BERLIN – Bayern Munich came from a goal down to ease past hosts Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 on Saturday and remain firmly on course to win the Bundesliga title with four games remaining.
Lucas Alario fired in after 10 minutes as Leverkusen, without the injured Kai Havertz, scored with the first chance of the game.
But Bayern recovered from the early shock and Kingsley Coman curled in the equaliser in the 28th minute before the visitors struck twice in three minutes to turn the game around.
Leon Goretzka completed a sensational passing move in the 42nd minute and Serge Gnabry chipped the ball over keeper Lukas Hradecky on the stroke of halftime.
Bundesliga top scorer Robert Lewandowski headed in Thomas Mueller's 20th assist of the season to seal Bayern's ninth straight win before a superb 89th-minute goal from 17-year-old Florian Wirtz cut the deficit for the hosts.
Leaders Bayern moved 10 points clear of Borussia Dortmund, who play Hertha Berlin later. Bayer Leverkusen stayed fifth.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/B04FCB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#B04FCB🗞️
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN)
Captain Christian Strohdiek netted a dramatic stoppage time equaliser to hand last-placed Paderborn a 1-1 draw away at high-flying RB Leipzig and keep alive their faint hopes of avoiding relegation.
Patrik Schick’s 27th minute goal saw Leipzig lead, but their fortunes turned after defender Dayot Upamecano was needlessly sent off two minutes from the end of the first half when he petulantly kicked away the ball after a foul.
The 21-year-old Frenchman had been booked earlier in the game, and his second yellow card ensured an early shower.
The result left Leipzig in third place, 11 points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich with four games remaining, while Paderborn moved to 20 points, still five adrift at the bottom.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/KevinKampl_KK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KevinKampl_KK:
"We're obviously annoyed to concede in injury time, and the red card was unnecessary. Three points would've been a huge step towards the Champions League.
Paderborn were good, but we shouldn't have lost. We defended with energy before they scored." #RBLSCP pic.twitter.com/u3Hr2j2GsZ
— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN)
Mainz 05 scored once in each half to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 and moved three points above the Bundesliga relegation playoff spot with four games left in the season.
The visitors went ahead two minutes from halftime thanks to Moussa Niakhate's first goal of the season, and Eintracht, who are unlikely now to qualify for Europe, rarely threatened.
The hosts, who have now won only once in their last six games, upped the tempo after the break but still failed to register a shot on target in the entire game.
Kunde Malong's solo run after winning possession in midfield killed off the game in the 77th minute and gave Mainz a crucial victory in their battle to stay up.
Mainz are 15th on 31 points with Frankfurt 11th on 35.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/UpTheMainz?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UpTheMainz #SGEM050-2 pic.twitter.com/5JBCXsbwIJ
— Mainz 05 English (@Mainz05en)
A goal in each half by Rouwen Hennings gave Fortuna Dusseldorf a 2-2 draw at home to 10-man Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga but Uwe Rosler's side, who are third from bottom, will see it as two points dropped rather than one gained.
Hoffenheim got off to the worst possible start when striker Hennings headed the hosts into the lead in the fifth minute, shortly before visiting captain Benjamin Huebner was shown a straight red card for an altercation at a corner.
Munas Dabbur equalised in the 16th minute, while Hennings had a second headed goal ruled out two minutes later after the video assistant referee (VAR) spotted a foul in the build-up.
Steven Zuber put Hoffenheim ahead around the hour mark, but Hennings netted a penalty to secure the draw and leave his side third from bottom on 28 points, three behind Mainz. Hoffenheim climbed to sixth and into the Europa League places on 43 points.