Bayern Munich on brink of eighth straight Bundesliga title after Leon Goretzka strikes late winner

A 2-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach means the defending champions can seal the title on Tuesday

Leon Goretzka, front, celebrates after scoring Bayern Munich's second goal against Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga on Saturday June 13. Getty

Bayern's David Alaba, centre, and Monchengladbach's Patrick Herrmann, left, challenge for the ball. AP

Joshua Zirkzee, second from left, celebrates with teammates after he scores the opening goal for Bayern Munich against Borussia Monchengladbach. AP

Joshua Zirkzee celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Borussia Monchengladbach. AP

Bayern's Benjamin Pavard, right, scores an own goal past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. AP

Bayern Munich's Mickael Cuisance is challenged by Christoph Kramer of Borussia Monchengladbach. EPA

Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer reacts after conceding the equaliser against Borussia Monchengladbach. EPA

Benjamin Pavard of Bayern Munich is challenged by Ramy Bensebaini of Borussia Monchengladbach. EPA

Bayern Munich's Serge Gnabry in action with Borussia Monchengladbach's Florian Neuhaus and Ramy Bensebaini. Reutes

Benjamin Pavard goes for a header against Borussia Monchengladbach. EPA

Bayern Munich's Serge Gnabry in action with Monchengladbach's Nico Elvedi. Reuters

Serge Gnabry of Bayern Munich is challenged by Tony Jantschke of Borussia Monchengladbach. EPA

Serge Gnabry reacts during the Bundesliga match against Borussia Monchengladbach. AFP

Hans-Dieter Flick, manager of Bayern Munich, gives his team instructions. EPA

Tuesday could be coronation day for Bayern Munich. Seven points clear with three games to go, they are on the brink of sealing their eighth successive Bundesliga title.

Borussia Monchengladbach remain the last team to have beaten Bayern but that was in December. Their 22 subsequent games have produced 21 wins, the most recent sealed in dramatic, redemptive fashion. Benjamin Pavard had scored the own goal that seemed to have given Borussia a boost in their bid for Champions League football. Instead, they could lose fourth place to Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.

Borussia were set for a surprise draw until Pavard supplied an inviting cross and Leon Goretzka ghosted in unmarked to supply the precise finish. The midfielder scored for the second successive Saturday and Bayern, lacking the Bundesliga's leading scorer and assister, found a way to win.

They were deprived of the suspended Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller and if they were less menacing without either, it was nevertheless true that the Pole’s understudy did score.

Joshua Zirkzee showed the quality of his finishing on a rare start. The 19-year-old Dutchman showed his composure to find an empty net from 20 yards after a dreadful, miscued pass from Yann Sommer.

Yet Bayern, with only Serge Gnabry of the first-choice front four beginning the game, were not at their most fluent. Philippe Coutinho, Corentin Tolisso and Thiago Alcantara were also among the sidelined and even a club with their galaxy of talent took a risk by benching Kingsley Coman and Alphonso Davies for an hour.

Monchengladbach are entitled to fell they merited a draw for a fine display, especially as absentees were not confined to Hansi Flick’s ranks. Marco Rose was without the suspended Alassane Plea. His other potent forward, Marcus Thuram, soon hobbled off.

Yet his replacement Breel Embolo added incision. He showed an ability to pierce Bayern’s defence, who adopted a high line. When the substitute played his first incisive pass, Jonas Hofmann made the run from midfield and supplied an assured finish, but he was fractionally offside. Creator ought to have been scorer. When Manuel Neuer made a brilliant save to deny Embolo, the Swiss somehow missed the simplest of chances from the rebound.

If there was some fortune in Borussia’s goal, they merited it. Pavard slid in to meet Patrick Herrmann’s cross and only succeeded in beating Neuer. Embolo was the winger’s supplier and theirs was a threatening partnership; Neuer twice saved well from Herrmann after Embolo released him.  It was no surprise when Lucas Hernandez, who struggled against Herrmann, was removed.

The World Cup winner almost made an impact at the other end. He had a wonderful chance but Sommer made a superb save, only to undo that fine work by gifting Zirkzee with a goal minutes later.

It was a swift transition from saviour to blunderer but while Sommer denied Gnabry in the second half, but there was nothing he could do when Goretzka struck. Win at Werder Bremen on Tuesday and, for the eighth successive year, Bayern are champions.