Bayern cut leaders Dortmund gap to two points
Stuttgart denied again as Leipzig consolidate fourth place Below-par Atletico ‘reclaim’ 2nd spot
BERLIN, Feb 16, (Agencies): Champions Bayern Munich twice needed to come from a goal down to beat hosts Augsburg 3-2 courtesy of Kingsley Coman’s two goals, and cut the gap with leaders Borussia Dortmund to two points.
The Frenchman, however, was injured in the final stages of the game, turning his left ankle on which he previously had surgery on. Coach Niko Kovac said of Coman’s injury: “It does not look good. We will know more tomorrow.” Bayern, who take on Liverpool in the Champions League Round of 16 next week, were 1-0 down after only 13 seconds with a Leon Goretzka own goal, in what was the fastest Bundesliga goal for Augsburg.
Coman briefly restored order when he tapped in a Joshua Kimmich cross in the 17th minute.
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22:30 local (Monday) Schalke’s Amine Harit, (left), and Freiburg’s Christian Guenter challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Schalke 04 and SC Freiburg in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on Feb 16. (AP)
attacking team. We have to be better positioned against them.”
The Bavarians are in second place on 48 points with Dortmund, on 50, travelling to bottom club Nuremberg on Monday. Stuttgart’s hopes of a reprieve after another week of turbulence went unanswered as Leipzig won their game 3-1 to consolidate fourth place on Saturday.
Danish forward Yussuf Poulsen scored twice to help Leipzig move one point below Borussia Moenchengladbach and stay six clear of Wolfsburg,
which defeated Mainz 2-0 at home.
Stuttgart sought their first win in seven games to ease the pressure on coach Markus Weinzierl. Weinzierl kept his job after last weekend’s 3-0 loss at Fortuna Duesseldorf, but sporting director Michael Reschke was told to go on Tuesday. Former Aston Villa and Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, who helped Stuttgart win the Bundesliga in 2007, was appointed in Reschke’s place.
Stuttgart had the worst defense in the league (47 goals conceded), in contrast to Leipzig (18), which duly scored with the game’s first attack in the sixth minute when Yussuf Poulsen took advantage of some lax defending to score from close range.
But Steven Zuber equalized from the penalty spot 10 minutes later after the video referee intervened when Leipzig captain Willi Orban appeared to push Mario Gomez and deflect the ball out of play with his hand.
The home side pushed for more Leipzig ‘keeper Peter Gulacsi made a great save to deny Santiago Ascacibar in the second half - before Marcel Sabitzer restored the visitors’ lead from a free kick in the 68th.
Midfielder Tyler Adams then won a challenge before setting Poulsen through to seal it in the 74th. It was Adams’ first assist in his fourth game since his winter transfer from the New York Red Bulls.
Elsewhere, Schalke, which host Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday, were held at home by Freiburg to 0-0.
Schalke midfielder Suat Serdar was shown a straight red card minutes before the break for a studs-up lunge at Freiburg captain Mike Frantz, who needed treatment.
Both sides finished with 10 men after Freiburg’s Christian Guenter was shown his second yellow card in injury time for colliding with Mark Uth.
Hoffenheim defeated Hannover 3-0, though the home side should have won by more. MADRID, Feb 16, (Agencies): Antoine Griezmann’s deflected volley earned Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win at Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Saturday, ending a run of two consecutive defeats for Diego Simeone’s side.
Atletico struggled in the derby clash against 18th place Rayo but eventually snatched a late victory to move second in the table.
Rayo had the better of the first half with Adrian Embarba going close, while Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak denied Raul de Tomas early in the second half.
Atletico broke the deadlock in the 74th minute at Vallecas when Alvaro Morata teed up Griezmann