Robert Lewandowski was on target again, taking his tally to 11 league goals this season, as Bayern Munich came from behind to win 3-2 at old rivals Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Lewandowski, who played for Dortmund between 2010 and 2014, now has 17 goals in 13 games against his former club.
The win lifted Bayern three points clear of Dortmund and two clear at the top from second-placed Leipzig before the international break.
It was a cagey opening from both teams, each aware that the other was capable of punishing any mistakes. Dortmund started with their fearsome attacking lineup of Erling Haaland, Gio Reyna, Jadon Sancho and Marco Reus.
But it was the Poland striker Lewandowski who scored in the 24th minute, before the goal was ruled out through VAR for offside in an extremely close decision. Dortmund appeared subdued and Bayern seized control, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman both having chances.
The Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich had to be supported off the field 10 minutes before the break. Kimmich looked close to tears after injuring himself while attempting to stop Haaland with a foul. He was booked for the challenge.
Reus fired in under the crossbar with his first touch to Raphaël Guerreiro’s cross in the 45th minute. But there was still time before the break for David Alaba to equalise with a deflected free-kick.
Lewandowski made it 2-1 three minutes after the interval when he got ahead of Mats Hummels to head Lucas Hernández’s cross inside the far post. Coman struck the post minutes later as Bayern maintained thier strong start to the second half.
Lucien Favre reacted by bringing on 17-year-old Jude Bellingham with half an hour remaining, and then Thorgan Hazard and Julian Brandt with around 20 minutes to go. Hansi Flick brought on Leroy Sané and Lewandowski set up the former Manchester City winger to in effect seal the result on a counterattack in the 80th minute.
Haaland pulled one back in the 83rd, but Bayern remained more likely to score. Lewandowski had a second goal ruled out for offside in injury time.
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