BERLIN: Robert Lewandowskis penalty was enough for Bayern Munich to consolidate their Bundesliga lead at the halfway stage of the season with a 1-0 win at Bavarian rivals Augsburg on Wednesday.

Lewandowskis spot-kick in the 13th minute was Bayern’s only reward for dominating the first half, while the visitors had to hold on in the second with Augsburg missing a host of chances including a penalty of their own.

Lewandowski scored his 22nd goal of the season a league record after 17 games from the spot after a foul from Augsburg midfielder Rani Khedira on Lucas Hernndez.

Serge Gnabry and Thomas Mller both missed chances before the break, when Khedira made way for Tobias Strobl.

Bayern coach Hansi Flick took Lewandowski off as a precaution in the 67th after he felt something in the back of his leg.

Augsburg improved significantly in the second half but missed a great chance to equalize when Alfred Finnbogason who had only come on as a substitute a couple of minutes before smashed his penalty off the left post in the 76th. Benjamin Pavard conceded the spot kick for handball.

Very bitter, Finnbogason said of his miss.

Another Augsburg substitute, Fredrik Jensen, shot over from another good position shortly afterward.

Bayern stayed four points clear of Leipzig, which earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Union Berlin thanks to Emil Forsbergs 70th-minute strike.

Union dropped to sixth place after their first defeat in seven games since losing the Berlin derby 3-1 at Hertha on Dec 4.

Arminia Bielefeld defeated Stuttgart 3-0 at home to stay out of the relegation zone after Colognes late 2-1 win at last-place Schalke earlier on Wednesday. Cologne remained 16th in the 18-team division with Bielefeld two points clear in 15th.

Also, Eintracht Frankfurt came back to draw 2-2 at Freiburg.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2021