Bundesliga: Lewandowski delivers for Bayern vs. Wolfsburg

Bayern Munich 2-1 Wolfsburg, Allianz Arena
(Lewandowski 45+1, 50' — Philipp 5')

In the week that Robert Lewandowski might also be named Ballon d'Or winner, the Polish striker delivered a timely reminder of just how good he has become.

In a first half that largely passed him and Bayern Munich by it was Lewandowski who rose to equalize with virtually the last touch of the first 45 minutes. Four minutes into the second half, it was Lewandowski who kept his head to put Bayern ahead.

Five years on from his famous five-goal cameo against Wolfsburg, Lewandowski delighted in facing the team in fluorescent green once again. This time it wasn't five goals, but two took his season tally to 15 and his career Bundesliga tally beyond 250.

""As a striker, you always have to be egoistic," Lewandowski joked afterwards.

That is what the best players in the world can do, they deliver for your team even when it's not playing well - and for large parts of this game Bayern were not.

In form, Wolfsburg's early confidence was as impressive as Maximilian Philipp's acrobatic opener. The goal put Bayern 1-0 down for the six straight game in the Bundesliga.

"We didn't play perfect football in the first half but in the second half we were more consistent," Lewandowski said afterwards. "But Wolfsburg played well."

That stat speaks to how tired Bayern are, but also how open their defense has been of late. Bayern were too distant, and were it not for David Alaba's thigh, Philipp would have had a similarly stunning strike. It's not just going a goal down, but rather starting slowly that is a problem for Bayern. While they haven't lost any of those six games they've conceded first, but they have drawn three of them. For Bayern that is unheard of.

Chance missed

So is defeat for Wolfsburg. Before tonight, they were one of two undefeated sides in the Bundesliga and for the first quarter of an hour they looked set to keep that record intact. They were unafraid and took the game to Bayern.

A second goal might have done it. Reaching halftime without conceding would have helped, but given that after Wolfsburg, Bayern have secured the most points from a losing position there was always a feeling that the hosts were going to have their chances.

Lewandowski was denied, so was Gnabry and Leroy Sané failed to do more with his promising runs. In the end though, Lewandowski found a way.

Summoning a second wind, Wolfsburg tried to do the same. Hansi Flick's decision to play Niklas Süle at right back to stem a flowing Wolfsburg left side had largely worked but as Wolfsburg came again Süle started to tire. Jerome Roussillon's cross ended in Manuel Neuer's hands and the keeper barked at his defender, "Nikki, you have to sprint towards him."

The next time he did sprint it was towards Neuer. With six minutes left in the game, Neuer made one of the greatest saves in his career to deny Bartosz Bialek a goal that he probably scores past any other Bundesliga keeper. By the end of the game, Neuer had done just as much as Lewandowski to make sure this win was Bayern's.

With Wolfsburg beaten, Bayern now turn their attention to the other undefeated side: Leverkusen. Another win on the weekend will see Bayern deliver their fans the one present they want: top spot in the Bundesliga for Christmas.