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
WWE star praises Saudi fans as excitement builds on eve of Royal Rumble in Riyadh
- The event on Saturday at the newly built, 25,000-seater KAFD Arena will be the first traditional Royal Rumble staged outside North America
- Saudi fans ‘are so energetic and loud … They’re bringing the energy. They’re going to bring it to SmackDown, to Royal Rumble and, next year, to WrestleMania,’ says WWE star Matt Cardona
RIYADH: A landmark Royal Rumble weekend in Riyadh got underway on Friday, with WWE superstar Matt Cardona sharing his impressions of Saudi Arabia and the local fans as momentum built for the promotion’s marquee premium live event on Saturday.
The event, part of Riyadh Season, is the first “Big Five” WWE show of the year and the first traditional Royal Rumble staged outside North America. It will take place at the newly built KAFD Arena, which was constructed in a record-breaking time of just 35 days, and has seating for about 25,000 fans, an open-roof design and what are described as immersive architectural elements.
In recent years, WWE has expanded its global footprint by staging major events across the Middle East and Europe, offering fans in Saudi Arabia and other countries the opportunity to see their favorite fighters in action.
Cardona told Arab News that the relationship between WWE and Riyadh Season continues to grow, and revealed what he and his fellow wrestlers have been up to since arriving in the Kingdom.
“We went to Six Flags, we rode the tallest, longest roller coaster, then we get to wrestle,” said the former WWE US and Intercontinental Champion and NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
“So for me, as a big fan, a big kid, getting to go to Six Flags when I get to wrestle, this is a dream come true.”
Professional wrestling has built a strong following in Saudi Arabia over the years, and now generations of fans who grew up watching bouts on television have the chance to attend major events in person and see their favorite stars in action.
What once seemed a distant dream for many in the Kingdom has become a reality in recent years, after the WWE and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority began working together to bring live events to the country in line with Saudi Vision 2030’s entertainment goals.
Cardona has been impressed by the passion and enthusiasm of the Saudi fans he has encountered.
“The fans here are so energetic and loud,” he said. “Even yesterday, we were just doing meet-and-greets, photo ops and autographs, and they’re chanting like we’re already in the ring.
“They’re bringing the energy. They’re going to bring it to SmackDown, to Royal Rumble and, next year, to WrestleMania.”
Since the partnership with Saudi authorities began, WWE has staged several major events in the Kingdom including Crown Jewel, Elimination Chamber, and King and Queen of the Ring. The date for next year’s WrestleMania 43 in Riyadh has yet to be announced.
