BERLIN - A goal from Harry Kane and a brace from Leroy Sane helped Bayern Munich secure a 3-2 win over relegation-threatened St. Pauli, extending their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to six points with seven matches remaining on Saturday.
Bayern started aggressively and nearly struck in the opening minute, as Leon Goretzka's header forced a strong save from Nikola Vasilj.
St. Pauli struggled early but nearly shocked the hosts when Noah Weisshaupt's angled effort was tipped over by Noah Urbig.
At the back, Bayern looked shaky. A deep cross from St. Pauli saw Jackson Irvine rise highest, and Joshua Kimmich's mishit clearance rattled the crossbar.
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But Bayern made their next attack count. After a midfield turnover, Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise combined to set up Kane, who finished from close range to open the scoring in the 17th minute.
Though Raphael Guerreiro nearly added a second, it was St. Pauli who hit back. Manolis Saliakas found Elias Saad unmarked in the box, and the forward nodded in the equalizer at the half-hour mark.
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Bayern had chances to retake the lead before halftime, with Musiala going close and Van der Heyden blocking a Sane effort. After the break, Bayern regained control as Olise threaded a brilliant pass to Sane, who slotted into the far corner to make it 2-1.
Bayern elevated intensity while tightening its defense. In the 71st minute, another slick move saw Kane and Olise link up again, with Sane slotting his second of the day.
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A comfortable finish seemed likely until Hiroki Ito was forced off late with a foot injury, leaving Bayern with ten men. St. Pauli took advantage in stoppage time, as Lars Ritzka surged forward and curled in a low strike to set up a tense finale.
"St. Pauli have been a very organized team all season. We allowed them a little too much in the first half, but I am pleased with the way we created chances after the break. Overall, I am happy with the result and the performance, although Hiroki Ito's injury put a bit of a damper on the day," said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.
Elsewhere in the Bundesliga, Eintracht Frankfurt cemented their hold on third place, edging past ten-man Stuttgart 1-0 thanks to a composed finish from Mario Gotze. Borussia Monchengladbach leapfrogged Leipzig into the top five with a narrow 1-0 win, Alassane Plea's first-half strike proving decisive against the Red Bulls. Relegation-threatened Heidenheim picked up three vital points with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Wolfsburg. Werder Bremen recorded a convincing 3-0 win away at bottom side Holstein Kiel, while Hoffenheim and Augsburg shared the spoils 1-1.
