MUNICH: Luis Diaz scored in stoppage time to help Bayern Munich bounce back from Wednesday’s Champions League loss to Arsenal in a 3-1 comeback home win over St. Pauli on Saturday.
Suspended for the Arsenal defeat — Bayern’s first in any competition this season — Diaz headed in a Harry Kane cross to send Bayern in front in the third minute of injury time.
Nicolas Jackson then scored four minutes later to add gloss to the victory as Bayern avoided dropping points for just the second time this Bundesliga season.
Earlier, Diaz created Bayern’s equalizer for Raphael Guerreiro before half-time, after Andreas Hountondji had given lowly Pauli a surprise lead six minutes in.
RB Leipzig’s scoreless draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday means Bayern will finish the round eight points clear atop the table.
Veteran Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer credited his side’s “belief.”
“We kept going after we went behind and were unlucky to hit the post three times. The late goals were a relief” Neuer said.
Arriving in Munich after a club record eight straight Bundesliga defeats, Pauli took the lead early.
The visitors forced Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich into a mistake in midfield and Hountondji outmuscled Kim Min-jae to claim the ball before scoring past Manuel Neuer at the near post.
Bayern youngsters Lennart Karl and Tom Bischof took turns hitting the post before Diaz acrobatically created the leveller.
Redeeming himself for his early mistake, Kim chipped a long pass to Diaz in the box. The Colombian fell but somehow squeezed the ball to Guerreiro, who blasted in from close range.
Kane hit the woodwork with 10 minutes remaining but was crucial in Diaz’s late strike, lofting a ball goalwards for the former Liverpool forward to head home, before Chelsea loanee Jackson added a third with the final kick of the match.
Elsewhere, Heidenheim scored twice after the 90th minute to snatch a 2-1 away win at Union Berlin and climb off the foot of the table.
Germany starlet Said El Mala scored a stoppage-time equalizer for promoted Cologne in a 1-1 draw away at Werder Bremen.
Hoffenheim jumped up to fourth in the table with a 3-0 home win over floundering Augsburg, who are winless since early October.
Later on Saturday, Bayer Leverkusen face Borussia Dortmund at home and can draw level on points with second-placed RB Leipzig with victory.
Diaz late show helps Bayern rebound from Arsenal loss
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Diaz late show helps Bayern rebound from Arsenal loss
- Diaz headed in a Harry Kane cross to send Bayern in front in the third minute of injury time
- Nicolas Jackson then scored four minutes later to add gloss to the victory as Bayern avoided dropping points
Kane double fires Bayern into Champions League last 16
- The six-time European champions sit second in the standings behind Arsenal ahead of their last league-phase outing at PSV Eindhoven next week
MUNICH, Germany: Harry Kane scored twice in three second-half minutes as Bayern Munich saw off Union Saint-Gilloise 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.
Bayern joined Arsenal in sealing a top-eight finish in the 36-team table with a game to spare, avoiding a potential two-legged knockout play-off round.
The six-time European champions sit second in the standings behind Arsenal ahead of their last league-phase outing at PSV Eindhoven next week.
Kane headed in from a corner before winning and converting a penalty to put the hosts firmly in control.
The England captain had a chance for a hat-trick but missed a late spot-kick, after Bayern center-back Kim Min-jae had been dismissed for a second yellow card.
“Coming back into the second half we wanted to show more intensity and I think we did that,” Kane told DAZN.
“We scored at the right times, were a bit unlucky with the red card but even after that when we went down to 10 men we controlled the game well and earned the three points.”
Bayern’s Champions League defeat at Arsenal remains their only loss in all competitions this season, in which they have also already opened up an 11-point lead in the Bundesliga.
Kane’s second goal was his 34th of the campaign, bringing Bayern’s total tally to 103 strikes from 29 games.
Bayern were sluggish in the opening half, perhaps unsettled by the absence of their 9,300-strong ultra contingent, with the lower stand closed due to a UEFA sanction for setting off pyrotechnics.
“We’re used to that from the Covid period, of course, but fundamentally we always want the fans there in a sold-out stadium — unfortunately it wasn’t possible today,” Bayern captain Manuel Neuer told DAZN.
The best chance of the opening half fell to Belgian champions Union SG.
With half an hour played, an unmarked Promise David got away from the Bayern defense and had just Neuer to beat, but headed his effort directly at the goalkeeper.
Bayern needed a set-piece to break the deadlock with 52 minutes gone.
Michael Olize lofted the ball into the six-yard area and Kane found space at the near post to head his side in front.
One minute later, Kane was felled by Union ‘keeper Kjell Scherpen and stepped up to double Bayern’s lead.
Kim, handed a rare start with Dayot Upamecano out sick, was sent off in the 63rd minute, picking up a second yellow for yanking Raul Florucz’s arm as the winger went on the attack.
But the red card did not disrupt Bayern’s flow.
Kane uncharacteristically blasted a penalty against the bar with 10 minutes left, while Olize chipped another opportunity over with just Scherpen to beat.
