Bayern Munich extend lead with Goretzka brace against Wolfsburg

Bayern Munich thumped Wolfsburg 3-2 at home on Saturday, thanks to a commanding performance by Leon Goretzka, whose brace propelled the Bavarian giants to a seven-point lead over defending champions Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga table.

Goretzka, rejuvenated under Bayern coach Vincent Kompany this season, opened the scoring with a superb low shot across the goal 20 minutes into the match. However, Wolfsburg responded shortly after with a simple goal from Mohammed Amoura, levelling the score.

Despite the equaliser, Bayern wrestled back control before half-time, with Michael Olise, starting in place of the recovering Jamal Musiala, finishing off a fluent team move. Goretzka then added his second goal in the 62nd minute, heading in a precise Olise free-kick.

Although Amoura scored again with just two minutes left to give Wolfsburg a glimmer of hope, the visitors could not break through. Wolfsburg remained winless in 32 attempts against Bayern in Munich, suffering 30 defeats in that period.

Bayer Leverkusen had the opportunity to close the gap to four points, with a match against Borussia Moenchengladbach later that Saturday.

Kompany praised Goretzka’s recent performances, noting the midfielder’s hard work and determination. "Leon worked hard and showed us in training that he's hungry," Kompany said. "That he's playing well is a good story not just for Leon but for the team and the younger guys, who might be going through a difficult phase."

In other Bundesliga action, RB Leipzig let a three-goal lead slip away in a dramatic 3-3 draw at Bochum. The visitors had been dominant early on, with goals from Willi Orban, Antonio Nusa, and Christoph Baumgartner giving Leipzig a commanding 3-0 lead within the first 21 minutes. However, Bochum, led by Myron Boadu, staged a remarkable comeback, with Boadu scoring a hat-trick to salvage a point for his team.

A frustrated Marco Rose, Leipzig's head coach, reflected on the disappointing result, telling Sky Germany, "It's not a question of structure -- it's a question of professionalism and of attitude."

Meanwhile, Stuttgart capitalised on Leipzig's slip, thrashing derby rivals Freiburg 4-0 to leapfrog them into fourth place. Anthony Rouault and Ermedin Demirovic both scored headers from Angelo Stiller corners, giving Stuttgart a 2-0 lead inside 17 minutes. Nick Woltemade converted a penalty in stoppage time, and Deniz Undav sealed the victory with a goal in the final 10 minutes, as Stuttgart secured their third straight win.

Hoffenheim bounced back from a humiliating 5-0 defeat to Bayern, claiming a 3-1 victory at Holstein Kiel, moving three points clear of the relegation zone. St Pauli also moved three points clear of the relegation places with a 2-0 win at Heidenheim.