Late Lewandowski penalty saves below-par Bayern Munich

BERLIN: A late Robert Lewandowski penalty spared Bayern Munich after a below-par performance in a 1-0 home win over Augsburg on Saturday, three days before their crucial Champions League tie against Villarreal.

Bayern struggled at the Allianz Arena until a handball by Augsburg defender Reece Oxford resulted in the penalty which Lewandowski tucked away eight minutes from time.

Bayern host Villarreal on Tuesday in their Champions League quarter-final second leg, having lost the first match 1-0 away last Wednesday.

“The first half was not good from us,” said Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka. “The intensity was missing.

“We will have to improve on Tuesday — and that’s what we will do.”

The win edged Bayern closer to a 10th straight league title, extending their runaway lead to nine points over second-placed Borussia Dortmund who beat Stuttgart 2-0 on Friday.

Lewandowski has netted 32 league goals this season, leaving him poised to be the Bundesliga top-scorer for the fifth consecutive campaign.

Thomas Mueller reached the milestone of 300 Bundesliga wins, a record for a player at a single club.

Joshua Kimmich chalked up his 150th Bundesliga victory in just 196 games, equalling Arjen Robben’s record.

Yet the milestone stats failed to disguise Bayern’s poor display.

In the wake of Wednesday’s first-leg defeat at Villarreal, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said he had no more “tolerance for wobbles and slip-ups”.