Leroy Sane rescued Bayern Munich with two second-half goals on Saturday, as the Bundesliga leaders overcame a spirited St. Pauli side 3-2 to stay six points clear at the top of the table.
Under pressure after recent draws against Bochum and Union Berlin, Bayern needed a win to keep distance from Bayer Leverkusen, who had closed the gap to three points with a 3-1 victory over Bochum on Friday.
St. Pauli, fighting to avoid relegation, started fearlessly and nearly took the lead when Jackson Irvine’s header struck the crossbar early on.
Bayern capitalized on a defensive mistake just minutes later. Jamal Musiala dispossessed Siebe Van der Heyden and set up Harry Kane, who slotted home from close range. With this goal, Kane has now scored against every Bundesliga team he’s faced.
Undeterred, St. Pauli equalized before halftime through Elias Saad, who tapped in Manolis Saliakas’s cross for his first goal since September.
In the second half, Sane stepped up. He restored Bayern’s lead by drilling the ball into the net after finding space on the left. He then secured the win by turning in a cross from Kane, capping off a swift counterattack.
The match remained tense as Lars Ritzka pulled one back for St. Pauli in stoppage time. Bayern’s victory was marred by an injury to defender Hiroki Ito, who left the field late in the game, adding to the team’s growing injury list.
Bayern Munich will look to maintain their momentum as they continue their push for the Bundesliga title, while St. Pauli will hope to turn their fighting performances into points to escape the relegation zone.
