga this season.

All of Leon Goretzka's six league goals this season have come in the second half of games.