The Albany Gazette - Bayern survive Fuerth scare thanks to Lewandowski brace

A week after they slumped to a 4-2 defeat at Bochum, Bayern survived another scare against a promoted side as Lewandowski scored his eighth brace of the season to haul his side out of trouble.

The win keeps the league leaders comfortably ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who face Borussia Moenchengladbach later on Sunday.

Bayern had around 80 percent of possession for much of the first half, but the defensive wobbles of the last week continued as Fuerth looked to unsettle them on the counter-attack.

Fuerth striker Jamie Leweling was twice denied by Sven Ulreich after breaking free of the Bayern back line, before Branimir Hrgota gave his side the lead shortly before half-time.

Hrgota was brought down by Omar Richards on the edge of the area, and his free-kick looped past Ulreich after a deflection off Marcel Sabitzer's knee.

Having also lost Corentin Tolisso to injury midway through the first half, Bayern appeared to be facing yet another miserable afternoon.

But the champions bounced back just seconds after the restart, Lewandowski bundling the ball over the line from close range after a sharp run down the right from Serge Gnabry.

They took the lead just after the hour mark when Sebastian Griesbeck turned a Thomas Mueller cross into his own net to score an own-goal against Bayern for the second time this season.

Fuerth refused to roll over, however, with Max Christiansen and Marco Meyerhoefer both hitting the post a few minutes later.

Lewandowski ended their resistance 10 minutes from time, nodding the ball in from close range after Niklas Suele had set him up with a pinpoint header across the face of goal.

Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting completed the comeback with a tap-in in injury time.

(F.Schuster--BBZ)