Football: Haaland haunts Dortmund as Man City win but Chelsea held on Potter debut

PARIS, France -- Erling Haaland scored an acrobatic late winner against his old club as Manchester City beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, while there were hard-earned victories for Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

Meanwhile Chelsea were held by Red Bull Salzburg in their first match under new head coach Graham Potter, as Rangers lost heavily again and Celtic drew with Shakhtar Donetsk.

In Manchester, Haaland took on the club he left in the close season for 60 million euros ($60m, £52m) after two and a half prolific years in the Bundesliga.

Yet it looked like Dortmund might spring a surprise as they went ahead just before the hour mark at the Etihad Stadium when England midfielder Jude Bellingham headed in.

City's equalizer did not come until Kevin De Bruyne set up John Stones to smash in with 10 minutes left, and Haaland got the winner in the 84th minute with an outrageous finish from Joao Cancelo's magnificent cross.

Haaland now has 13 goals in nine games for City, who have two wins from two in Group G.

"In the end we showed what we are," Haaland told BT Sport. "Dortmund were really good today (but) three points is what matters."

City's next two games will be against FC Copenhagen, who drew 0-0 with Sevilla in Denmark.

In London, Potter took charge of Chelsea for the first time but had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Salzburg in Group E, with Raheem Sterling's opener early in the second half being cancelled out by Noah Okafor.

"It has not been easy for the boys, they have responded to us really well over the last few days and it's a point we will have to take and get better," Potter told BT Sport.

Earlier, group rivals AC Milan beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-1 at San Siro, with Olivier Giroud scoring a penalty before Alexis Saelemaekers and Tommaso Pobega added further goals either side of a Mislav Orsic strike for Dinamo.

- Late goals for Madrid -

Reigning European champions Madrid needed two late goals to beat RB Leipzig 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu and maintain their perfect start in Group F.

Federico Valverde opened the scoring 10 minutes from time after being set up by Vinicius Junior, and substitute Marco Asensio sealed the victory with a tremendous first-time finish in injury time.

Carlo Ancelotti's side are clear at the top of the section from Shakhtar, who rode their luck to claim a 1-1 draw with Celtic.

The Scottish champions went ahead early on when Reo Hatate's ball into the six-yard box went into the net off Artem Bondarenko.

But Shakhtar, playing European home games in Warsaw due to the war in Ukraine, equalized before the half-hour mark via an emphatic finish by Mykhailo Mudryk.

Celtic had chances to win the game, none better than a late strike by Giorgos Giakoumakis that flashed agonizingly wide.

"We'll get our rewards if we keep playing that kind of football and showing that kind of commitment," said Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou.

At least they have a point, in stark contrast to rivals Rangers who lost 3-0 at home to Napoli in Group A.

- PSG come from behind -

In a dramatic second half, Rangers had American defender James Sands sent off for conceding a penalty which Piotr Zielinski had saved, only for Matteo Politano to score the rebound.

However, the referee ordered a retake, and Allan McGregor saved from Zielinski again.

Yet Napoli won another penalty midway through the second half, and this time Politano scored from the spot, before Giacomo Raspadori and Tanguy Ndombele added further goals.

The game had been postponed by 24 hours due to policing issues related to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and Rangers ignored a decision by UEFA to reject their request to play the British national anthem before kick-off.

Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to beat Maccabi Haifa 3-1 in Israel as their superstar front three all scored.

Suriname international Tjaronn Chery put the home side ahead only for Lionel Messi to equalize before the break.

Messi then set up Kylian Mbappe to make it 2-1 midway through the second half, and Neymar sealed a second win in as many Group H games for PSG.

Juventus suffered a second straight defeat, though, as they lost 2-1 at home to Benfica.

Arkadiusz Milik's opener for Juve was cancelled out by Joao Mario's penalty, before David Neres struck Benfica's winner.

Agence France-Presse

Soccer: Dortmund's Sancho, Akanji fined for getting haircuts without face masks

BERLIN - Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho and Manuel Akanji were fined an unspecified amount by the German Football League (DFL) on Friday for failing to wear face masks during a visit from a hair dresser.

The DFL said both players had broken the health guidelines that have governed Bundesliga clubs and players since the league restarted amid the COVID-19 pandemic on May 16.

Six Dortmund players, including England international Sancho and Akanji, got their hair cut by the hairdresser who then asked some of them to take pictures with him.

"It is clear that pro players also need to get their hair cut. But that has to happen in line with the medical and hygiene concept," the DFL said in a statement.

"The fines are not against the club which is not seen as having a responsibility in this case."

Sancho, 20, responded on Twitter https://twitter.com/Sanchooo10/status/1268937366254825473, describing the decision as an "absolute joke".

Bundesliga matches are played without fans and teams must adhere to strict health guidelines that regulate the process and operation of training sessions and games. The league, with five rounds of matches left in the season, plans to finish by the end of the month.

Sancho also hit the headlines last weekend when after scoring he revealed an undershirt with the message "Justice for George Floyd" — an unarmed black man who died in Minneapolis after a white U.S. police officer knelt on his neck.

Sancho escaped any sanction after the German Football Association said players were free to show their support for protests over Floyd's death. (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, Editing by Toby Davis and Ed Osmond)

-reuters-

Football: Bayern Munich down Dortmund to close on Bundesliga title

BERLIN, Germany -- Joshua Kimmich described his winning goal as "brutally important" after Bayern Munich took a huge step towards an eighth straight Bundesliga title on Tuesday with a 1-0 win at Borussia Dortmund to leave them seven points clear at the top with just six games left.

Kimmich's brilliant effort came just before half-time behind closed doors at Signal Iduna Park as hosts Dortmund missed the chance to turn up the heat on the Bavarians without the backing of their huge support.

"It was brutally important: I looked around to see if everyone understood how important it was," Kimmich said of his deft chip.

Kimmich's captain Manuel Neuer echoed the defensive midfielder's thoughts.

"That was a very important sign," said Neuer.

Bayern won 4-0 when the teams met in Munich in November and they kept up their excellent recent record against second-placed Dortmund.

"Now only Bayern can decide what happens," said frustrated Dortmund captain Mats Hummels.

"Sometimes, games are decided by brilliant moments and that was the case today."

Dortmund's star teenage striker, Erling Braut Haaland, who had scored ten goals in as many league games, failed to make an impact against Bayern's watertight defenSe before going off injured in the second half.

Jerome Boateng and David Alaba gave him no room, while Kimmich and Leon Goretzka in midfield made sure passes intended for him rarely met their mark. The Norway forward limped off with 20 minutes left after a heavy tackle from Boateng.

- Cleared chances -

Things might have been different, with Haaland coming close inside the first minute with an attempt that went through the legs of Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer but was kicked off the line by Boateng.

At the other end, Lukasz Piszczek cleared a Serge Gnabry shot inches from the line, while moments later Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Buerki denied Kingsley Coman.

Bayern were in control, and Kimmich grabbed what proved to be the winner two minutes before half-time when he chipped Buerki from 20 yards.

It was the Germany international's third league goal from outside the box this season.

In an attempt to turn the game around, Dortmund coach Lucien Favre brought on midfield enforcer Emre Can at the start of the second half and added the pace of Jadon Sancho on the wing.

The home side had a shout for a penalty just before the hour mark when a Haaland shot was deflected wide by the arm of Boateng, but nothing was given.

Shortly after, Haaland limped off to be replaced by 17-year-old Giovanni Reyna.

In the dying stages, Favre brought on 2014 World Cup winner Mario Goetze, who is out of contract next month and set to leave, in the vain hope of grabbing an equaliser.

With time running out, Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski hit the post.

The league's top scorer then had a strong appeal for a late penalty waved away after a push in the area by Dortmund defender Manuel Akanji.

But the roars of celebration at the end came from the Bayern bench and echoed around the near-empty stadium.

- Leverkusen crash -

Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen dropped to fifth after being routed 4-1 at home by Wolfsburg, whose defender Marin Pongracic claimed two goals.

It was a shock defeat at home for Peter Bosz-coached Leverkusen who had won their previous 12 games. 

Borussia Moenchengladbach climbed over Leverkusen into fourth with a goalless draw at second-from-bottom Werder Bremen, who are two points from safety.

Eintracht Frankfurt took a point at home in a 3-3 draw with Freiburg thanks to late goals by Timothy Chandler and Japan striker Daichi Kamada.

Third-placed RB Leipzig can draw level on points with Dortmund if they win on Wednesday at home to Hertha Berlin, who have won both games so far under new head coach Bruno Labbadia.

Leipzig will be without Danish striker Yussuf Poulsen, who is set to miss the rest of the season with injury.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Sensational Haaland gives Dortmund 2-1 win over PSG

DORTMUND, Germany - Borussia Dortmund's lethal teenage striker Erling Haaland scored twice in eight minutes to lead them to a 2-1 win over Paris St Germain in their Champions League last 16, first leg on Tuesday.

The Norwegian, 19, who joined in the last transfer window and has eight goals in five Bundesliga matches, stabbed in from close range after a quick-fire passing move in the 69th minute.

He then thundered home an unstoppable shot for his second goal in the 77th, two minutes after PSG's Brazilian forward Neymar had leveled for the French champions.

Haaland, the first Dortmund player to score in his first league, German Cup and Champions League matches, has reached 10 goals in seven games in Europe's elite competition this season, including eight for Salzburg in the group stage, faster than anyone.

He is only the second teenager to net 10 Champions League goals, after Kylian Mbappe, and is the first teenager to score 10 in a single campaign in the competition.

He is also the first player to score with two different teams in the same season in the competition.

"I still need to improve, keep working," Haaland said. "I want to go far in the Champions League. With the second goal I enjoyed the moment."

PSG, who were eliminated at this stage of the competition in the previous three seasons, had fit-again Neymar and French striker Mbappe back in the starting lineup but were almost completely shut out by an efficient Dortmund backline.

FEW CHANCES

"Obviously, maybe we deserved the draw but Dortmund were very good," said PSG defender Thomas Meunier.

"They didn’t lose one game here at home this season and we saw today it is so difficult. We thought they had defensive problems, but we didn’t create many chances."

In a cautious first half the French side had the slight advantage in possession but Dortmund carved out the only real chance after 27 minutes with a curled shot from Jadon Sancho.

Mbappe and Neymar were kept under tight surveillance, with Dortmund defenders Mats Hummels, Lukasz Piszczek -- on his 350th appearance for the club in all competitions -- and Dan Axel Zagadou denying the pair any space to maneuver. 

The Germans' main source of firepower, the livewire Haaland, was also shackled for about an hour before finally finding some space to instinctively round off a quick Dortmund move.

PSG, who will be without midfielder Marco Verratti and Meunier for the return leg after they picked up bookings, drew level through Neymar, who found the net after a fine run down the right by Mbappe. The Brazilian also later hit the post.

But the visitors could do nothing when 17-year-old substitute Giovanni Reyna found Haaland on the edge of the box and the prolific forward released a fiercely struck left-foot shot that gave PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas no chance.

"Everyone played an outstanding game," Dortmund midfielder Emre Can said. "But it was important that we all defended extremely well. It was a big statement from the team, but we know it is not the end, it is just halftime." 

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ken Ferris)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Bayern demolish Dortmund to reclaim Bundesliga top spot

MUNICH, Germany - Champions Bayern Munich dismantled Bundesliga title rivals Borussia Dortmund 5-0 on Saturday, scoring four goals in a flawless first half to reclaim top spot and get back on course for a record-extending seventh straight league crown.

The Bavarians exploded into action and scored twice in the opening 17 minutes through Mats Hummels and Robert Lewandowski, adding two more from Javi Martinez and Serge Gnabry before the interval.

Lewandowski's strike meant the Polish forward became only the fifth player in Bundesliga history to reach the 200-goal mark and the first foreigner to do so.

The hosts, who drew 1-1 at Freiburg last week, stepped off the gas after the break and controlled the game before Lewandowski scored again in the 89th minute and Bayern moved up to 64 points with six matches remaining, one point clear of Dortmund.

"We put them instantly under pressure. We wanted to attack them early and we overran them," Bayern coach Niko Kovac said. "It was exactly what we had set out to do. We may have had some slip-ups this season but that happens.

"There were many critics of this team and that is why I am really happy for my players today."

The first chance, however, fell to Dortmund with Mo Dahoud hitting the post after a lightning quick break.

But that was the last Dortmund attack for a long time, with a glancing header by Hummels putting the host ahead in the 10th minute and highlighting their aerial superiority.

In total Bayern had 22 shots on goal compared to Dortmund's four and things got worse when Dan-Axel Zagadou's backpass fell to Lewandowski in the 17th and the Bundesliga's leading scorer chipped it over keeper Roman Buerki and volleyed in.

Poland's Lewandowski, who has scored 21 in the league this season, was the first player to break the 200-goal milestone since 1987.

Buerki had to rescue his team again when Hummels and Lewandowski beat the Dortmund defenders in the air.

The keeper denied Thomas Mueller from close range in the 41st minute but could do nothing to stop Martinez's rebound that put the hosts 3-0 up.

Gnabry added another to kill off any hopes of a comeback by Dortmund, who badly missed their injured top scorer Paco Alcacer.

Lewandowski notched his 21st goal of the season and 201st in the Bundesliga to put the cherry on top of a big win for Bayern which made them title favourites once more.

"This was clearly a lesson for us today," said Dortmund coach Lucien Favre. "We have to accept it. They were faster, more aggressive, more skilled. We now must focus on the next game." 

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Dortmund stumble against Augsburg, Eintracht win again

BERLIN - Borussia Dortmund missed a bagful of chances to draw 1-1 at home with Augsburg on Tuesday, as they squandered the opportunity to make up ground in the Bundesliga title race heading into the winter break.

South Korean Ji Dong-won beat keeper Roman Weidenfeller at the second attempt in the 33rd minute to put the visitors ahead.

Dortmund, who had hit the post through Mario Goetze in the ninth minute, dominated late in the first half but could not make their pressure count until Ousmane Dembele levelled two minutes after the restart.

The hosts had numerous chances in a one-sided second half with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Bundesliga's top scorer, going close half a dozen times.

Dortmund are fourth on 27 points, nine points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, who face each other on Wednesday.

"I think the game tonight reflects our first half of the season," said Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel after Dortmund's third consecutive league draw.

"We are being punished too often. We should be able at some point to keep a clean sheet and win 1-0," Tuchel said. "We will obviously not stop working at it. We need to be consistent in our competitions."

Eintracht Frankfurt moved up to third on 29 after beating 10-man Mainz 05 3-0 with Branimir Hrgota scoring twice as they secured a fourth victory in their last seven league games.

Mario Gomez's winner gave VfL Wolfsburg a 2-1 victory over Borussia Moenchengladbach that left both teams on 16 points and heaped further pressure on Gladbach coach Andre Schubert following their fifth loss in the last seven games.

Hamburg SV climbed into the relegation playoff spot after edging past Schalke 04 2-1.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Toby Davis)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Dortmund hold Real as Porto, Sevilla make last 16

PARIS, France -- Borussia Dortmund set a new Champions League scoring record in a 2-2 draw against Real Madrid on Wednesday while FC Porto and Sevilla claimed the two remaining last-16 spots.

Dortmund made sure of top spot in Group F after fighting back from 2-0 down against defending champions Madrid, leaving the Spanish giants with theoretically a tougher draw to make the quarter-finals.

Marco Reus was the star of the late show at the Santiago Bernabeu, hitting the equaliser two minutes from time.

A double from Karim Benzema looked to have Real well set to leapfrog the Germans and secure a home game in the second leg of their last-16 tie.

However, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reduced the arrears before substitute Reus slid in to turn Aubameyang's dangerous low cross high into the net.

Dortmund scored 21 goals in their group campaign, the most for any team in a group stage in the history of the tournament.

"Real had some big chances in the second half, but we hoped for a lucky punch and we got it," said Reus.

"'Auba' was world-class with his pass and I was happy to get on the end of it -- the goal was 99 percent him and one from me."

Real coach Zinedine Zidane said his team should have killed off the game.

"We gave the game away by missing chances to score the third goal," said Zidane.

Sevilla made the last 16 for the first time in seven years after soaking up the pressure to draw 0-0 away to Lyon.

Lyon -- who lost 1-0 in Seville in September and trailed the Spaniards by three points -- needed to win by two clear goals to go through.

But they could not find a way through, with Corentin Tolisso and Mathieu Valbuena both hitting the woodwork.

"I am satisfied because we have put in enormous efforts to qualify against very important opponents," said Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli.

Table-topping Juventus defeated Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 with Gonzalo Higuain and Daniele Rugani on target. The Croatians finished their campaign having failed to score a single goal.

   
- Leicester claim unwanted record -

Leicester City, who had already made sure of top spot in Group G in their debut season in the competition, suffered their first loss of the campaign, 5-0 at Porto who went through as runners-up.

Porto, the 1987 and 2004 European champions, opened the scoring after just six minutes when Andre Silva headed in a corner from Jesus Corona.

Corona hit a spectacular second goal with a left-footed volley from a cross by Yacine Brahimi after being left unmarked in the area. Brahimi made it 3-0 with a cheeky backheel before the interval.

Silva added a fourth from the penalty spot on 64 minutes after Danny Drinkwater had hauled down the striker in the penalty area with Diogo Jota making it 5-0, the biggest Champions League defeat for an English club.

"We can lose, but I want us to show our character and our strength. We didn't do that well enough tonight," said Leicester coach Claudio Ranieri.

FC Copenhagen had harboured hopes of pipping Porto for second place but despite a 2-0 win at pointless Club Brugge, they had to settle for a Europa League place.

In Group E, Bayer Leverkusen, already assured of second spot, downed Monaco 3-0 but the win wasn't enough to overhaul the table-topping French side.

Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, came back from a goal down to defeat CSKA Moscow 3-1 and claim a Europa League place.

Alan Dzagoev put the Russians ahead after 33 minutes, but the lead lasted just five minutes until Dele Alli levelled from a Christian Eriksen cross to ensure that CSKA goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev's miserable Champions League record of failing to keep a clean sheet stretched to 39 games.

Harry Kane and an Akinfeev own-goal gave Spurs the three points.

England star Kane admitted that Tottenham need to improve their home form if they are to progress in future European adventures.

"You are playing the best teams in Europe so you can't rely on away results which we have done this season," said Kane.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Dortmund claim Champions League record 8-4 win

DORTMUND, Germany - Already-qualified Borussia Dortmund crushed Legia Warsaw 8-4 on Tuesday to set a record for the most goals scored in a Champions League match, helped by a Marco Reus hat-trick.

Rampant Dortmund netted five times in 15 first-half minutes with Shinji Kagawa grabbing two goals while Reus, back for the first time after six months out injured, completed the scoring in stoppage time.

Dortmund are top of Group F on 13 points, two points ahead of Real Madrid, who beat Sporting 2-1 away, with the two sides meeting in Spain in December to decide who takes top spot in the section.





"I was just happy to be there from the start," Reus, who missed the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016 because of injury, told reporters. "It is how you imagine your perfect comeback.

"I waited a long time for this and so it is even sweeter. The ball will be signed by everyone and will go on the shelf."

With the 27-year-old Reus named captain and coach Thomas Tuchel resting key players following their league win over Bayern Munich on Saturday, Dortmund took control from the start.

But it was the visitors who struck first with Aleksandar Prijovic brilliantly curling in his shot with the outside of his foot in the 11th minute.

Their lead, however, lasted only six minutes with Kagawa nodding in Oussmane Dembele's low cross at the far post as Dortmund began their goal bonanza.

The Japanese grabbed his second goal a minute later and Nuri Sahin, making only his second appearance this season, got on the scoresheet after goalkeeper Radoslaw Cierzniak punched a Reus free kick straight onto the midfielder's chest in the 20th minute.

Prijovic got his second of the evening in the 25th minute and could have leveled when he chipped the ball onto the crossbar a minute later.

Two goals in three minutes from Dembele and Reus wrapped up a frenzied first half.

Reus picked up where he left off after the break, tapping in for his second goal in the 52nd minute with Legia's Michal Kucharczyk pulling one back yet again for the visitors.

The teams traded blows once more with Legia's Nemanja Nikolic scoring two minutes after Felix Passlack had headed in Dortmund's seventh goal.

Reus ended the goalfest with his third in stoppage time for the record-breaking 12th goal of the game.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Simon Cambers)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Late Benzema header gives Real 2-1 win at 10-man Sporting

LISBON - Champions League holders Real Madrid secured a last-16 berth for the 20th successive season after an 87th-minute header by substitute Karim Benzema gave them a labored 2-1 win at 10-man Sporting Lisbon in their Group F clash on Tuesday.

The result left Real second in the group on 11 points from five games, two behind Borussia Dortmund who crushed Legia Warsaw 8-4 to set a record for the most goals scored in a Champions League match.

Dortmund need a draw when they visit Real at the Bernabeu on Dec 7 to win the section. Sporting have three points and will clinch a consolation last-32 berth in the second-tier Europa League with a draw at Legia.

Real stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to 30 games after a patchy performance in which their top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, needing two goals to reach a 100-goal milestone in European club competition, was largely subdued.

France defender Rafael Varane fired Real ahead in the 29th minute but it took a late glancing header by Benzema to rescue them after Adrien Silva had equalised with a penalty after Joao Pereira's 64th-minute red card.

Varane drilled the ball home from six metres after Ronaldo unwittingly laid the ball into his path following an inviting cross by Luka Modric.

Needing a win to keep alive their own hopes of advancing, Sporting matched Real in every department for long spells but were up against it after Pereira was sent off following an altercation with Mateo Kovacic.

Their 80th-minute equaliser came out of the blue, with substitute Fabio Coentrao handling the ball while raising his arm to appeal for handball by Sporting forward Joel Campbell.

Real appeared to be heading for a draw -- and the group's runners-up spot -- after Silva blasted his spot kick past Keylor Navas, but Benzema made his presence count after coming on for Isco midway through the second half.

Just as Sporting pressed forward in search of a winner despite their numerical disadvantage, Benzema steered an inch-perfect cross by Sergio Ramos into the bottom right corner.

(Writing by Zoran Milosavljevic; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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BUNDESLIGA: Dortmund sink Bayern to end champions' unbeaten run

DORTMUND - Borussia Dortmund ended Bayern Munich's unbeaten run, edging a 1-0 win on Saturday thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's 12th goal of the season, cutting the gap between the champions and their biggest title rivals to three points.

Gabon international Aubameyang made the most of Dortmund's frenetic start, tapping in an 11th-minute assist from Mario Goetze, who was facing his former club for the first time since his move in the close season.

"It was a great feeling to score this goal," the forward told reporters. "It was great work from Lukasz Piszczek and Mario."

"I am very happy for our fans who supported us the entire game. They never stopped."

More than a quarter of the game had gone before Bayern, who drop to second in the Bundesliga, three points behind new leaders RB Leipzig, landed a shot on goal, but they were in command for the rest of the half, although they failed to beat keeper Roman Buerki.

They had the ball in the net 10 minutes after the restart but Franck Ribery's clever flick was ruled offside.

Xabi Alonso then hammered a shot against the crossbar as Bayern upped the pressure, virtually camped in the Dortmund half.

Aubameyang should have made it two for the hosts in the 71st minute when he pounced on an Alonso mistake and charged into the box, but Manuel Neuer stood his ground and palmed his shot wide.

Dortmund, whose win was only their second in the last nine Bundesliga encounters against Bayern, move up to third on 21 points, six behind Leipzig, who won 3-2 at Bayer Leverkusen on Friday night.

Marcel Risse scored a stoppage-time winner as Cologne came from a goal down to beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 and climb into fourth, ahead of Hertha Berlin, who dropped to fifth following a goalless draw at Augsburg. Both have also 21 points.

Gladbach, Champions League competitors this season, made it six games without a win after Risse thundered in a shot from a free kick with seconds left to play.

Bundesliga top scorer Anthony Modeste's 59th-minute goal -- his 12th of the campaign -- had cancelled out Lars Stindl's 32nd-minute lead for Gladbach.

Hertha failed to gain more ground on the top spots in a lacklustre encounter against Augsburg.

Schalke 04 earned a deserved 1-0 victory at VfL Wolfsburg thanks to Leon Goretzka's winner eight minutes from the end to leave the Wolves hovering two points above the relegation zone.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann,; Editing by Neville Dalton)

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BUNDESLIGA: Lewandowski hits two for Bayern to pass 'Auba'

BERLIN, Germany -- Robert Lewandowski netted twice on Sunday to overtake Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the Bundesliga's top scorer as leaders Bayern Munich won 3-1 at Augsburg.

Poland striker Lewandowski netted either side of half-time with Thomas Mueller securing the points for the Bundesliga leaders before Raul Bobadilla pulled a goal back for Augsburg late on.

Lewandowski now has 21 goals to his name this season, one more than Borussia Dortmund striker Aubameyang on 20. He has now scored eight of Bayern's last nine goals and has netted 31 times in all competitions.

Playing in front of Thiago Alcantara and Mueller, he showed clinical finishing on 15 minutes to open the scoring and calmly curled in his second on 62 minutes by converting Thiago's pass.

Mueller added the third on 78 minutes for his 15th league goal of the season, leaving him and Lewandowski with 36 goals between them in Germany's top flight this season.

Despite Bobadilla's late consolation, Bayern are eight points clear of Dortmund at the top of the table.

The win was a big boost for Bayern coach Pep Guardiola after he lost yet another defender on the eve of the Bavarian derby when Holger Badstuber fractured his ankle in training.

With Jerome Boateng, Medhi Benatia and Javi Martinez sidelined, it left Guardiola without a single fit centre-back as Badstuber underwent surgery on Saturday.

He misses the rest of the season after suffering his fourth major injury since 2012 including twice tearing his cruciate knee ligament.

"We have had a lot of injuries this season, but we all love Holger and it is incredible what has happened to him," said Guardiola.

The Spaniard, like the rest of the squad before the game, wore a t-shirt with a direct message to Badstuber: "We're with you - you'll manage it again (to come back)".

"We'll support him on his way back to fitness," said Guardiola solemnly.

He fielded a back four of Juan Bernat, David Alaba, Philipp Lahm and Joshua Kimmich -- all of whom are under five foot 11 inches (1.80m).

- Hamburg pull clear -

Earlier, Hamburg pulled clear of the relegation battle with a shock 3-2 comeback win at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach to end their six-game winless streak.

US international Fabian Johnson gave the visitors an early lead before Gladbach defender Martin Hinteregger stabbed the ball into his own net from a corner on 38 minutes to equalise for Hamburg.

And just three minutes later, Artjoms Rudnevs finished a Hamburg counter-attack to make it 2-1 at the break.

Midfielder Ivo Ilicevic extended Hamburg's lead when he headed home from a corner with 10 minutes to go.

Brazilian striker Raffael gave Gladbach brief hope by making it 3-2 on 88 minutes.

On Saturday, Henrikh Mkhitaryan's second-half goal sealed second-placed Dortmund's 1-0 win over bottom side Hanover 96.

Aubameyang, who had a leg knock, missed his first league match of the season for Dortmund.

Wolfsburg warmed up for Wednesday's Champions League last 16, first leg at Gent with a 2-0 win at home to Ingolstadt, their first victory since knocking Manchester United out of the Champions League in December.

Wolfsburg won for the first time in six games but stay eighth after first-half goals by Germany midfielder Julian Draxler and defender Robin Knoche.

Bayer Leverkusen moved up to third with a 2-1 comeback win at Darmstadt.

On a heavy pitch, Sandro Wagner stabbed home to give Darmstadt an early lead, but Leverkusen drew level when Darmstadt defender Aytac Sulu headed into his own net on 62 minutes.

Julian Brandt started the move he finished by tapping in Leverkusen's winner on 77 minutes.

VfB Stuttgart's impressive form continued as they picked up their fifth straight league win to go 10th, beating Hertha Berlin 2-0.

Ivory Coast's Serey Die and winger Filip Kostic scored Stuttgart's goals as Hertha drop to fourth.

The youngest manager in Bundesliga history made his debut when Julian Nagelsmann, 28, was on Hoffenheim's bench for their 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen in a basement battle.

Nagelsmann took over after predecessor Huub Stevens resigned on Wednesday due to heart problems. The result leaves both teams in the bottom three.

Eintracht Frankfurt remain just above the relegation places after their 3-1 defeat at Cologne.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com