Bayern clinch another Bundesliga title

MUNICH, Germany (AP):

Bayern Munich clinched another Bundesliga title yesterday by easing to a 4-2 win over Stuttgart.

Harry Kane scored his league-leading 32nd goal of the season after going on as a second-half substitute, and Bayern should have scored more against the overwhelmed Stuttgart defence.

The win moved Bayern an unassailable 15 points clear of second-place Borussia Dortmund with four rounds of the German league remaining. Bayern only needed a point to be sure of the title after Dortmund's defeat to Hoffenheim the day before.

It's Bayern's record-extending 35th German championship including the first for the club in 1932. Every other title came after the Bundesliga's formation in 1963.

Stuttgart's Chris Fuhrich had riled the home team with the opener in the 21st minute, but Bayern's Raphael Guerreiro, Nicolas Jackson and Alphonso Davies replied by scoring in a six-minute spell in the first half.

COCKATOO CELEBRATIONS

Bayern's players lined up wearing cockatoo T-shirts in front of the fans, but there were none of the traditional beer showers that usually accompany league wins.

The Bundesliga is just the first in a potential treble of trophies for Bayern this season. The Bavarian powerhouse faces Bayer Leverkusen away for their German Cup semi-final on Wednesday, and then they have a two-legged Champions League semi-final tie against defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.

"It's not - hopefully not - the last title," Bayern president Herbert Hainer said. "Because we'll definitely win our fourth consecutive German championship with the women's team, and we're in the cup final with the women. And I hope that we can wrap everything up on Wednesday so that we can then travel to Berlin (for the cup final) with the men."

MUTED ATMOSPHERE

The atmosphere was muted at the start of the game. There were reports of a clash between Bayern and Stuttgart fans before the match.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany rotated his squad with eight changes to the team that started against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Manuel Neuer, Kane, Michael Olise, Dayot Upamecano and Aleksandar Pavlovic on the bench.

Serge Gnabry was out with a thigh injury sustained in training the day before.

The 23-year-old Jamal Musiala became the second youngest Bayern player to reach 150 Bundesliga appearances after Uli Hoeness, who was 11 days younger, according to stats provider Opta.