BERLIN — Leroy Sané netted twice and Harry Kane added to his league-leading tally as Bayern Munich secured a 3-2 triumph over St. Pauli, reinstating their six-point advantage atop the Bundesliga.
St. Pauli exhibited an audacious start with captain Jackson Irvine nearly finding the net as his header struck the crossbar. However, Bayern capitalized on a defensive error, allowing Michael Olise to assist Kane for his 22nd league goal in the 17th minute.
“Bayern didn’t offer us any opportunities; unfortunately, we gifted them,” remarked Elias Saad, who scored the equalizer in the 27th minute after Manolis Saliakas found space to cross from the right.
Sané reclaimed Bayern’s lead in the 53rd minute with a precise low shot across goal, set up by Olise, and added another goal to clinch the win.
In the closing moments, Lars Ritzka brought St. Pauli within one after Bayern’s defender Hiroki Ito had to leave the game due to injury, compounding Bayern’s defensive woes with Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano already sidelined due to knee injuries.
“It was a deserved win, though conceding late made it unnecessarily thrilling,” said Bayern’s sporting director Christoph Freund.
This victory halted Bayern’s two-match winless streak in the Bundesliga, though questions linger regarding coach Vincent Kompany’s defensive strategies amid the current lineup challenges.
Bayern is set to face Inter Milan in the Champions League quarterfinals on April 8.
In other games, Mario Götze, famed for scoring the decisive goal in the 2014 World Cup final, lifted Eintracht Frankfurt over Stuttgart with a 1-0 win, bolstering its Champions League qualification aspirations. His 70th-minute goal elevated Frankfurt to third place, securing a five-point lead over Borussia Mönchengladbach as they aim for a top-four finish to qualify for Europe’s elite competition.
Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nübel thwarted Hugo Larsson’s attempt by diverting it onto the post, but the rebound allowed Götze to score. Additionally, Stuttgart’s Ameen Al-Dakhil received a red card in the 57th minute for fouling Hugo Ekitiké, who was through on goal.
Simultaneously, Gladbach managed a 1-0 victory over Leipzig, courtesy of Alassane Plea’s second-half header. This win advanced Gladbach to fifth, just two points shy of Mainz, who faces Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.
Depending on other results, Leipzig could potentially drop to seventh if Freiburg secures at least one point against Union Berlin on Sunday.
On Saturday, Heidenheim bolstered its survival chances with a 1-0 win at Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim shared points with Augsburg in a 1-1 draw, and Werder Bremen triumphed over Holstein Kiel 3-0.
Reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen temporarily reduced Bayern’s lead to three points following a 3-1 victory against Bochum on Friday. With seven rounds remaining, the title race remains intensely competitive.