Wolfsburg 1-2 Bayern Munich: Jamal Musiala and Harry Kane on target to keep Bayern second in Bundesliga

Harry Kane scored his 21st of the season as Bayern Munich won their last game before the Bundesliga Christmas break at Wolfsburg.

Jamal Musiala opened the scoring with a header as he powered home Thomas Muller’s in-swinging cross from the left flank, just a minute after the veteran had hit the woodwork himself from an Alphonso Davies centre.

Two minutes before the break, Kane curled home a brilliant second, taking a square ball from Muller 25 yards from goal and leaving Koen Casteels with no chance.

It seemed like Bayern had the game virtually won before the break, but Wolfsburg skipper Maximilian Arnold scored with an even better strike than Kane’s bending a ball with the outside of his left foot past Manuel Neuer from 25 yards.

The hosts did not threaten lately during the second half but another Arnold piledriver in injury-time made Neuer parry awkwardly to safety.

Wolfsburg go into the winter break in 10th position.

Unsurprisingly, and as Thomas Muller himself predicted, Harry Kane’s arrival in Munich meant the Raumdeuter’s time as a definite starter at his only club was numbered. The injuries to Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry meant Thomas Tuchel was forced to play them both in the last two games and they have a wonderful knack of finding each other on the field – and seeing them laughing together as they left the field it is clear like with Son Heung-Min at Tottenham, the relationship is sound off the field too.

There are not too many forward partnerships where both players could euphemistically be described as having the first five yards in their head, meaning the movement of their feet is less swift. But with Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala smart and sharp runners with and without the ball and both full-backs making explosive bursts down the flanks it feels Bayern can get away having two generals in the forward third giving Tuchel his best combination for the second half of the season.

He will look forward to his Christmas break now back in London after another fine display in a Bayern shirt. There seems little difference between the way play runs through him in a similar way to how it did at Tottenham.

There was an eye-catching moment when he dropped into midfield and found Muller with a perfect pass inside the penalty area which illustrated this.

It is hard to go past his goal record talking about his four months in Munich, but top goalscorers can burst on the scene and score a glut of goals, albeit not usually as many as him, but the fundamental part of the Bayern fabric he is already is just as impressive.

Wolfsburg: Casteels 7; Bornauw 6, Jenz 7, Zesiger 5, Buku 6, Svanberg 6m Vrackx, Arnold 8, Maehle 7; Wind 6, Majer 6. Subs: Rogerio 7, Cerny 6, Tomas 5, Paredes 6.

Bayern: Neuer 7; Laimer 7, Upamecano 7, Kim Min-jae 6, Davies 6; Pavlovic 6, Guerreiro 6; Sane 6, Muller 7, Musiala 7; Kane 8. Subs: Ligt 6, Choupo-Moting.

28′ BAYERN SO CLOSE! Sane drove into the box and played a ball towards the back post where Muller twice, with his thigh and then left foot, couldn’t quite get a shot on target. He then pulled back to the edge of the box where Gurreiro shoots just wide with his left foot.

31′OFF THE BAR! They are knocking firmly on the door. Davies swings in a cross from the left which Muller meets with a header which smacks again the angle of bar and post.

33′GOAL FOR BAYERN! Not the source we expected. Muller crossed in a perfect inswinger with his left foot, nothing unusual there, but even Musiala is shocked he met it with a bullet header leaving Casteels with no chance,

43′ GOAL FOR BAYERN! Kane gets his 21st goal of the season. Muller squares the ball to him 25 yards from goal and the England captain, with time to line it up, does the rest curling the ball into the top right hand corner.

45+1′GOAL FOR WOLFSBURG! And a brilliant one. An even better strike than Kane’s. The Wolfsburg skipper Arnold received a ball five yards out from the left edge of the area and struck a brilliant effort with the outside of his left foot, bending just inside the post giving Neuer no chance.

58′LOVELY RUN INTO THE BOX FROM RODRIGO! He beats Laimer and Pavlovic before driving in a cross which Neuer clears with his boot. The ball only reaches Tomas outside the area and he also charges into the box shooting just wide of the target.

90′ ARNOLD HAD NEUER PANICKING! He beat the legendary keeper earlier tonight and another fizzer from long range had the stopper parrying away awkwardly, despite the shot being straight at him.