German giants in good spirits ahead of next week’s meeting with the Gunners.
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich maintained their healthy advantage at the top of the standings in Germany thanks to an easy 2-0 win at Wolfsburg on Saturday ahead of the Bavarians’ trip to north London to face Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on Tuesday.
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Goals by Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic and Arjen Robben on Friday sealed Bayern’s 2-0 victory at Wolves as the Bavarians continue to send German league records tumbling.
This was their 18th league win from 22 matches and they are yet to concede a goal in 2013.
Having leaked just seven league goals all season, and only one away from home, they have a massive goal difference of 50.
With second-placed Borussia Dortmund hosting Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, Bayern took their chance to go 18-points clear in the Bundesliga.
They will now turn their attention to Tuesday’s Champions League last 16, first leg, trip to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.
Wolfburg produced some dogged defending before a spectacular overhead-kick from Mandzukic, his sixth goal in four league games, put Bayern ahead on 36 minutes, then Arjen Robben came off the bench to add a stoppage-time second.
“It was Wolfsburg’s best game of the season, their players threw everything they had into it,” said Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes, whose team is set to end their three-year wait for silverware in May.
“It was a very intense game played at a high pace and it was a tough one for us, but these are the games you have to win.
“Once again, we’ve shown we have real class in the team, and that we’re capable of doing the business when we come up against resistance.
“We were smart and clever.”
Bayern have an exceptional record away from home this season with 10 Bundesliga wins from 11 away from the Allianz Arena.
After his sixth clean sheet, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said the team are just as concerned about keeping things tight at the back.
“I like the fact the team is delighted because we’ve kept a clean sheet,” said the Germany shot-stopper.
“We always go out looking to play our football, and we have to keep it up.”
But midfield star Bastian Schweinsteiger said there is still room for improvement.
“We had some earlier opportunities, but we didn’t play well,” said Schweinsteiger.
“We got the result against a very aggressive team. It was a tough away game, there were many tough one-on-ones, so I am happy with the performance.”
There are fresh reports here Robert Lewandowski’s transfer to Bayern in the summer from arch-rivals Dortmund will be announced after the team’s German Cup quarter-final on February 27 in Munich.
Neither director of sport Matthias Sammer nor Jupp Heynckes denied the reports of the Pole’s projected 25 to 30 million euro move to the Allianz Arena.
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