Stoppage-time Luis Díaz and Nicolas Jackson goals fire Bayern Munich past St. Pauli
Bayern Munich left it late to overcome St. Pauli's stubborn resistance as stoppage-time goals from Luis Díaz and Nicolas Jackson earned the Bundesliga leaders all three points in Munich.
Bayern Munich 3-1 St. Pauli
Goals: 0-1 Hountondji 6’ (assist: Pereira Lage), 1-1 Guerreiro 44’ (assist: Díaz), 2-1 Díaz 90’+3 (assist: Kimmich), 3-1 Jackson 90’+6
While Bundesliga leaders Bayern had racked up ten wins and a draw from their opening 11 league encounters, St. Pauli were looking to arrest a run of eight successive top-flight defeats - an unwanted club record.
The form book was thrown out of the window after just six minutes, however, when Andréas Hountondji latched onto a perfectly weighted through-ball from Mathias Pereira Lage, outpaced Minjae Kim and calmly slotted past Manuel Neuer to give the visitors an early lead.
St. Pauli were dealt a blow moments later, though, when Hountondji was forced off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, with Danel Sinani entering the fray in his stead.
Bayern responded well but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities, with Lennart Karl striking the left post from the edge of the box midway through the first half and Tom Bischof rattling the frame of the goal with a deflected effort not long after that.
The hosts' persistence was rewarded just before half-time, however, when Raphaël Guerreiro hammered Luis Díaz's wonderfully improvised flick high into the net to restore parity.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany signalled his attacking intent at half-time by introducing Michael Olise for Konrad Laimer, but it was Harry Kane who came closest to putting the hosts in front before Díaz's late intervention.
The England captain was denied by a tremendous Arkadiusz Pyrka block midway through the half before sending a sweetly struck effort against the base of the post from a tight angle with nine minutes remaining.
Bayern's pressure finally told three minutes into second-half added time, when Joshua Kimmich delivered a perfect cross from the right flank and Díaz rose highest to head past Nikola Vasilj.
Kompany's team made sure of the three points three minutes later, when substitute Nicolas Jackson beat St. Pauli's offside trap and sent a powerful strike beyond Vasilj to make it 3-1.
The result meant Bayern have spent 44 consecutive matchdays at the top of the Bundesliga, beating their own previous record from 1972/73. As for St. Pauli, they have now lost their last nine matches in the top flight - but they can take plenty of heart from their display in Munich.
Man of the Match: Raphaël Guerreiro
Guerreiro delivered an outstanding all-round performance that justified his selection as Man of the Match. The Portuguese defender scored the crucial equaliser just before half-time, showing excellent composure to fire home after Díaz's clever assist.
The Portugese was influential throughout, contributing significantly to Bayern's attacking play from the left side, linking effectively with Díaz and pushing forward when opportunities arose. His goal - which helped swing the pendulum in the hosts' favour - came on his 50th Bundesliga appearance for the record title-holders.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Bayern 1.93 - St. Pauli 0.56
Fastest player: Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich), 33.38 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 0-1 by Andréas Hountondji (St. Pauli), 9.3 percent
Most pressed player: Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich), 35 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), +2.95
Fantasy Heroes: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich, 338 Points), Raphaël Guerreiro (Bayern Munich, 316 Points), Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich, 313 Points)
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