Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala has called on his teammates to approach every remaining Bundesliga match with the belief that they can secure victory after their commanding 4–1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.
Bayern delivered a dominant performance at the Allianz Arena on Friday, cruising to victory despite the absence of top scorer Harry Kane. Goals from Luis Diaz, Konrad Laimer, Musiala and Nicolas Jackson sealed the comfortable win.
The result moved Bayern 14 points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who are scheduled to face FC Koln on Saturday, with nine league matches still remaining this season.
Musiala, who recently returned from injury, marked the occasion with his first Bundesliga goal since his comeback. The midfielder converted from the penalty spot after Gladbach captain Rocco Reitz fouled Jackson inside the penalty area, an incident that led to a red card.
Reflecting on his return, Musiala said: “The foot’s a bit tired, but it feels good. It was my third start now and the first 90 minutes after the injury – that does me good.
“These games will get me back into the rhythm, so I’m very happy.”
Musiala also expressed pride after captaining Bayern during the match.
He said: “The captain’s armband was a great honour for me. When I then ran across the pitch, it certainly felt a bit heavy. I actually thought Leon [Goretzka] would get it because he’s been here longer. But to get to be captain for such a big club makes me very proud.
“Now it’s coming to the crunch time with a lot of important matches. When our energy level and focus are high, we can go into every match with the feeling that we can win it. That’s what we have to show now.”
Bayern dominated the contest, registering 18 shots with an expected goals (xG) value of 3.1, including nine efforts on target, and also struck the woodwork during the match.
Gladbach managed a late consolation goal through Wael Mohya in the 89th minute, denying Bayern a clean sheet.
Despite the late goal, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany praised his team’s overall performance.
He said: “I’m very pleased, regardless of the goal at the end. There were a lot of young players on the pitch then, and it can happen that you briefly lose a bit of organisation in that period.
“But overall, it was a very good performance. The intensity was right, and the boys who played showed why we have so many points in the Bundesliga.
“Obviously, we know what the players who didn’t play can give us, but those who were on the pitch did their job very well. Without their performances across the season, we wouldn’t be where we are now.”