BERLIN: Bayern Munich strengthened their grip on the top of the Bundesliga table on Saturday, as they snatched a thrilling 3-2 win over RB Leipzig thanks to a second-half own goal from Josko Gvardiol.
The champions held off a spirited display from Leipzig to decide a dramatic, end-to-end battle in their favor and pull nine points clear at the top overnight.
Bayern’s eighth win in nine games heaps pressure on second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who face Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.
Bayern burst out of the blocks with an opener on 12 minutes, Thomas Mueller tapping into the empty net after Peter Gulacsi parried a low shot from Robert Lewandowski.
Manuel Neuer twice denied Dani Olmo at the other end, before a mistake from Corentin Tolisso in midfield allowed Leipzig to break and equalize just before the half-hour mark.
Konrad Laimer’s initial effort was drifting wide before Andre Silva popped up at the far post to bundle it in for his sixth goal in seven games.
Mueller then had a goal ruled out by VAR before Lewandowski restored the lead shortly before half-time.
Tolisso tore Leipzig apart with a brilliant through ball, Kingsley Coman curled the ball into the box and Lewandowski sent a ferocious header past Gulacsi.
The game continued to sparkle in the second half, Lewandowski coming close at one end before Bayern were caught off guard by another cut-throat Leipzig attack.
Laimer once again grabbed the assist, this time threading a devastating pass through to Christopher Nkunku, who slotted the ball past Neuer.
Bayern were in front again just five minutes later, however, when Gvardiol diverted a Serge Gnabry cross into his own net.
Leipzig had several chances to snatch a point late on, but both Dominik Szoboszlai and Emil Forsberg were frustrated by Neuer.
Elsewhere, crisis-hit Borussia Moenchengladbach were held 1-1 at Arminia Bielefeld, while high-flying minnows Freiburg and Union Berlin both slumped to surprise defeats in the race for the Champions League.
Gladbach’s run of one win in nine competitive games looked set to continue when Janni Serra smashed the ball into the top corner to give Bielefeld an early lead, but Alassane Plea spared their blushes with a second-half header.
“We were really pushing for the win toward the end. We were playing at a good level, even if our self-confidence isn’t quite there yet,” said coach Adi Huetter.
Eintracht Frankfurt took a step toward the European spots with a dramatic 3-2 win over relegation-threatened Stuttgart.
Evan Ndicka flicked the ball in at a corner to give Frankfurt an early lead before Stuttgart hit back just before half-time, Waldemar Anton getting on the end of a swinging free-kick to score his side’s first goal in six league games.
Ajdin Hrustic restored the lead with a thunderous volley just minutes after coming on at half-time, and struck again late on to seal the win after a Sasa Kalajdzic header had brought Stuttgart level.
Stuttgart are now three points adrift of safety after fellow strugglers Augsburg picked up a surprise 2-0 home win over fourth-placed Union Berlin.
Union keeper Andreas Luthe handed the opener on a silver platter to Michael Gregoritsch with a hashed clearance early on, before Andre Hahn smashed in a superb long-range effort on the hour mark.
Union remain in fourth despite the defeat, as those around them also dropped points.
A late goal from South Korean international Lee Jae-sung and a penalty from Moussa Niakhate saw Hoffenheim succumb to a 2-0 defeat away to Mainz.
Fifth-placed Freiburg, meanwhile, were beaten 1-0 away to Cologne thanks to a sharp first-half finish from French striker Anthony Modeste.
Bayern edge Leipzig in five-goal thriller to pull clear at top
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Bayern edge Leipzig in five-goal thriller to pull clear at top
- The champions held off a spirited display from Leipzig to decide a dramatic, end-to-end battle in their favour
- Bayern's eighth win in nine games heaps pressure on second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who face Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday
Gordon scores four as Newcastle hit Qarabag for six
- Gordon stole the show by netting four times before half-time
- England forward Gordon has netted 14 times this season, including 10 in the Champions League
BAKU: Anthony Gordon starred with a brilliant four-goal haul as Newcastle crushed Qarabag 6-1 in the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie on Wednesday.
Gordon stole the show by netting four times before half-time at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium.
Malick Thiaw was also on target for Newcastle before the interval and Jacob Murphy netted after the break to complete the demolition.
Elvin Jafarguliyev’s second-half reply was little consolation for Azerbaijani underdogs Qarabag, who paid the price for wretched defending in a miserable performance.
England forward Gordon has netted 14 times this season, including 10 in the Champions League, taking him past Alan Shearer as Newcastle’s highest scorer in a single campaign in Europe’s elite club competition.
Gordon’s memorable night on the shores of the Caspian Sea ensured the second leg at St. James’ Park on February 24 should be a mere formality.
Barring a miracle comeback from Qarabag, Eddie Howe’s side will face Barcelona or Chelsea in the last 16.
Having ended Newcastle’s 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy by winning the League Cup last season, Howe set his sights on more history this week, admitting it would “mean everything” to steer them into the Champions League last 16 for the first time.
Howe’s cherished target is now within touching distance.
Booed off less than two weeks ago after a defeat against Brentford, Newcastle made the 2,529-mile trip to Baku revitalized by successive away victories against Tottenham in the Premier League and Aston Villa in the FA Cup.
It was the longest journey any English team had ever made for a Champions League knockout game, but there was no sign of fatigue as Newcastle ripped Qarabag to shreds.
Gordon started as Newcastle’s central striker as Howe again deployed misfiring German forward Nick Woltemade in a deeper role.
- Gordon runs riot -
Howe’s decision to make Gordon the focal point of his attack paid off after just three minutes.
Dan Burn advanced from defense and played a perfect pass toward Gordon, who timed his run to beat the Qarabag offside trap before planting a clinical finish into the far corner from 12 yards.
Qarabag beat Benfica, Copenhagen and Eintracht Frankfurt and drew with Chelsea in the group stage.
Yet it was their 6-0 thrashing at Liverpool in the last game of the phase that proved more relevant as Newcastle doubled their advantage in the eighth minute.
Kieran Trippier’s pin-point cross picked out Thiaw and he guided a composed header past Mateusz Kochalski from close range.
Newcastle were carving open the creaky Qarabag defense at will and their barrage brought a third goal in the 32nd minute.
Matheus Silva blocked Harvey Barnes’ shot with his arm as he slid along the turf and Gordon stroked in the resulting penalty.
Gordon bagged his third goal in predatory style just 60 seconds later, seizing on Kevin Medina’s slip and rounding Kochalski to slot into the empty net.
It was Gordon’s first professional hat-trick, making him only the third Newcastle player to score a Champions League treble after Shearer and Faustino Asprilla.
Gordon’s 33-minute haul was also the fastest Champions League hat-trick by an English player.
The 24-year-old wasn’t finished yet and his break into the area ended with Kochalski fouling him, conceding a penalty that Gordon converted with ease.
Jafarguliyev got one back in the 54th minute with a low drive that was initially disallowed for offside before VAR allowed the goal to stand.
Murphy notched his first goal in the Champions League in the 72nd minute, whipping a deflected strike past Kochalski to put the seal on Newcastle’s perfect evening.
