Resilient Reds cut gap to two points overnight

FC Bayern beat FC Augsburg 3-2 on Friday night, warming up in style for Tuesday's Champions League encounter with Liverpool. Leon Goretzka put through his own goal after 13 seconds, Kingsley Coman levelling the scores a quarter-hour later. Dong-Won Ji put Augsburg in front again before the half-hour, Coman equalising shortly before the interval. David Alaba netted after the restart to hand Bayern an ultimately deserved victory.

The Bavarians started with Manuel Neuer between the sticks and Joshua Kimmich, Niklas Süle, Mats Hummels and Alaba in a back four. Thiago and Goretzka featured in a twin holding role behind Serge Gnabry, James and Coman, with Robert Lewandowski as lone striker. Thomas Müller and Franck Ribéry took over from James and Gnabry around the hour mark, Javi Martínez coming on for Thiago with ten minutes to go.

Early shock, brace for Coman

The night began with a shock for the Bavarians. Augsburg attacked immediately, Bayern's Goretzka putting a Philipp Max cross through his own net. Niko Kovac' troops went looking for a reply, Gnabry miscuing from a tight angle following a Coman cross. Hummels glanced a header wide but Bayern levelled the scores when Kimmich found Coman at the back stick, the Frenchman hammering home.

Munich struggled against the hosts, who were very compact in defence and threatened with quick attacks. Augsburg restored the lead when another Max cross resulted in a mix-up in the box, with Ji on hand to blast the ball into the roof of the net. Augsburg netminder Gregor Kobel proved equal to a Goretzka shot. Bayern increasingly controlled proceedings, with Lewandowski directing a header onto the bar and Goretzka heading over, but Coman beat Köbel to level the scores again and round off his brace with the half-time whistle imminent.

Alaba rewards dominant Reds

The German record champions went straight back onto the front foot. Lewandowski miscued from close range, but the linesman's flag was raised anyway. Alaba soon made their dominance count, blasting into the far corner of the net from a tight angle. The home side launched occasional forays forward now, but Bayern's counters were more dangerous. Lewandowski blasted inches wide before Goretzka had a gilt-edged chance, but Kobel saved comfortably.

Kobel only just directed a Coman header over the bar before the pace dropped in the closing stages. Augsburg poured forward but failed to create anything of attacking note, and match official Bibiana Steinhaus blew for full-time.

The result means Bayern have 48 points from 22 matches, two points short of Dortmund overnight. The German record champions will be back in action on Tuesday, when they travel to face Liverpool in a mouth-watering Champions League last sixteen first leg.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen