Dortmund edge past beleaguered Bayern

Marco Reus wheels away in celebration after scoring against Bayern Munich in Dortmund, Saturday

Dortmund: Paco Alcacer scored the winner as Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund twice came from behind to beat defending champions Bayern Munich 3-2 and move seven points clear of their third-placed rivals.

The Saturday result piles added pressure on Bayern head coach Niko Kovac, as his side’s chances of winning a seventh straight title in his first season in charge took another blow. Lucien Favre’s Dortmund remain unbeaten and four points clear of second-placed Gladbach at the top of the table.

After Lewandowski twice gave Bayern the lead at Signal Iduna Park against his former club, Dortmund captain Marco Reus hit two equalisers before substitute Alcacer struck in the 73rd minute.  Alcacer has now scored eight goals in six league appearances since signing on loan from Barcelona.

Bayern took a deserved lead when Serge Gnabry curled in a cross for Lewandowski to power a header past stand-in Dortmund goalkeeper Marwin Hitz on 26 minutes. It was 1-0 at the break, but Dortmund drew level when Manuel Neuer brought Reus down in the area in the 49th minute and the skipper calmly converted the penalty.

Lewandowski restored the lead three minutes later, heading home his second — his 14th goal in 16 matches for Bayern against Dortmund, who he left in 2014 on a free transfer. Reus had a chance cleared off the line on 59 minutes, just before Lewandowski had the ball in the Dortmund net, but was flagged for offside. It was end-to-end stuff as Alcacer, then Reus blew golden chances before both made amends with goals.

Reus finally fired Dortmund level when he volleyed home a Lukasz Piszczek cross in the 67th minute. Then when Franck Ribery gave the ball away, Alcacer showed some classy finishing by rounding Neuer to put Dortmund ahead for the first time.

 

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