Late Ribery winner grabs Bayern victory over Leipzig

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Franck Ribery scored the 83rd-minute winner as champions Bayern Munich beat RB Leipzig 1-0 on Wednesday to cut the gap to Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund to six points with one game remaining before the winter break.

The 35-year-old French winger, who is his last season in Munich, had come on for the injured Serge Gnabry midway through the first half.

Ribery shook off two markers and fired in from 10 meters to break the deadlock as Bayern notched their fourth consecutive league win.

"You could tell this was a very important game," said Bayern forward Thomas Mueller. "We would have liked to have a bit more flowing game, and we also made mistakes with possession. But we had the better goal chances, so overall it was a deserved victory. At the end of the day, we won the game, and we are back in the mix."

Schalke's German midfielder Daniel Caligiuri (R) and Leverkusen's Jamaican midfielder Leon Bailey vie for the ball during the game between FC Schalke 04 and Bayer Leverkusen, December 19, 2018. /VCG Photo

Bayern, back to winning ways after a dip in form earlier in the campaign, are third in the table on 33 points, behind second-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach, who were 2-0 winners against Nuremberg on Tuesday, on goal difference.

Dortmund, who suffered their first league defeat of the season on Tuesday after losing 2-1 at promoted Fortuna Duesseldorf, is on 39. Leipzig is fourth on 28.

Meanwhile, last season's runners-up, Schalke 04, slumped to a 2-1 home defeat by Bayer Leverkusen. The Royal Blues are now just a point above the relegation playoff spot.

Source(s): Reuters