Two stoppage-time goals from Luis Diaz and Nicolas Jackson fueled Bayern Munich to a 3-1 home win over St. Pauli to maintain its lead at the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday, reported Xinhua.
St. Pauli stunned the Allianz Arena within the opening minutes, benefitting from slack defending to take a sixth-minute advantage through Andreas Hountondji.
Bayern controlled the match from then on but was left frustrated for much of the first half, twice hitting the post and struggling to find space against St. Pauli's well-organized defense. Its efforts were rewarded before the interval when Raphael Guerreiro drilled in after Diaz's clever assist to level the score.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany made changes at the break in search of a turnaround, but his side saw several attempts fall short.
The hosts' consistent pressure paid off deep into added time. Joshua Kimmich sent in a precise cross from the right, and Diaz rose highest to steer a header past goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj. Substitute Jackson then timed his run perfectly and finished calmly, and the goal stood after a VAR check.
Bayern now leads by eight points at the top of the table, while St. Pauli is mired in the relegation zone.
"A win like this is part of every season," Kompany said. "It gives us confidence for the future. Full credit to the boys for keeping at it, this mentality will matter again before the year is over."
Also on Saturday, Borussia Dortmund climbed to third by edging Bayer Leverkusen 2-1, Hoffenheim cruised past Augsburg 3-0, Cologne earned a late 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen, and Heidenheim struck twice in the final minutes to upset Union Berlin 2-1.
- Bayern Munich
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
