Leroy Sané scored twice and Harry Kane added to his Bundesliga-best tally as Bayern Munich restored its six-point lead by beating St. Pauli 3-2 on Saturday.
The visitor made a courageous start and went close to scoring when captain Jackson Irvine’s header was deflected onto the crossbar. Then Bayern pounced on a mistake with Michael Olise crossing for Kane’s league-leading 22nd goal in the 17th minute.
Elias Saad equalized in the 27th when Manolis Saliakas was given enough space on the right to cross for the Tunisia forward.
Sané restored Bayern’s lead in the 53rd with a low shot across goal after being sent through by Olise, then scored again to seal the win.
Lars Ritzka pulled one back for St. Pauli in stoppage time after Bayern defender Hiroki Ito was unable to play the final minutes. It’s the latest injury blow to Bayern’s defense with Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano out with knee injuries.
The victory ended Bayern's two-game winless streak in the Bundesliga, but coach Vincent Kompany will face questions about his team's vulnerabilities in defense — particularly with the shortages he faces there.
Bayern faces Inter Milan in the Champions League quarterfinals on April 8.
Alassane Plea’s header after the break was enough for Borussia Mönchengladbach to beat Leipzig 1-0 and move above the visiting team to fifth, two points behind Eintracht Frankfurt.
Frankfurt could consolidate its position among the top four for Champions League qualification later Saturday with a win at home over Stuttgart.
Also, Heidenheim boosted its survival hopes with a 1-0 win at Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim drew with Augsburg 1-1, and Werder Bremen won at bottom side Holstein Kiel 3-0.
Defending champion Bayer Leverkusen temporarily cut Bayern’s lead to three points with a 3-1 win over Bochum on Friday. Seven rounds remain after this weekend.
