Bundesliga: Zirkzee gives Bayern fairytale finish to 2019

Bayern Munich 2-0 Wolfsburg
(Zirkzee 86', Gnabry 89')

Bayern Munich winning games late is not a new phenomenon, but 18-year-old striker Joshua Zirkzee being the man to spark those victories is.

In the club's last game of the decade, Bayern were largely uninspired. Wolfsburg stayed in the game thanks to a strong performance by goalkeeper Koen Casteels, although might have stolen a goal had Felix Klaus found a way past Manuel Neuer in the first half.

He didn't, and the longer the game went on the more inevitable a late winner felt. Bayern were not dominant, but their threat always felt more likely to be realized. With Robert Lewandowski not able to score one, let alone five in nine minutes, Bayern lacked quality in the final third. Just 150 seconds after coming on, Zirkzee connected with Thomas Müller's cross just ahead of Serge Gnabry and the contest was over. There was time for Gnabry to add a second, just as was the case against Freiburg in midweek, as Bayern finished the year three points ahead of Borussia Dortmund.

As it happened:

FULL TIME

In a somewhat tepid affair, Bayern left it late but were once again saved by teenage striker Joshua Zirkzee. The win was probably what the home side deserved, but they wouldn't have been able to do too much complaining had it ended in a draw. Harsh on Koen Casteels, who had a stellar day but could do nothing about the goals.

90' Time for Gnabry to get the applause he deserves. Leon Dajaku, another teenager striker from Bayern's second team, comes on to grab some Bundesliga air.

89' GOAL! 2-0 Bayern (Gnabry) It's Freiburg all over again. Pavard sends a fantastic long ball forward that Lewandowski somehow heads down perfectly into the path of Gnabry, who finds the bottom corner. It's late, but it's great again for Bayern.

86' GOAL! 1-0 Bayern Munich (Zirkzee) Football eh? Merry Christmas young man. A cross from Müller finally ends up at the feet of a Bayern player, and of course it's Joshua Zirkzee who slams home. The teenager gets to the ball just before Gnabry, and sends a low strike underneath Casteels. On the pitch for 150 seconds.

85' Müller swings in one of the great crosses, but it's cleared. Truly wonderful curl on that. Bayern sitting in Wolfsburg's half now.

83' Coutinho comes off, Zirkzee is on. Can the the 18-year-old save Bayern for the second time in four days? He doesn't have long. 

81' CHANCE! Arnold's shot from the edge of the box is deflected wide, but only just. So close! Weghorst gets to the corner, but heads it wide. Looks like Zirkzee is coming on again.

79' The sound of collective surprise rings around the Allianz Arena. RB Leipzig are ahead now, and given the goal difference that means they're likely going to be Herbstmeister (autumn champions).

76' Christian Dingert might have missed this one. Arnold, on a yellow, leaves a trailing leg for Gnabry but Dingert waves play on. Then he books Müller for a tug on the shoulder. One of those decisions was right. Wout Weghorst is on (Klaus off). Some late drama from the Dutchman perhaps?

74' Errant passes from the back have seen this game drift into the final quarter of an hour. If Wolfsburg want three points, now is the time to strike. If Bayern want the victory, now is the time to wake up.

68' Seconds after coming on, Paulo Otavio gets booked for a high foot on Pavard. The Wolves' second change of the day, with Gerhardt coming on for Schalger earlier. Still no changes, other than the injury-enforced one, for Bayern. Need another winner? Zirkzee is on the bench after all...

65' We enter the last 25 minutes of Bayern Munich in this decade. No grand finale, so far though.

60' CHANCE! Bayen look certain to score when Davies, who has been outstanding again, hangs up a cross for Müller but then Roussillon comes out of nowhere to make a brilliant clearing header, taking the ball away from Müller. Wolfsburg want a point here.

53' SAVE! Casteels really is keeping Wolfsburg in the game you know. After Wolfsburg mess around in Bayern's half without really making the most of it, Coutinho gets a curling effort away but Casteels makes an incredible stop, reaching up to his left.

47' CHANCE! Roussillon squares the ball into the box but it's just beyond Victor, who had the goal at his mercy. Goodness me! What a restart that would have been. Then Kimmich gets booked for a high foot. Certainly a lively start!

46' Bayern get us restarted. Right, let's have something exciting please lads.

HALFTIME

The first half ends on a sour note. Javi Martinez, without any contact, looks to have injured himself and is being helped off the pitch. Not sure, but he looks in pain. Maybe knee? Nice piece of play from Arnold, who gives it back to Bayern rather than use the corner. Boateng comes on. Bayern the more likely to be in the lead, but it's level because no one has shown enough quality in the final third. Casteels and Neuer have been good.

42' CHANCE! Müller does well to win the ball back, it's swung in. Lewandowski is in the box but needs an extra touch to get it out from under his feet. That removes the chance for him, but he sets up Coutinho. Sadly for the home side, he fires over. Down the other end, the same sort of thing happens but instead it falls to Arnold on the edge of the box and he can get the shot away, but it's over.

38' Funky free kick routines ahoy! Wolfsburg have their own two man wall in front of their free kick. They peel apart, Arnold shoots and it hits the two defenders in Bayern's wall. Looked choreographed, but not very fruitful. Arnold hits the half volley goalwards, but Neuer saves. In other news, Bayern fans aren't happy about the upcoming winter training camp - not for the first time either.

32' Another Bayern free kick, and header pinball ensues. Quality in the final third has been, what's the word, missing? I think we can go with that.

29' SAVE! Gnabry dances inside and outside of Wolfsburg's defense before drilling a low drive across goal, but Casteels is there again. Quickly becoming his game.

26' Müller has a go from range and even though Casteels dives, it's not going in. The game needs something special to break it open I think. That or an invitation like the one Bürki and Brandt offered midweek. Coutinho slips in Lewandowski and he does do something special but Casteels saves the flick easily.

23' SAVE! Bayern get a free kick on the edge of the box, left of center. Alaba and Coutinho stand over it, and it's the Austrian who whips it near post but Casteels makes another good save to keep it out. 2-1 to the Belgian on the goalkeeper scoreline.

19' Lewandowski has great feet. Not sure that gets enough coverage to be honest. Those feet start a Bayern attack that ends in Perisic cutting in and seeing his shot deflected wide. The corner results in another corner. Both dealt with.

16' SAVE! Glasner was right to be encouraged. After Victor bamboozles Coutinho, Wolfsburg eventually work it back into the box after Schlager neatly slips through Klaus but Neuer makes an outstanding save. Developing into a game now.

16' Wolfsburg have their first real attack of the game. Klaus gets down the left after a sharp looking one-two works out and he gets behind the defense, but Davies clears the cross from inside the box. The corner is dealt with. Oliver Glasner is encouraged.

12' SAVE! Casteels denies Perisic's back-post header as we have the first chance of the game. Good save that, and a great cross from Müller too. Chants of "Bayern" ringing around the ground, but the team has yet to match the power of their fans.

11' Not been the most memorable starts to this one. Lots of intent from Bayern, but not as much end product. Wolfsburg, like many sides in Munich, just looking to get some grip on the game.

9' Huge cheer around the ground as news of Augsburg's goal in Leipzig comes through. Probably bigger cheers in Mönchengladbach to be honest. Lewandowski working hard, no sign of any groin issues. 

4' A familiar start from Bayern, who are instantly on the front foot. An outrageous flick of the pectoral muscle from Coutinho to pass the ball to Lewandowski. Not even showboating, just showing how good he is.

1' Wolfsburg, in dark green, get us started! 

— Teams are out of the tunnel. Nice little chat between Daniel Ginczek and Lewandowski there, former BVB teammates of course. A milestone for David Alaba today, he makes his 250th Bundesliga appearance. Impressive.

— One thing worth remembering today, especially if he scores (likely), is that Robert Lewandowski is scheduled to have an operation on his groin after the game today. It has been long in the planning by all acounts, but goodness me that means he hasn't been 100 percent fit. He's scored 30 goals...

— Alphonso Davies starts again today. What a year it has been for him. DW's Matt Ford recently wrote about how he, and Joshua Zirkzee, helped Bayern out last time out.Perhaps 2020 will be the year the club's academy delivers.

— This game isn't famous for any individual records or moments of brilliance is it? How could we forget Robert Lewandowski's incredible nine-minute performance.

— Bayern's game today is even more intriguing after Borussia Dortmund's failure to win last night, in Sinsheim. It was once again a case of inviting the defeat from a comfortable position. Do give James Thorogood's piece on another troubling night for BVB a read.

— TEAMS! Bayern's team looks familiar, as does the subs bench. Another teenage hero today perhaps? Still baffling that there's only two recognized central defenders in this squad and they're both on the bench (Boateng, Mai). Wolfsburg will be hoping for more magic from Maxi Arnold and Brazilian winger Joao Victor.

Bayern Munich XI: Neuer - Davies, Alaba, Martinez, Pavard - Kimmich - Perisic, Coutinho, Müller, Gnabry - Lewandowski

Wolfsburg XI: Casteels - Roussillon, Brooks, Tisserand, Mbabu - Guilavogui, Arnold, Steffen - Klaus, Victor, Schlager

— Good afternoon! The Bundesliga season is nearly over. Hard to believe! One more set of Saturday fixtures, followed by two more tomorrow and then Germany's top-flight takes a break until mid January. Buckle up for one last ride!