The China Mail - Kane scores in Bayern comeback romp over Leipzig

The victory restores Bayern's 11-point lead atop the ladder over second-placed Borussia Dortmund, while continuing their record-breaking campaign.

Unbeaten Bayern have dropped just four points on their way to a record-equalling tally of 50 after 18 games. Bayern's total of 71 goals scored is also a record at this stage of a Bundesliga season.

Leipzig took a first-half lead through Romulo, but Bayern kicked into gear after the break, Serge Gnabry, Kane, Jonathan Tah, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Michael Olise all scoring.

Leipzig were strong early and broke through after 20 minutes when Romulo snuck past Bayern's Tah to poke in an Antonio Nusa pass from close range.

The hosts were undone in the simplest fashion just after half-time. Dayot Upamecano picked Christoph Baumgartner's pocket and fed Gnabry, who guided the ball into the bottom corner.

Bayern took the lead after 67 minutes, once again thanks to a Leipzig mistake.

Olise's floated cross did not appear dangerous until Ridle Baku lost his footing, allowing an unmarked Kane time and space to blast home.

With Leipzig's resistance broken, Tah, Pavlovic and Olise all scored in the final 10 minutes, while Jamal Musiala returned late off the bench after a six-month injury absence.

- Can rescues Dortmund -

Earlier, an Emre Can penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time saved Borussia Dortmund's blushes in a 3-2 home win against lowly St Pauli.

Dortmund were cruising when Julian Brandt and Karim Adeyemi scored either side of half-time but St Pauli hit back with goals by James Sands and Ricky-Jade Jones inside the space of 10 minutes.

In the dying moments, VAR found a foul on Germany forward Maximilian Beier, bringing Dortmund captain Can to the spot.

"What a rollercoaster ride," Can told Sky Germany, but added: "We need to do much better to settle things down and to convert our chances."

The hosts overcame a poor first half when Brandt tapped in from close range just before the break. Having created the opener, Adeyemi gave Dortmund a two-goal buffer in the 54th minute, converting a Fabio Silva assist.

St Pauli had won just once since September and sit on the bottom of the table but fought back into the game when Sands and Jones scored midway through the second half to stun the hosts.

Deep into stoppage time, Jones caught Beier on the edge of the penalty area, allowing Can to convert nervelessly from the spot.

Elsewhere, Hoffenheim's Wouter Burger scored the only goal in a 1-0 home win over flailing Bayer Leverkusen to climb past Leipzig into third in the table.

Burger swung in an excellent free-kick after nine minutes to give the hosts the three points.

"That was an important one," Burger said of his free-kick. "I was practising them a bit this morning."

Relegation candidates last season, Hoffenheim are on track to qualify for Europe's top competition for just the second time in their history, having last done so under now-Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann in 2017/18.

Leverkusen have now lost four of their past six, falling three points behind the Champions League placings.

Cologne beat Mainz 2-1 at home, Wolfsburg played out a 1-1 home draw with Heidenheim and hosts Hamburg were held to a scoreless draw by Borussia Moenchengladbach.

X.So--ThChM