Bayern Munich

It had been 57 days since Julian Nagelsmann's side were last at the summit, but they moved above Union Berlin with a sixth consecutive win on Saturday.

First-half goals from Serge Gnabry, the hugely impressive Musiala and Sadio Mane put them in command at the Allianz Arena, the Senegal forward finishing from the rebound after Robin Zentner saved his penalty.

Silvan Widmer pulled one back on the stroke of half-time just after Sven Ulreich kept out a Jonathan Burkardt spot-kick, but goals from Leon Goretzka and Mathys Tel put Bayern out of sight.

Marcus Ingvartsen capitalised on a terrible mistake from Ulreich to score Mainz's second goal, before the in-form Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting had the final stay with a late goal against his former club.

The champions took the lead in the fifth minute, Mane cutting the ball back and Gnabry finishing with his left foot from close range after a clever dummy from Musiala.

Musiala doubled their lead just before the half-hour mark, finishing off another slick move a clinical-right foot finish after exchanging passes with Choupo-Moting.

Burkardt rattled the crossbar and Jae-Sung Lee struck the post following up before Mane added a third Bayern goal, following up to tuck home after Zentner palmed his tame spot-kick back into his path.

Referee Felix Zwayer awarded that penalty following a VAR check for Alexander Hack's tackle on Mane and he pointed to the spot again after another check on the pitchside monitor, deeming that Ulreich had caught Anthony Caci when attempting to deal with a corner

Ulreich tipped Burkardt's spot-kick over the crossbar, but there was more drama when Widmer nodded in the resulting corner just before the break.

Benjamin Pavard replaced the injured Matthijs de Ligt for a second half that Mainz started brightly, but Choupo-Moting almost restored Bayern's three-goal lead when he hit an upright.

Goretzka duly got on the end of Mane's cross to nod in the Bavarian giants' fourth 58 after minutes and Tel came off the bench to got in on the act with a deflected strike 11 minutes from time.

Ulreich's awful pass gifted Ingvartsen the chance to slot home in the closing stages and there was still time for Choupo-Moting to round off the scoring with his right foot after Kingsley Coman picked him out.

Parts of Germany and Belgium were heavily hit by floods over the last fortnight. Over 100 people are still missing, with Germany's official death toll standing at 177, while thousands more have been made homeless.

Two of the worst-hit areas have been North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, while storms have also caused disruption in Bavaria.

In response, Bayern have pledged a minimum aid package of €1.1million, with €1m split between the regions in the west, and €100,000 going towards helping to repair damage in the south.

The Bundesliga champions have also arranged to play a friendly against Schalke, who are based in the North Rhine-Westphalia city of Gelsenkirchen.

Schalke were relegated to the second tier last season, though with the date for the charity game at Veltins Arena not yet confirmed, Bayern pledged the financial support immediately.

"The images of the flood disaster shocked us," said Bayern president Herbert Hainer.

"In such a terrible situation, we have to stick together as a society. Football also lives very much from solidarity and social responsibility. We can only guess what the people in the affected regions have gone through and continue to go through.

"We also want to support them with our charity game and the donation... is on the side of the flood victims.

"I would like to thank FC Schalke 04 very much, Schalke immediately agreed to take part in our initiative. On the occasion of the charity game, together we will also commemorate the people who tragically lost their lives in the storm."

The 21-year-old has not featured for Bayern since December 17 after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this month.

Davies had been due to return to action for the German champions this week, but routine medical checks discovered another medical issue.

Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann confirmed at a news conference previewing Saturday's trip to Cologne that the Canada international will be out of action indefinitely.

"When we did our follow-up examination we do with every player that has had COVID-19, we detected signs of mild myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle," he said.

"He'll sit out training until further notice. He won't be available, also in the coming weeks. 

"The ultrasound shows this myocarditis isn't so dramatic, but it's a sign of myocarditis. Still, it has to heal and that will definitely take some time."

Davies has started 22 of Bayern's 27 matches this season – only Manuel Neuer (25), Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski (both 26) have started more regularly.

He has made 16 appearances in the Bundesliga this term and leads the way in the division for dribbles attempted (97) and completed (61).

Davies' lay-off is also bad news for Canada as they have two crucial World Cup qualifiers at the end of this month.

While the left-back will sit out Bayern's clash with Cologne, Bayern will welcome back six others from last week's shock 2-1 home loss to Borussia Monchengladbach.

But Nagelsmann will not take any risks when it comes to the fitness of Manuel Neuer, Dayot Upamecano, Omar Richards, Leroy Sane, Corentin Tolisso and Tanguy Nianzou 

"None of them are 100 per cent fit," he said. "Some of them had coronavirus symptoms. They're back in the squad, but none except Manu are ready to start or play for long.

Asked about Tolisso's availability, Nagelsmann said: "He had no symptoms and has come back the fittest. We have to see, but he'll be involved."

Leon Goretzka, Kingsley Coman and Lucas Hernandez will miss out this weekend, while Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Bouna Sarr are on Africa Cup of Nations duties.

Bayern have won each of their last eight Bundesliga games against Cologne and are unbeaten against them in their last 15 league games (W14 D1).

Steffen Baumgart's sixth-placed side have won their last three league games, however, which is as many as they managed in the previous 14 combined.

Teenager Aleksandar Pavlovic – with his first Bayern goal – and Alphonso Davies put the visitors in command at the interval after Thomas Tuchel’s side had encountered a difficult start.

Harry Kane’s 23rd Bundesliga goal, sandwiched between a Ermedin Demirovic double, eventually proved the difference at a ground where Bayern had lost on their previous two league visits.

Augsburg were left to rue the presence of VAR twice in the opening 12 minutes much to the annoyance of home supporters.

A fifth-minute ball directed towards Demirovic struck the arm of Matthijs de Ligt and a penalty was awarded before a VAR check ruled contact was outside the box.

Augsburg thought they had then taken the lead when Elvis Rexhbecaj drilled past Manuel Neuer from a tight angle, but the midfielder had marginally strayed into an offside position.

Leon Goretzka volleyed wide of a post and Bayern’s improvement produced a 24th minute lead and a moment to remember for 19-year-old Pavlovic.

Raphael Guerreiro corner’s was not properly cleared by Phillip Tietz, and Pavlovic was alert to take a touch before lifting the ball into the roof of the net.

Bayern lost Kingsley Coman to injury and Augsburg had a chance to equalise when Rexhbecaj shot straight at Neuer.

Kane fired wide from a tight angle before Bayern doubled their lead in the fifth minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half.

Goretzka found Davies with a measured pass and the full-back, cutting in from the left flank, drilled home from 25 yards with his weaker right foot.

Augsburg were not finished though and halved the deficit after 52 minutes when Kevin Mbabu sped down the right.

Mbabu delivered an accurate cross for top scorer Demirovic to guide his header beyond Neuer and into the bottom left-hand corner.

Kane restored Bayern’s two-goal cushion six minutes later, rolling home Jamal Musiala’s pass into an empty net.

The offside flag was initially raised, but the goal stood after VAR intervention with the final touch coming off an Augsburg defender.

Bayern almost increased their lead nine minutes from time when Leroy Sane released substitute Mathys Tel and the substitute struck the post.

There was drama to the end as Neuer saved Sven Michel’s penalty and Demirovic converted another spot-kick in the fourth minute of stoppage time, but Bayern held on to make the short trip home with three precious points.

The 20-year-old had missed Bayern’s last two matches with a hamstring issue but returned to training earlier this week.

Germany face Japan and France in international friendlies on Saturday and next Tuesday respectively.

A statement from the club read: “Jamal Musiala will not join up with the Germany national team as planned for their friendly matches against Japan (September 9) and France (September 12) after the Bayern attacking midfielder withdrew from the squad due to a back complaint.”

The news comes a day after Musiala was nominated for the best young player award at this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony.

The Bayern Munich midfielder’s season-long loan at Ibrox was recently cut short by a hamstring injury and he returned to Germany.

But the United States international was back in Glasgow on Sunday to collect the PFA Scotland Men’s Young Player of the Year award.

The 20-year-old told Sky Sports News: “I hoped for a better ending but it’s quite common in football to get injuries so I am unlucky to be one of them.

“I have had a great time here. It might not be the end – we will see what’s going to happen in the summer.

“It’s 50-50. It’s up to Rangers, up to Bayern and up to me, so it’s completely open.

“I am going to speak to Michael Beale in the coming days and then see what he is saying, see what Bayern are saying, and then I will decide.”

The former Germany Under-21 international beat Celtic pair Liel Abada and Matt O’Riley plus Albion Rovers winger Charlie Reilly to the prize.

“I’m extremely proud and extremely happy,” he said. “In Germany it’s not usual so I am just glad I got voted for. It’s a huge honour. The other nominees deserved it as well.”

Bayern took a 2-0 advantage into half-time after goals from Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry, but Kevin Sessa and Tim Kleindienst both struck for the hosts early in the second period.

Kleindienst grabbed the winner with 11 minutes to play, putting another dent in Bayern’s already slim Bundesliga title hopes as Thomas Tuchel’s side fell 16 points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen with six games to go.

The defeat means Bayern head into Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg with Arsenal on the back of successive defeats.

Bayern had an early effort when Gnabry found Leon Goretzka, who had his shot blocked, and Gnabry was the creator again minutes later, but Thomas Muller – making his 700th competitive appearance for the club – was unable to reach the cross at the back post.

Heidenheim had a chance from a corner but although the delivery was cleared, Kim Min-jae did well to block Jonas Fohrenbach’s shot from the rebound and Muller came close at the other end after pouncing on a loose ball with his eventual shot deflected for a corner.

Bayern took the lead in the 38th minute when Kane latched on to Gnabry’s flicked cross from the right and the England captain tucked the ball into the bottom corner to score his 32nd Bundesliga goal of the season.

They doubled their lead seven minutes later as Alphonso Davies fired in a cross from the left to an unmarked Gnabry in the centre of the box and the Germany winger easily headed the ball past Kevin Muller.

Heidenheim made a triple substitution at the break and the changes immediately paid off when Sessa came off the bench to pull one back in the 50th minute after the midfielder pounced on a loose ball and broke forward to slot home.

They equalised just one minute later through Kleindienst, who got on the end of a deep cross from Jan-Niklas Beste to poke the ball in at the right post.

Bayern tried to restore their lead when Kane’s strike was saved by Muller and substitute Mathys Tel nearly made an instant impact but was also denied by a solid save from the home goalkeeper.

Kane then blasted the ball wide from inside the box.

Heidenheim were also pushing for a winner when Beste picked Sessa out but Sven Ulreich saved his shot and Beste was involved again, curling a free-kick just over the crossbar just minutes later.

Kleindienst then fired the hosts in front in the 79th minute, when Marvin Pieringer teed-up the striker, who rolled the ball into the far bottom corner to seal three points.

Deals worth in excess of €100million have been commonplace in the past four years, with Neymar becoming the world's most expensive player when he joined Paris Saint-Germain for €222m in August 2017.

Bayern have been more conservative but broke their transfer record by splashing out €80m on Lucas Hernandez last year.

Links to Leroy Sane and Timo Werner led to suggestions the Bavarian giants were willing to break the bank again, but Hainer believes the inflation in the market will have been stemmed by the proliferation of COVID-19.

Revenues have dried up for clubs across the world, with players at Bayern, Barcelona, Juventus and Atletico Madrid among those to take pay cuts while football is on hiatus.

Asked about the potential impact of the coronavirus crisis on transfer fees, Hainer told Bayern's 51 magazine: "As I said, although serious predictions are difficult to make, it's obvious there'll be changes. I agree with Uli Hoeness' assumption that transfer fees will decrease. That's just logical.

"When income decreases, there's less money in circulation. And given the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis on people's everyday lives, outrageous sums in the millions are even less justifiable than they already were.

"My hope is that more common sense will be applied here as well. I have to take my hat off to Hasan Salihamidzic and our sporting leadership. They're handling the coronavirus situation very well."

Bayern players agreed to a 20 per cent wage reduction during the Bundesliga suspension, which is scheduled to last until at least April 30.

Hainer acknowledged the situation has put clubs in precarious financial positions, but he is confident Bayern will be able to get through the crisis without "any major damage".

"Of course, the situation is very tense. It's about the existence of individual clubs. And even FC Bayern faces a major financial challenge – that's no secret," said Hainer.

"But our club is in an excellent position. We work day after day to ensure that FC Bayern can navigate through this phase without any major damage.

"Despite this immense task, we're looking to the future with confidence."

Lewandowski returned to full training this week after suffering knee ligament damage while away on international duty with Poland last month.

The striker missed both legs of Bayern's Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain as the defending champions were knocked out on away goals, while an extended absence hampered his chances of surpassing Gerd Muller's record tally of 40 league goals, achieved back in the 1971-72 season.

Sitting on 35 with just four games remaining, the 32-year-old is set to make his comeback when Flick's table-topping side visit Mainz on Saturday.

A win on the road will secure a ninth successive league crown and while Lewandowski is also so close to achieving personal glory, the team still comes first for Flick.

"I think we all agree that's his major goal," the Bayern boss told a news conference on Friday.

"He's going to be part of the squad, Leon Goretzka is going to be part of the squad, Serge Gnabry is probably going to be part of the squad. The squad is slowly but surely filling up again – we are returning to normal, which is good of course.

"It's important for us to win the championship - we want to do that as quickly as possible."

On Lewandowski's impending return, he added: "Don't forget that he was out for four weeks.

"He's in very good shape, he showed that in training, but we have to wait and see how he handles the training sessions and the comeback attempt, how his body reacts.

"Of course we will all try to support him, but first of all our focus and priority is the success of the team and the club."

Lewandowski was badly missed as Bayern scored just three goals from 45 shots and eight 'big chances' against PSG. In the 3-2 home defeat in the first leg, the German club's tally of 31 attempts were worth 3.8 expected goals (xG).

Out of Europe, the Bundesliga is the solitary focus for Flick and his squad - but the outgoing head coach expects in-form Mainz to make it difficult to get over the line.

"It's definitely a very deserved championship," he said. "We hope we can win it in Mainz, but we know that they are in really good shape, unbeaten in six games – four wins and two draws – and against some teams who are at the top as well.

"They are a team who are aggressive in defence and very compact. When they win possession, they transition very quickly. These are the things we have to be wary of."

Bayern fought back to record a 5-2 win against Mainz in the reverse fixture, making it the first time since 1988 - and just the fourth occasion overall - that the Bavarians had come back to triumph after being at least two goals down at half-time in the league.

Club president Herbert Hainer expressed regret at the decision from the European governing body, while stressing his club's continued commitment to supporting diversity.

UEFA expressed its own support and understood the gesture but proposed alternative dates for the stadium to be lit up, rather than on the day of the Hungary game.

Mayor of Munich Dieter Reiter asked UEFA for permission to illuminate the stadium in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

He made the request to European football's governing body after Hungary passed a law that prohibits the sharing of content in schools that could be deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change.

"We would have liked it if the Allianz Arena could have been lit up in rainbow colours on Wednesday," Hainer said on Tuesday in response to the UEFA decision.

"Open-mindedness and tolerance are fundamental values that our society and FC Bayern stand for.

"That is why FC Bayern has lit up its stadium in the colours of diversity, for example on Christopher Street Day, for several years."

In announcing the decision, UEFA stressed its own commitment to fighting against any form of discrimination.

"Racism, homophobia, sexism, and all forms of discrimination are a stain on our societies – and represent one of the biggest problems faced by the game today," read the release from UEFA.

"Discriminatory behaviour has marred both matches themselves and, outside the stadiums, the online discourse around the sport we love.

"However, UEFA, through its statutes, is a politically and religiously neutral organisation.

"Given the political context of this specific request – a message aiming at a decision taken by the Hungarian national parliament – UEFA must decline this request.

"UEFA has nevertheless proposed to the city of Munich to illuminate the stadium with the rainbow colours on either June 28 – the Christopher Street Liberation Day – or between July 3 and 9, which is the Christopher Street Day week in Munich."

Christopher Street Day is an annual European LGBTQ+ celebration and demonstration held in various cities across Europe, supporting the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton and tennis great Rafael Nadal are also in contention. Joshua Cheptegei and Armand Duplantis complete the male nominees.

Poland striker Lewandowski enjoyed a memorable 2020 for the German giants, with his impeccable performances helping Bayern to a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble. 

Across the top-five European leagues, no player could match Lewandowski's 45 goals scored in all competitions from January 1 to December 31 with Cristiano Ronaldo his nearest rival on 41.

In that 12-month period, only Barcelona great Lionel Messi (115) and Juventus superstar Ronaldo (85) registered more shots on target than Lewandowski's 83, while a shot-conversion rate of 34.09 was the fifth highest among players to score at least 20.

Reflecting his all-round contribution, Lewandowski recorded 12 assists in the calendar year, with team-mate Thomas Muller leading the way on an impressive 21. 

Unsurprisingly, Lewandowski won a fifth Torjagerkanone (awarded to the Bundesliga's top scorer) overall and a third in a row thanks to 34 Bundesliga goals in 2019-20, higher than an expected goals rate of 26.9. His 15 goals in the Champions League were also a competition high.

In a stacked deck, James is included after a year that saw him win a fourth career NBA title and first with the Lakers, while he also claimed a fourth Finals MVP award.

Across six games in the Lakers' 4-2 triumph over the Miami Heat, James averaged 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists, while he shot 59.1 per cent from the field and drained 41.7 per cent of three-point attempts.

Mercedes driver Hamilton won a seventh F1 drivers' title in 2020 to match the overall record of the legendary Michael Schumacher.

During another sensational season, the Briton reached 95 career race wins, which surpasses the previous benchmark of 91 set by Schumacher.

In a calendar year disrupted heavily by the coronavirus pandemic, Nadal still had personal reason to celebrate after winning a record-extending 13th French Open title.

His triumph at Roland Garros means he now stands alongside Roger Federer on 20 grand slams – the most achieved in the men's game.

Uganda's Cheptegei broke both 5,000 and 10,000 metres world records in 2020, while Duplantis of Sweden broke the indoor and outdoor pole vault record.

Tennis' global superstar Naomi Osaka is nominated for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award.

The Japanese was champion at the US Open in 2020, which took her career slam tally to three. She recently made that four by winning the first major of 2021 at the Australian Open.

Lyon captain Wendie Renard is in contention after helping her team to a fifth straight Women's Champions League title, while WNBA Finals MVP award winner Breanna Stewart is included after guiding the Seattle Storm to championship glory.

Cyclist Anna van der Breggen – who won both the road race and time trial at the World Championships – is up for the prize, as is skier Federica Brignone, the first Italian woman to win the overall World Cup.

Kenya's Brigid Kosgei completes the women's nominees after winning the rescheduled London Marathon by more than three minutes.

Bayern, the Lakers and Mercedes are all up for the World Team of the Year Award, as are Liverpool, who won a first English top-flight title in 30 years.

The Kansas City Chiefs make the list after winning a first Super Bowl since 1970, while Argentina's men's rugby team are nominated after earning a first ever win over three-time world champions New Zealand.

Patrick Mahomes' role in the Chiefs Super Bowl win earned him a nomination for the World Breakthrough of the Year Award, with Iga Swiatek up for the prize after winning the women's singles at the French Open aged 19, the youngest slam winner since 1990.

MotoGP world champion Joan Mir, Tour de France victor Tadej Pogacar, US Open male champion Dominic Thiem and prodigious Barcelona talent Ansu Fati complete that category.

Davies started his career as a winger but has been frequently deployed in defence due to long-term injuries for centre-backs Niklas Sule and Lucas Hernandez, the latter of whom can also play on the left side of a back four.

Following a string of impressive performances the 19-year-old Canada international was last week handed a two-year contract extension, meaning his deal at the Allianz Arena now runs until 2025.

Davies does not expect to be playing higher up the pitch again any time soon, though, and detailed how regular left-back David Alaba, who has been shifted into the centre of defence, has helped him adapt.

"I'm proud of my achievement but right now thinking about it, it's all because of the team I'm with," Davies said at a news conference on Tuesday.

"The team's playing well, everyone's playing well, and I also have a world-class left-back playing next to me helping me out as well. Having all those factors in place just makes it a lot more fun.

"I came out as a winger, I played as a winger a couple games. Right now, my main attribute is left-back, I'm enjoying the position. I'm enjoying every moment of it but in the future I still see myself as a left-back. I don't see it changing any time soon.

"Obviously David's been a top player for a long time, especially at the left-back position. Having him as my centre-back – he knows how to play at left-back, so I take feedback and advice from him.

"He helped me out a lot, keeping me in shape, keeping me where I'm supposed to be on the field, just giving me all the advice he got in his previous mentorship with whoever it was."

The Bundesliga has been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic since March 13 but could return as soon as May 9 with games behind closed doors.

Davies, whose primary focus during the hiatus has been learning German, is not against playing in empty stadiums in the circumstances

"If it happens it's going to be different. The fans are part of us but it's for the safety of everyone I guess, so I don't really mind it," he said.

Having scored 30 goals and assisted 11 in 60 Pro League appearances for Gent, Davies' international team-mate Jonathan David has been linked with a move to Bayern, Inter, Arsenal and others.

Davies has no doubt David would be able to translate that form to the Bundesliga.

"Jonathan David has a lot of qualities, as you can tell in the Belgian league he's been scoring and assisting," said Davies.

"I think if he moved over here it'd be no problem for him to play at this level. Having him on the men's national team as well is a great honour for me to play with him."

Kimmich had netted the winner in each of the sides' previous two meetings, clinching a vital Bundesliga victory last term and then settling September's DFL-Supercup final.

But the latest clash between Germany's two biggest clubs ended in markedly less impressive fashion for the versatile midfielder.

Kimmich sought to atone for a loose touch just inside the Dortmund half 10 minutes before the break but was beaten to the ball by Haaland, swiping wildly at the forward.

Haaland stayed on his feet, although the attack soon petered out before attention returned to the still prone Kimmich.

He was booked for the challenge, which might have earned a red card had it been closer to the Bayern goal, but it quickly became clear his outing would end regardless.

Kimmich appeared in real pain as he was belatedly lifted to his feet by medical staff and helped off the pitch to be replaced by Corentin Tolisso.

Bayern were drawing 1-1 at the interval after goals late in the first half from Marco Reus and David Alaba.

The Bayern Munich striker was one of three finalists, along with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, ahead of Thursday's awards ceremony.

Messi, the 2019 winner, and Ronaldo had claimed the top prize in three of its four prior editions but were this time beaten by Bayern's treble-winner.

Lewandowski led the line as the Bundesliga giants won the league, DFB-Pokal and Champions League in 2019-20.

Between July 20, 2019 and October 7, 2020 - the period considered for this year's awards - the Poland international scored a stunning 60 club goals at a rate of one every 76 minutes.

This tally, from 52 Bayern appearances, was 20 more than any other player in Europe's 'top five' leagues.

While Ronaldo was second in this regard, tied with Ciro Immobile on 40 goals, Messi trailed Romelu Lukaku (37), Timo Werner (35) and Raheem Sterling (34).

The Barcelona captain's 32 goals were matched by Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe.

FIFA recognition is particularly precious for Lewandowski this year after the coronavirus pandemic prompted the Ballon d'Or to be cancelled in the best season of his career.

Lewandowski had never previously won either award, although he was the UEFA Men's Player of the Year last season, making him the clear favourite here ahead of Messi and Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will do battle in the 2020/21 Champions League after Barcelona and Juventus were drawn in the same group.

Joshua Kimmich was sent off after just four minutes, but red cards for Klaus Gjasula and Matej Maglica ensured the hosts had the man advantage at the break, the first time three men have ever been sent off in the first half of a German top-flight encounter.

Kane broke the deadlock six minutes after the restart but it was his second goal, a magnificent effort from inside his own half, that was the highlight of a contest that also saw him pick up an assist on the first of two goals for Jamal Musiala before striking in his 12th goal from nine matches of this still-new Bundesliga season.

Leroy Sane, who set up Kane’s third, scored two of his own while Thomas Muller also contributed to the heaviest defeat in the visitors’ history.

Things got off to a dramatic start when Kimmich brought down Marvin Mehlem at the edge of the area and was shown a straight red, deemed to have prevented the visitors from a clear goal-scoring opportunity after just four minutes.

Bayern were initially awarded a penalty after Gjasula was judged to have tripped Konrad Laimer, but on review referee Martin Petersen overturned his decision, determining Gjasula was the last man and the incident occurred outside the penalty area – resulting in the Albanian’s 21st-minute dismissal and a free-kick for the hosts.

Darmstadt were holding their own against the Bundesliga title-holders in the 10-v-10, even holding the shot advantage through the first 37 minutes, but became the architects of their own undoing when Maglica caught up with Kane in nearly the exact same spot as the previous red-card incident.

The outcome was also the same though the visitors, down to nine men, were able to sustain the deadlock to half-time despite threats from Kane and Sane, who had a  goal chalked off for offside.

It was a different story after the restart when Kane broke the deadlock with a diving header to open the scoring six minutes into the second half, five minutes before Sane tapped home Laimer’s cross from six yards.

Then it was Musiala’s turn, extending to the advantage to 3-0 with an assist from Kane and throwing open the floodgates in the process as Sane bagged his brace with an 18-yard strike past Schuhen four minutes later.

Then came Kane’s piece de resistance, a world-class strike from just beyond the halfway line, sending Marcel Schuhen on a futile scramble as he watched the ball touch down in the back of his net.

https://x.com/FCBayernEN/status/1718281482190438463?s=20

Muller made it six with his first goal of the season before Musiala slotted past Schuhen for Bayern’s seventh, and while the Darmstadt keeper made a few good saves, desperate not to see his side lose by double-digits, he could not keep out Kane.

The England captain, hungry for more, latched into a perfect pass from Sane to complete his hat-trick and relentless Bayern’s second-half rout.

The first of Europe's top five leagues to resume amid the coronavirus pandemic, Germany's top flight gets back under way on Saturday.

Bayern could see their advantage at the summit cut to just one point if Borussia Dortmund beat rivals Schalke.

Hansi Flick's side are then involved in one of two Sunday matches - before another follows on Monday.

With the help of Opta, we take a look at the key numbers from the final three fixtures of this matchweek.
 

Cologne v Mainz

8 - Mainz have not won on any of their eight Bundesliga trips to Cologne (D4 L4). They have not faced any other side away in the top flight as often without winning. Meanwhile, only against Eintracht Braunschweig (20 games) do Cologne have a better unbeaten home Bundesliga record.

24 - Cologne have won eight of their past 11 league games, losing only to leaders Bayern, second-placed Dortmund and fourth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach. Since matchweek 15, they have collected 24 points - trailing only Bayern (31) and BVB (25).

7 - January loan signing Mark Uth has been involved in at least one goal in each of his first seven league games for Cologne (four goals, four assists).
 

Union Berlin v Bayern Munich

2 - These sides are meeting in a competitive match for just the second time. Their first clash earlier this season ended in a 2-1 Bayern win in Munich.

1866 - Bayern will play their 1866th Bundesliga match, moving level with Hamburg in the all-time list. Only Werder Bremen (1890) have been involved in more top-flight games.

4 - The defending champions have a four-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga table for the first time this season. They have never thrown away an advantage this big this late in a season.

3 - Bayern have scored at least three times in each of their past five away league matches, setting a Bundesliga record.

73 - Flick's outfit have 73 goals in their first 25 league games this term. Only Bayern themselves in 1973-74 and 2013-14 (both 24) have topped that tally at this stage of a campaign.

5 - Union have five wins in their past eight home league games, keeping a clean sheet in each of these victories. However, Sunday's hosts have conceded three or more goals in four of their eight matches since the Bundesliga's mid-season break.
 

Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen

62 - Leverkusen have scored more away Bundesliga goals at Werder than they have against any other side.

6 - Bremen have lost their six most recent Bundesliga home games, failing to score in each of their past five at home - setting a pair of unwanted club top-flight records.

21 - Werder have dropped more points from winning positions than any other side in the Bundesliga this season.

19 - Bayer have 19 points from their eight matches since the mid-season break, their joint-best ever start to a Ruckrunde (also 19 points from eight games in 1999-2000).

After the German government on Wednesday granted permission for the top two tiers to return behind closed doors, DFL chief executive Christian Seifert confirmed games will get back under way on May 16.

The Revierderby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke will headline the first group of matches, while league leaders Bayern Munich are in action next Sunday and Bayer Leverkusen will travel to Werder Bremen the following day.

The rest of the Bundesliga season has also been mapped out, with the eight rounds of fixtures – and Werder's game in hand against Eintracht Frankfurt – to be contested before the final day on June 27.

Matchday 26 (all times local):
May 16 – 15:30: Borussia Dortmund v Schalke
May 16 – 15:30: RB Leipzig v Freiburg
May 16 – 15:30: Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin
May 16 – 15:30: Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn
May 16 – 15:30: Augsburg v Wolfsburg
May 16 – 18:30: Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach
May 17 – 15:30: Cologne v Mainz
May 17 – 18:00: Union Berlin v Bayern Munich
May 18 – 20:30: Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen

Matchday 27 (from May 22-24):
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin
Mainz v RB Leipzig
Freiburg v Werder Bremen
Schalke v Augsburg
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf
Paderborn v Hoffenheim

Matchday 28 (May 26-27):
Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich
RB Leipzig v Hertha Berlin
Bayer Leverkusen v Wolfsburg
Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg
Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach
Hoffenheim v Cologne
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Schalke
Augsburg v Paderborn
Union Berlin v Mainz

Matchday 29 (May 29-June 1):
Bayern Munich v Fortuna Dusseldorf
Borussia Monchengladbach v Union Berlin
Wolfsburg v Eintracht Frankfurt
Hertha Berlin v Augsburg
Mainz v Hoffenheim
Freiburg v Bayer Leverkusen
Schalke v Werder Bremen
Cologne v RB Leipzig
Paderborn v Borussia Dortmund

Matchday 24 (June 2/3):
Werder Bremen v Eintracht Frankfurt

Matchday 30 (June 5-8):
Borussia Dortmund v Hertha Berlin
RB Leipzig v Paderborn
Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich
Eintracht Frankfurt v Mainz
Werder Bremen v Wolfsburg
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Hoffenheim
Freiburg v Borussia Monchengladbach
Augsburg v Cologne
Union Berlin v Schalke

Matchday 31 (June 12-14):
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach
Wolfsburg v Freiburg
Hoffenheim v RB Leipzig
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund
Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt
Mainz v Augsburg
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen
Cologne v Union Berlin
Paderborn v Werder Bremen

Matchday 32 (June 16-17):
Borussia Dortmund v Mainz
RB Leipzig v Fortuna Dusseldorf
Bayer Leverkusen v Cologne
Borussia Monchengladbach v Wolfsburg
Eintracht Frankfurt v Schalke
Werder Bremen v Bayern Munich
Freiburg v Hertha Berlin
Augsburg v Hoffenheim
Union Berlin v Paderborn

Matchday 33 (all at 15:30 local time on June 20):
Bayern Munich v Freiburg
RB Leipzig v Borussia Dortmund
Hoffenheim v Union Berlin
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Augsburg
Hertha Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen
Mainz v Werder Bremen
Schalke v Wolfsburg
Cologne v Eintracht Frankfurt
Paderborn v Borussia Monchengladbach

Matchday 34 (all at 15:30 local time on June 27):
Borussia Dortmund v Hoffenheim
Bayer Leverkusen v Mainz
Borussia Monchengladbach v Hertha Berlin
Wolfsburg v Bayern Munich
Eintracht Frankfurt v Paderborn
Werder Bremen v Cologne
Freiburg v Schalke
Augsburg v RB Leipzig
Union Berlin v Fortuna Dusseldorf

Fresh from his move to Camp Nou in the transfer window, Lewandowski will return to familiar surroundings with Barcelona and Bayern Munich – who boast 11 Champions League titles between them – drawn in a tough Group C along with Inter.

And another reunion will see Haaland come up against Borussia Dortmund, whom he left to join Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. They find themselves in Group G alongside Sevilla and Copenhagen.

Another heavyweight clash will take place in Group H, with Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus set to lock horns.

Further matches have been postponed while others appear unable to go ahead due to increased travel restrictions between affected countries.

Governing bodies are also taking steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by cancelling planned meetings, while others are calling for further changes to the calendar.

Here are some of the latest events to be impacted.

Football's governing body has decided to cancel the next FIFA Congress in Addis Ababa on June 5. It has also pushed back the coming FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, due to be on March 20, until June or July. Attendees may be required to join via a video link.

In France, the Coupe de la Ligue final on April 4 between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon has been postponed. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) said a new date would be announced in due course. It means the PSG-Metz and Lyon-Nimes Ligue 1 matches will be moved to the weekend of April 4-5 but be held behind closed doors. PSG will have Kylian Mbappe available against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, though: the striker is in the squad after overcoming illness, with L'Equipe among those to report he had tested negative for coronavirus.

Germany has seen the first confirmed instance of a footballer contracting coronavirus. Hannover defender Timo Hubers has tested positive but been praised by the club for his "absolutely exemplary" behaviour, as he immediately self-isolated before coming into contact with the rest of the squad.

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich will face Union Berlin on Saturday behind closed doors, and the latter's derby with Hertha Berlin on March 21 will take place under the same circumstances. Borussia Monchengladbach have urged fans not to gather outside the stadium ahead of Wednesday's match with Cologne.

FIFPro, the footballers' union, has urged governing bodies across the world "to respect the wishes of players to take short-term precautionary measures including suspending training or competitions". Steps are certainly being taken in Spain, where the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has recommended football at all levels beneath the top two professional leagues to be called off for two weeks. The RFEF will reportedly meet with league officials to discuss similar proposals for LaLiga and the Segunda Division.

Meanwhile, Roma's match with Sevilla in the Europa League last 16 on Thursday is off after the Italian club confirmed they had not been given permission by the government to fly to Andalusia. Getafe had already refused to travel for their game with Inter in Italy.

The big news in Englandwas that Manchester City versus Arsenal was called off as a precaution after the Gunners came into contact with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, who announced on Tuesday that he had caught the disease. In general, though, the UKhas not been following the same stringent protocols as some other European nations and that is continuing for now. Arsenal's match with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday has not been called off, while England's planned friendlies at Wembley this month against Italy and Denmark are, at present, going ahead. Forest have also confirmed all players and staff have tested negative for coronavirus.

In Scotland, Rangers boss Steven Gerrard says the domestic season must be completed, even if behind closed doors, "because people have earned the opportunity to get to the stage where everyone is at". League chief executive Neil Doncaster claimed last week that completing the Premiership season could become "very difficult".

The England and Wales Cricket Board has told supporters "to maintain good levels of hygiene" during England's tour of Sri Lanka. As a precaution, players and staff have been told to avoid casual interaction with fans, such as selfies and autographs.

In Bangladesh, the World XI v Asia XI matches that would have marked the birthday celebrations of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman have been postponed, while the Indian Open has been called off following a consultation between the Indian Golf Union, the European Tour, the Asian Tour and tournament sponsors.

MotoGP has also announced that the ArgentinaGrand Prix has been moved to November. The opening race of the season in Qatar and the Grand Prix of the Americas have already been rescheduled.