Two second-half goals from the substitute Jamal Musiala put Bayern Munich six points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with a nervous 4-2 home victory over Heidenheim.
The Bavarian club, who take on Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday, were without the injured Harry Kane, Manuel Neuer and Serge Gnabry. Eager to bounce back from their midweek German Cup defeat by Bayer Leverkusen – their first loss in domestic competitions this season – the hosts were in control from the start and took an 18th-minute lead when unmarked Dayot Upamecano headed in.
Heidenheim equalised with their first chance of the match five minutes into the second half, thanks to Upamecano’s huge defensive blunder that allowed Mathias Honsak to get possession and slot in undisturbed.
The visitors’ joy only lasted five minutes with Musiala drilling in from just inside the box to put his team back in front. Goretzka then added a third with a deflected shot in the 84th before Heidenheim quickly pulled a goal back once more with Niclas Doresch’s tap-in.
Musiala settled the hosts’ nerves with a solo effort in stoppage time to make it 4-2 with his eighth league goal of the campaign.
Bayern are in top spot on 33 points with Eintracht Frankfurt six points behind in second after they could only draw 2-2 at home against Augsburg.
Bayer Leverkusen struck twice in the first half to beat St Pauli 2-1 and make it three league wins in a row for the first time this season for the defending champions. Leverkusen needed only six minutes to take control of the game with Florian Wirtz firing in from a superb Granit Xhaka pass.
They doubled their lead after 21 minutes when the defender Jonathan Tah was left unmarked at the far post to head in. St Pauli set up a nervous finale when they pulled a goal back in the 84th through Morgan Guilavogui.
Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens fired in a superb goal after a solo effort but his team drew 1-1 draw at Borussia Mönchengladbach and remain without an away win. The In-form Gittens, who has now scored for a fourth straight game across all competitions, shook off two markers, cut into the box and drove in his shot off the post for a 64th minute lead with his fifth league goal.
Gladbach levelled in the 71st with a well-taken Kevin Stöger penalty after a lengthy video assistant referee review. The hosts then had the 89th-minute substitute Tomas Cvancara sent off for picking up two yellow cards in added time.
Dortmund, who have lost four and drawn two of their six away games, are fifth on 21 points. Gladbach are 11th on 18 points.
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In Spain, Hansi Flick said his Barcelona side have more than enough quality but need to display it consistently after they stumbled to a 2-2 La Liga draw at Real Betis which left them susceptible to be overtaken by Real Madrid in the title race.
Barça twice took the lead at the Benito Villamarín Stadium after goals from Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, but home side Betis fought back through Giovani Lo Celso and substitute Assane Diao to earn a share of the points.
Flick’s side have 38 points from 17 matches but second-placed Real, who have 33, can move past them if they are able to win their two games in hand. “It wasn’t a good game. We are a young team and we need to improve a lot,” Flick said.
Las Palmas followed up last weekend’s win over Barcelona with a 2-1 success over rock-bottom Real Valladolid thanks to two goals from Sandro Ramírez.
