Pro Sports

Bayern hits back with 5-2 win at Union Berlin in Bundesliga

Posted October 30, 2021 7:00 am

By CIARÃN FAHEY

Bayern's Kingsley Coman, center, celebrates with Thomas Mueller, left, and Corentin Tolisso after scoring his side's fourth goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) The Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) - Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Bayern Munich restored some lost pride with a 5-2 win at Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Bayern was smarting from Wednesday's 5-0 loss at Borussia MÃ¶nchengladbach in the cup, and it rebounded by ending Union's 21-game unbeaten run at home in the league.

It was a clinical performance from the table-topping visitors, with Lewandowski starring early on and Leroy SanÃ© getting the third goal, before Kingsley Coman and Thomas MÃ¼ller made sure of the result after Niko GieÃŸelmann and Julian Ryerson had kept Union's hopes alive.

Union fans had been waiting more than two years to see their team host Bayern at the Stadion An der Alten FÃ¶rsterei since earning promotion in May 2019. Bayern's previous two games in Berlin's eastern borough of KÃ¶penick were played without fans present due to coronavirus restrictions. Some 16,500 were allowed Saturday despite rising infection rates for Union's biggest crowd since the pandemic started.

Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann, who remained away for the fourth game due to his own coronavirus infection, made four changes to the team that slumped to Bayern's biggest defeat in 43 years on Wednesday. Niklas SÃ¼le started in place of the overwhelmed Dayot Upamecano. Assistant coach Dino ToppmÃ¶ller again took charge from the sideline.

Nagelsmann will have been pleased with Bayern's opening 35 minutes, with the team cruising after a penalty and free kick from Lewandowski before SanÃ© made it 3-0.

It threatened to become a rout as the visitors were first to every ball and the home team struggled to keep up. But the Union fans never stopped singing and the players responded toward the end of the first half.

GieÃŸelmann pulled one back in the 43rd, a minute before the stadium erupted again when Sheraldo Becker scored another. That goal was chalked off for offside, but it served as a warning that Union wasn't beaten yet.

The roles were reversed after the break with Union dominating and pushing for more until Coman struck a brilliant goal on Bayern's counterattack in the 60th.

But Ryerson pulled one back in the 64th, set up by fellow substitute Kevin Behrens seconds after they came on.

Bayern made three substitutions in response, with one of them, Upamecano, setting up MÃ¼ller for the fifth to seal it in the 79th.

Union's fans kept singing, happy despite the loss of the team's unbeaten run. It was more important just to be back.

DORTMUND WINS

Goals either side of halftime from Thorgan Hazard and Steffen Tigges were enough for Borussia Dortmund to overcome Cologne 2-0.

'œWe ran a lot and won more challenges, but Cologne was the better team with the ball,'ť Dortmund coach Marco Rose said.

Dortmund again missed the influence of star striker Erling Haaland, out for the second spell this season, this time with a hip injury.

High-flying Freiburg stayed third with a 3-1 win over last-place Greuther FÃ¼rth, and Wolfsburg defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 away in Florian Kohfeldt's first game as coach.

Also, Mainz won 2-1 at Arminia Bielefeld.

Eintracht Frankfurt plays Leipzig later Saturday.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

___

CiarÃ¡n Fahey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cfaheyAP

Union's Niko Giesselmann celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) The Associated Press

Bayern's Kingsley Coman, left, and Thomas Mueller celebrate after Leroy Sane scoring his side's third goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) The Associated Press

Bayern's Lucas Hernandez kicks the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) The Associated Press

Union's Paul Jaeckel, left, jumps for the ball with Bayern's Corentin Tolisso during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) The Associated Press

Bayern's Lucas Hernandez, left, duels for the ball with Union's Sheraldo Becker during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) The Associated Press

Bayern's Joshua Kimmich, right, shakes hands with Bayern's Alphonso Davies prior to the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) The Associated Press

Union's fans sing and hold up scarves prior to the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) The Associated Press

Bayern's Robert Lewandowski applauds at the end of the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) The Associated Press

Bayern's Thomas Mueller, right, celebrates after scoring his side's fifth goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) The Associated Press

Bayern's Thomas Mueller celebrates at the end of the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) The Associated Press

Axel Witsel holds a baby as Dortmund players celebrate after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and 1.FC Cologne in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.