A 90th-minute Robert Lewandowski goal saw ten-man league leaders Bayern Munich earn a dramatic 2-1 win at Hoffenheim on Saturday despite conceding the joint fastest goal in Bundesliga history.
The Poland striker sealed the champions’ comeback after Germany Under-21 striker Kevin Volland had opened the scoring with nice seconds gone, darting onto David Alaba’s loose pass and drilling his shot home at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
Volland’s super early goal matched the record set by Bayer Leverkusen’s Karim Bellarabi on the opening day of last season at Borussia Dortmund.
But Bayern equalised when a Douglas Costa shot rocketed off the hands of Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann and Thomas Mueller jabbed home the rebound with his knee on 40 minutes.
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Eugen Polanski missed a penalty in the 72nd minute
Hoffenheim wasted the chance for an historic first win over Bayern at the 15th attempt when Eugen Polanski blasted his penalty attempt off the post after Jerome Boateng’s handball saw the Germany international sent off for a second yellow card on 72 minutes.
Bayern claimed the dramatic winner when Brazil winger Costa fired in a superb cross, Mario Goetze let the ball roll and Lewandowski drilled home his shot.
“I’m happy with the win and, above everything with the performance,” said Bayern’s relieved coach Pep Guardiola, who read his side the riot act on the sidelines in the first half.
“We knew it would be difficult here as Hoffenheim have always created a few problems for us in the last few years.”
The result kept Bayern top of the table having routed Hamburg 5-0 on the opening weekend.
“I find it hard to find the right words, because we are all so disappointed,” said Hoffenheim coach Markus Gisdol.
“I have to pay my team a huge compliment, they had Bayern Munich on the verge of defeat.”
Leverkusen win while Wolfsburg and Schalke draw
Bayer Leverkusen are second after a 1-0 win at Hanover also left them with two wins.
Dead-ball specialist Hakan Calhanoglu’s 18th-minute free-kick sealed the win to give Leverkusen a boost before Wednesday’s Champions League play-off qualifier, second-leg, at home to Lazio, who they trail 1-0 after the first leg.
Belgian attacking midfielder Kevin de Bruyne started what could be his last match for last season’s runners-up VfL Wolfsburg in a 1-1 draw with Cologne.
The 24-year-old, despite having said earlier in the week he would be staying with Wolfsburg for this season, is reported to have agreed terms with Manchester City and will earn A?200,000 (275,632 million euros, $313,890) a week in the Premier League, if his present club accept City’s improved offer of A?55 million.
Hosts Cologne took the lead when striker Simon Zoller lobbed Wolfsburg goalkeeper Koen Casteels on the half hour mark.
But Wolfsburg, who are fifth, equalised when ex-Arsenal and Juventus striker Nicklas Bendtner tapped home a Daniel Caliguri cross at the far post on 83 minutes to ensure they shared the points.
Schalke, who routed Bremen 3-0 on the opening weekend of the season, are third in the table after their 1-1 draw at newly-promoted Darmstadt.
The Royal Blues fell behind after 18 minutes when midfielder Konstantin Rausch slotted his shot into the top right-hand corner from outside the area.
Germany international Julian Draxler, who has been linked to a move to Italian champions Juventus, equalised for Schalke when the left winger fired home on 47 minutes after converting Franco di Santo’s pass.
Hertha Berlin had briefly led the table on Friday night after their 1-1 draw at home to Werder Bremen when Valentin Stocker’s goal was cancelled out by Anthony Ujah’s equaliser.
By AFP