Bayern Munich produced a dramatic late turnaround to defeat FC St Pauli 3-1 at the Allianz Arena on Saturday, with Luis Diaz emerging as the hero with a stoppage-time header.
Early Shock and Persistent Pressure
The match took a surprising turn after just six minutes when Andreas Hountondji capitalised on a Joshua Kimmich error in midfield. The St Pauli forward outmuscled Kim Min-jae and fired past veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer at the near post, silencing the home crowd.
Bayern, fresh from their first defeat of the season against Arsenal in the Champions League, dominated possession but were frustrated by the woodwork. Youngsters Lennart Karl and Tom Bischof both struck the post as the Bundesliga leaders sought an equaliser against the league's bottom club.
Diaz Inspires the Fightback
The Colombian winger, who was suspended for the midweek loss to Arsenal, was instrumental in Bayern's revival. Just before half-time, Luis Diaz created the equaliser in spectacular fashion. After receiving a chipped pass from a redeeming Kim Min-jae, Diaz acrobatically managed to squeeze the ball to Raphael Guerreiro while falling, who blasted home from close range.
Bayern's pressure continued in the second half, with Harry Kane also hitting the woodwork with ten minutes remaining. The breakthrough finally came in the third minute of injury time. Harry Kane lofted a cross into the box, and Diaz powered a header into the net to send Bayern into a late lead.
Late Gloss and League Implications
Just four minutes after Diaz's winner, Nicolas Jackson, on loan from Chelsea, added a third goal with the final kick of the match to seal the 3-1 victory.
The result means Bayern avoid dropping points for only the second time this Bundesliga season. Combined with RB Leipzig's scoreless draw against Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday, Bayern will finish the round eight points clear at the top of the table.
Reflecting on the hard-fought win, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said, "We kept going after we went behind and were unlucky to hit the post three times. The late goals were a relief." He credited his side's unwavering "belief" for the crucial comeback.
In other Bundesliga action, Heidenheim scored twice after the 90th minute to snatch a 2-1 win at Union Berlin, while Hoffenheim jumped to fourth with a 3-0 victory over Augsburg.
