05-05-2025
Football: Machino nets 11th goal, leaves injured as Kiel get big win
BERLIN (Kyodo) -- Holstein Kiel forward Shuto Machino scored for the third successive German Bundesliga match before going off injured Sunday as the relegation-threatened club grabbed a vital 3-1 win at Augsburg.
The 25-year-old Japan international took his tally to 11 league goals when he opened the scoring at WWK Arena with a 25th-minute penalty. He left the pitch in the 39th minute and was later seen on crutches, according to the league website.
Forward Alexander Bernhardsson looped in a header a minute after Machino's withdrawal and swept in another for Kiel in the 51st minute. Steve Mounie pulled one back for Augsburg in the 90th minute.
Kiel remain in the relegation zone, but the win moved them up to 25 points, just a point behind Heidenheim, who occupy the promotion-relegation playoff spot in 16th.
Bayern Munich, home to Japan defender Hiroki Ito, who is currently out injured, claimed their 34th league title after holders Bayer Leverkusen drew 2-2 at Freiburg, leaving them eight points off the lead with two games to go.
In England, Japan captain Wataru Endo made his first Premier League start this season as newly crowned champions Liverpool were beaten 3-1 at Chelsea.
Leeds midfielder Ao Tanaka was named the club's player of the season by his teammates after helping them win the second-tier Championship and secure promotion to the Premier League.
Tanaka joined from German second-tier side Fortuna Dusseldorf last summer and excelled in his first season in England, with his 20-meter curling strike away to Hull in January voted Leeds' goal of the season by their fans.
