BERLIN (AP) — Luis Díaz and Nicolas Jackson scored in stoppage time to dig Bayern Munich out of a hole with a 3-1 win over St. Pauli in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Even if Bayern lost it was already assured of setting a new league record of 44 consecutive rounds at the top of the Bundesliga table.
Díaz deflected Joshua Kimmich’s cross in with his shoulder to dash the visitor’s hopes of a point three minutes into stoppage time, then Serge Gnabry sent Jackson through for another.
The goals extended St. Pauli’s losing record in the league to nine straight games and averted uncomfortable questions at Bayern, which was dealt its first defeat of the season by Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday.
A draw against the promoted Hamburg-based team would have been Bayern’s second in three league games after Union Berlin ended its record 16-game winning start to the season with a 2-2 draw on Nov. 8.
St. Pauli’s Andreas Hountondji stunned Bayern with the opener in the sixth minute, shooting the ball between Manuel Neuer’s legs after Mathias Pereira Lage won it from Konrad Laimer.
The goal-scorer had to go off shortly afterward after clutching the back of his thigh.
Lennart Kark and later Tom Bischoff hit the post as Bayern sought a response to the early setback.
The efforts paid off just before halftime when Díaz set up Raphaël Guerreiro to equalize. Díaz initially tried controlling the ball but sent it back for Guerreiro with his heel after losing his balance.
Harry Kane hit the post late on as Bayern kept pushing for the winner.
Heidenheim also struck twice in stoppage time to win 2-1 at Union to climb off the bottom. St. Pauli dropped to last in the table.
Said El Mala scored in stoppage time for Cologne to draw at Werder Bremen 1-1. Bremen’s Niklas Stark was sent off after two bad fouls on the Cologne star.
Hoffenheim enjoyed a 3-0 rout of Augsburg with all the goals scored in the first half.
Bayer Leverkusen was hosting Borussia Dortmund later.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
By CIARÁN FAHEY
AP Sports Writer
