Reds rewarded for rousing fightback

FC Bayern staged a rousing comeback to beat Hoffenheim 5-2 in the Bundesliga on Saturday afternoon. Mark Uth and Serge Gnabry handed the visitors an early two-goal lead, but the German record champions soon bounced back, Robert Lewandowski and Jérôme Boateng levelling the scores before the half-hour. Kingsley Coman and Arturo Vidal sealed three points midway through the second half, with Sandro Wagner adding gloss to an already impressive scoreline in stoppage time.

The Bavarians started with Sven Ulreich in goal and Joshua Kimmich, Boateng, Niklas Süle and David Alaba in a back four. Sebastian Rudy anchored a midfield featuring Arjen Robben, Corentin Tolisso, Vidal and Coman, with Lewandowski as the central striker.

Jupp Heynckes made five changes to the XI that saw off Bremen last weekend, Alaba, Rudy, Tolisso, Vidal and Coman taking over from Juan Bernat, Javi Martínez, James, Thomas Müller and Franck Ribéry. Müller replaced the latter midway through the second half before Rafinha and Wagner, who joined Bayern from Hoffenheim this winter, came on for Robben and Kimmich.

Nightmare start

The 75,000 crowd at the Allianz Arena were treated to a brilliantly entertaining match on Saturday, but it did not look promising after 15 minutes. The afternoon began with a shock for the home side. Barely two minutes had been played when Hoffenheim were awarded a penalty. Ulreich saved against Hoffenheim's FCB loanee Gnabry, but Uth beat the Bavarians to the ball, netting the rebound.

Bayern went onto the front foot, looking for a reply against the hard-running visitors. Robben soon miscued an 18-yarder after his trademark move, cutting in from the right. But the champions were overly casual in defence in the early stages, gifting possession away in their own third, Gnabry stepping up to unleash a daisy-cutter that screamed its way into the corner of the net.

Reds bounce back

Heynckes' men quickly clawed their way back into the contest, more disciplined in defence now and dangerous as ever up front. It paid off when Lewandowski pulled one back, deflecting a Kimmich rocket after Coman's mazy dribble on the right.

Munich levelled the scores from a set-piece, the unmarked Boateng rising high to connect to a Robben corner and head into the net. The breathtaking pace dropped a little, Bayern seeking to impose their passing game. Curlers by Alaba and Vidal went wide before Lewandowski fired over the bar from 15 yards, and match official Manuel Gräfe blew for half-time.

Kingsley and Arturo close it out

The Reds dominated proceedings after the restart. TSG netminder Oliver Baumann proved equal to Vidal's spectacular 25-yarder before Süle miscued a header. Bayern's pressure paid off after the hour mark, when Coman crowned a blistering display, slotting past Baumann after Lewandowski's perceptive through-ball. Bayern soon twisted the knife. Again, Robben stepped up to take a corner. Again, a Munich man beat Hoffenheim to the ball, Vidal rising high at the back stick to nod the ball over the line.

The German record champions were content to dominate possession now, Vidal testing Baumann. The late flourish came with the final whistle imminent, when a Rafinha cross found Wagner in the box. The recent arrival scored his first goal for Bayern since his return, nudging the ball over the line with his knee, before Gräfe blew for full-time.

The result takes Bayern onto 50 points from 20 matches. The Reds are back in action next Saturday, when they travel to face Mainz in the Bundesliga before taking on Paderborn in the DFB Cup on Tuesday.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen