Jamal Musiala came off the bench to inspire injury-hit Bayern Munich to a 4-2 victory over struggling Heidenheim on Saturday, securing a six-point lead atop the Bundesliga.
The Bavarians dominated the first half and took the lead through Dayot Upamecano’s header, but the defender turned provider for the opposition early in the second half with a wayward pass that allowed Mathias Honsak to equalise.
Bayern manager Vincent Kompany brought on Musiala, and the 21-year-old made an immediate impact, scoring just five minutes later. While Leon Goretzka’s goal seemed to seal the result, Heidenheim’s Niklas Dorsch reignited the contest before Musiala’s stunning solo effort from the halfway line secured the win.
Veteran Thomas Müller lauded Musiala’s performance, telling Sky, “What he’s doing, we expect that from him now. We’re happy we’ve got him.”
Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund’s away troubles persisted as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Borussia Moenchengladbach. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens scored a spectacular goal to put Dortmund ahead, but a VAR-awarded penalty allowed Kevin Stoeger to equalise. Dortmund have now won just two points from their last six away matches.
Defending champions Bayer Leverkusen continued their winning run, defeating St Pauli 2-1. Injuries forced coach Xabi Alonso to improvise, with Florian Wirtz stepping up to lead the attack.
In other matches, RB Leipzig ended a winless streak with a 2-0 victory over Holstein Kiel; Werder Bremen edged past Bochum 1-0, deepening their hosts’ woes; and Frankfurt dropped points after a 2-2 draw with Augsburg despite their strong recent form.
Bayern now heads into the next round with renewed confidence, thanks to Musiala’s brilliance, while rivals like Dortmund face increasing pressure to regain ground.
