Leaders Bayern roll on as Dortmund stumble
BERLIN: Robert Lewandowski scored his 15th goal in all competitions this season as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich came from b ehind to win 3 -1 at Stuttgart on Saturday, while Borussia Dortmund slipped off the pace after a shock loss to Cologne.
In Stuttgart, striker Tanguy Coulibaly, 19, fired the hosts into a shock early lead after a cross caught Bayern centre-backs David Alaba and Jerome Boateng napping.
Kingsley Coman equalised with a superb l ow finish before Lewandowski drilled home from 20 metres to put Bayern 2-1 up at the break.
Brazil winger Douglas Costa grabbed Bayern’s l ate third goal to seal a win which leaves the holders two points clear of RB Leipzig.
Bayern coach Hansi Flick admitted the dense fixture list is taking a toll on his team who qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League in midweek as group winners with two games to go.
“I’m happy with the result — we all know that it’s not easy to play every three days and I know we can play better,” said Flick.
Bayern face Atletico Madrid away tomorrow in Europe.
Dortmund are third, four points behind Bayern, after crashing to a shock 2-1 home defeat against Cologne, who ended an 18-match winless run.
Tunisia midfielder Ellyes Skhiri tapped in both Cologne goals from corners by ex-Dortmund winger Marius Wolf after being left unmarked.
With Dortmund 2-0 down on 60 minutes, coach Lucien Favre brought on three forwards — 16year-old sensation Youssoufa Moukoko, Giovanni Reyna and Thorgan Hazard.
Reyna, 18, set up Hazard to pull a goal back, but it was too little, too late.
After scoring six goals in his previous two games, Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland was held in check, squandering a golden chance to equalise just before the whistle.
Leipzig climbed to second after a 2-1 home win over plucky strugglers Arminia Bielefeld while Bottom side Schalke extended their winless run to 25 games after lo sing 4 -1 at B orussia Moenchengladbach — the last league club they beat back in January.