Goretzka stars as Bayern beats Wolfsburg and Wirtz helps Leverkusen keep pace

BERLIN (AP) — Leon Goretzka scored twice for Bayern Munich as it beat Wolfsburg 3-2 and retained a four-point lead in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Bayer Leverkusen kept pace by beating Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1 in the late game, when Florian Wirtz starred again with two goals and setting up Patrik Schick for the third.

Goretzka fell out of favor at Bayern last season but reminded the club’s bosses of his qualities by scoring twice for the first time since March.

“What he showed is that you always have to deal with your situation professionally. It’s not just Leon. It always happens in a squad or over a career,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said. ”If you do your work and stay calm, your qualities will always come to the fore. For us, it’s great.”

Kompany’s team started well with Leroy Sané striking the crossbar, then Harry Kane forcing a save from Kamil Grabara in the Wolfsburg goal.

Bayern’s Leon Goretzka, left, celebrates with Leroy Sane after scoring his side’s third goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

But it took Goretzka to open the scoring in the 20th after surging through the middle of the field before firing inside the far post. Goretzka’s second goal in the 62nd – coming after Michael Olise’s goal in the 39th – proved to be the winner after Mohammed Amoura scored twice for Wolfsburg.

The Algeria forward’s second goal in the 88th set up a nervy finale, but Bayern held on for its fourth successive win.

Wirtz shines again

Leverkusen’s bosses needed no reminders about Wirtz’s quality – the young Germany star played an integral role in Xabi Alonso’s team’s unbeaten run to the championship last season, and he’s doing it again for its title defense.

“We don’t need to talk about his qualities,” Gladbach captain Julian Weigl said. “He played another top game today. We didn’t manage to stop him.”

Munich’s Leon Goretzka (center) celebrates with Dayot Upamecano (left) and teammates after scoring during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Wirtz played the ball through Gladbach defender Ko Itakura’s legs before shooting the opener in the 32nd, converted a penalty in the 62nd, then gave Schick an easy finish to seal the result in the 74th.

Tim Kleindienst scored Gladbach’s consolation in stoppage time.

It was Leverkusen’s 11th straight win across all competitions. The Bundesliga champion next visits Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

“We want to keep the run going, to win as many games as possible,” Wirtz said.

Boadu the hero

Munich’s Leon Goretzka, left, scores scores the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Leipzig squandered a three-goal lead at last-placed Bochum as Dutch forward Myron Boadu scored a 13-minute second-half hat trick for the home team.

“I’m very happy. I’ve never experienced fans like this before,” said Boadu, who’s on loan at Bochum from French side Monaco. “You want to do everything you can to give them a good weekend and a good week. You can never write off Bochum.”

Bochum remained on the bottom, but it has claimed all but one of its 10 points since the experienced Dieter Hecking was appointed coach in November, and can potentially overtake Holstein Kiel next weekend.

Stuttgart soaring

Stuttgart capitalized on Leipzig’s draw with a 4-0 rout of Freiburg to overtake Leipzig and move to fourth, the last place for Champions League qualification.