FC Augsburg vs Bayern Munich. German Bundesliga.
SGL ArenaAttendance30,660.
Report as Bayern Munich weather late storm from Augsburg in Bavarian derby; Harry Kane's 23rd goal of the Bundesliga season ultimately seals victory after Ermedin Demirovic penalty set up grandstand finish; Aleksandar Pavlovic and Alphonso Davies also on target
Saturday 27 January 2024 20:09, UK
Injury-hit Bayern Munich battled to a 3-2 victory at Augsburg in the Bavarian derby on Saturday to cut the gap with Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen to two points.
First-half goals from 19-year-old Aleksandar Pavlovic and Alphonso Davies plus one from the league's top scorer Harry Kane just before the hour took second-placed Bayern to 47 points.
Later on Saturday, Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen squandered a bagful of chances before settling for a 0-0 draw against visitors Borussia Monchengladbach.
"It was an unusual line-up for us with all the injuries and absences," said Bayern head coach Thomas Tuchel. "We had a bit of luck at the start. We knew it was going to be tough against them. But then we got better and created lots of chances.
"In the end, it got a bit turbulent with the two late penalties. Overall I am satisfied with the attitude and the performance of my team."
The hosts got off to a stronger start and also put the ball in the net before a VAR review cancelled out the goal.
Bayern were missing nine players through injury or international duty, including Konrad Laimer, Joshua Kimmich and Dayot Upamecano, who were all injured in the midweek 1-0 home win over Union Berlin.
They still managed to take the lead with teenager Pavlovic turning in the box and drilling home his first league goal in the 23rd minute.
Only a minute later, however, Bayern winger Kingsley Coman had to be helped off the pitch after what looked like a knee injury, piling more pressure on an already depleted squad.
"We have to wait until tomorrow for a precise diagnosis. But it does not look good. We suspect a ligament injury," Tuchel said.
The Bavarians added a second goal deep in first-half stoppage time when Davies rifled in a low shot.
Augsburg bounced back seven minutes after the restart as Ermedin Demirovic was left unmarked in the box and beat keeper Manuel Neuer with a glancing header to cut the deficit.
Kane then tapped in his 23rd league goal in the 58th minute following a lengthy VAR review to restore Bayern's two-goal lead before Augsburg earned an 87th-minute penalty.
Neuer picked the right corner and palmed Sven Michel's spot kick wide but Demirovic beat him with another spot kick in stoppage time to inject some late drama into the game. The defeat leaves Augsburg in 12th place on 21 points.
Against Monchengladbach, Leverkusen had more than 70 per cent of possession in the first half and two good early opportunities for Florian Wirtz but struggled to crack open the disciplined Gladbach defence.
It was even more one-way traffic after the break with Xabi Alonso's team squandering several chances, with Jeremie Frimpong coming agonisingly close three times in a six-minute spell and Alejandro Grimaldo firing over the bar from close range.
A stoppage-time Nathan Tella shot from two metres was far too weak and completed a disappointing evening for the hosts.
Leverkusen will hope new signing Borja Iglesias, on loan from Real Betis until the end of the season, can improve that conversion rate following the injury of their top striker Victor Boniface earlier in January.
"He can fill the gap left by the absence of Victor," said Leverkusen sports director Simon Rolfes.
Meanwhile, VfB Stuttgart's Deniz Undav scored a hat-trick as his side demolished visitors RB Leipzig 5-2 on Saturday and tightened their grip on third spot.
For Leipzig, who face Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 next month, it was the third straight league loss and their fourth Bundesliga match without a win.
Stuttgart are now third on 37 points with fourth-placed Leipzig on 33, as many as Borussia Dortmund, who face VfL Bochum on Sunday.
The hosts, missing top scorer Serhou Guirassy on international duty, were superior in the first half and scored twice in five minutes to take control.
Enzo Millot opened their account in the 25th minute with a well-taken penalty before Undav doubled their lead on the half-hour mark.
But Leipzig, desperate to avoid a third straight league loss, cut the deficit with Benjamin Sesko's header in the 32nd.
Only three minutes after the restart Jamie Leweling, who had missed a golden chance on the stroke of half-time, made amends to restore Stuttgart's two-goal cushion.
In-form Lois Openda's superb effort and shot in the 55th minute put the visitors back in the game, but any hopes of a comeback were crushed seconds later when unmarked Undav headed in a cross to make it 4-2 in the 56th.
The forward completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute on the rebound after keeper Janis Blaswich had blocked his first shot.
Bayern Munich's next game is a home match with Borussia Moenchengladbach next Saturday, kick-off 2.30pm.
That is the German champions' last league game before their top of the table clash away at Bayer Leverkusen on February 10, live on Sky Sports with kick-off at 5.30pm.
Augsburg travel to Vfl Bochum in their next Bundesliga game next Saturday, kick-off 2.30pm.
