Bundesliga Roundup: Muller Breaks Record with 710th Game for Bayern, Heidenheim Tops Table
Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller achieved a milestone on Sunday, becoming the German club's all-time leader in appearances with his 710th match. Bayern defeated Freiburg 2-0 at home, with Muller scoring in the 77th minute after coming off the bench in the 59th minute. The goal came from a Serge Gnabry assist, with Muller's shot evading Freiburg goalkeeper Florian Muller.
Muller surpassed former goalkeeper Sepp Maier to claim the top spot on Bayern's all-time appearance list. Muller remarked, “Records don't matter that much to me ... more important is that today I could score a pretty nice goal - one which was technically outstanding.”
Harry Kane scored Bayern's opening goal with a penalty in the 38th minute, awarded after a VAR review showed the ball struck Freiburg captain Christian Gunter's arm. Gunter criticized the decision, stating, “When you jump, of course your arms go up - if that's handball, I'll stop playing because it's nonsense. Maybe the German FA can start teaching us to jump without our arms.”
Kane's goal was his first of the league season. He was honored for topping the Bundesliga goal-scoring charts last season with 36 goals. In stoppage time, Joao Palhinha committed a handball, leading to a penalty for Freiburg, but Lucas Holer missed the spot-kick.
Post-match, Muller celebrated with Bayern's ultras, giving away his boots and encouraging them to work hard for the season ahead. The win marked Vincent Kompany's third victory in as many games as Bayern's manager. Kompany, who played against Muller in his debut match in 2008, praised Muller's longevity and dedication.
Freiburg remains winless at Bayern, with their record now standing at 25 games without a league victory at the venue since 1993.
In other Bundesliga news, Heidenheim climbed to the top of the table following a 4-0 win over Augsburg. Teenage Bayern loanee Paul Wanner scored a penalty and provided an assist. Wanner, who is 18, became the youngest player to convert a penalty in Bundesliga history. He also set up a goal for Adrian Beck, with Leo Scienza and Maximilian Breunig also scoring.
Heidenheim, promoted to the top division last season, will host Chelsea in the Conference League in November as part of their European debut. Wanner contributed to Heidenheim's Conference League play-off victory over Hacken with a goal and an assist.
Heidenheim's win, combined with RB Leipzig's 3-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen, has placed them ahead of Bayern and Leipzig on goal difference. This result marks Leipzig's first league loss in 35 matches since May 2023.
