Bayern Munich came from a goal down to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1 in the Bundesliga and stay on the heels of the leaders, Bayer Leverkusen, going into their meeting next week.
The Bavarians, who scored three times after Gladbach took a first-half lead, moved to 50 points in second place, two behind Leverkusen. The result also earned a new record for Bayern Thomas Müller, who notched his 500th victory in all competitions for the club, the first Bayern player to reach that mark.
“A very important win and we knew it would be hard,” said the Bayern coach, Thomas Tuchel. “We had huge chances to take the lead but we failed to do it. Then they scored. But we showed a good reaction. We have 50 points, showed a great reaction to falling behind so it is very positive.”
The visitors stunned Bayern by taking a 35th-minute lead. Müller lost possession and Gladbach launched a quick three-pass move before Nico Elvedi beat Manuel Neuer.
Bayern, who had missed a slew of chances to Harry Kane and Leroy Sane, levelled on the stroke of half-time through the teenagerAleksandar Pavlovic who scored for the second week in a row.
The hosts’ comeback was complete in the 70th minute when Kane headed in from close range after a mistake by the Gladbach keeper. The England captain, who became the Bundesliga’s most expensive signing after joining from Tottenham Hotspur for a record €100m (£85m), has bagged 24 goals in Bayern’s 20 league games this season.
Kane has also spoken about the “difficult” time he endured after moving to Germany. “It wasn’t easy, the first four or five months being in the hotel and being away from the family,” he said. “That was for sure difficult so I was proud of the way I was still able to perform on the pitch in those circumstances.”
Now, though, Kane and his family are more settled. “We’ve had a good winter break and everyone came back with me, the kids are in school, we have got the house,” he continued. “Month by month it starts to feel more like home, you meet parents at school, my wife is meeting new friends and you just start to meet new people and see new things. Everyone has been fantastic, all the fans here, the club have been great and trying to make me welcome and so far it is nothing but praise for everyone here.”
He is also taking German lessons at least once or twice a week. “I want to fit in as much as possible and learning the language is important and I’m willing to try, he said. “The Bayern fans are great, I hear them chanting lots of songs throughout the matches.”
Matthijs de Ligt drilled in a header to seal the three points but the Bayern defender Alphonso Davies left the pitch injured late in the game.
Nathan Tella scored in each half to steer Bayer Leverkusen to a 2-0 victory at Darmstadt. Leverkusen went in front in the 33rd minute when Alejandro Grimaldo curled in a cross from the left to the far post and the unmarked Tella headed in.
The visitors should have added at least one more goal in the first half, missing several good chances including one for new signing Borja Iglesias. The Nigeria international Tella sealed victory in the 52nd minute, thundering home a shot from a Florian Wirtz layoff for his fourth league goal.
Barcelona won 3-1 at Alavés in La Liga thanks to goals by Robert Lewandowski, Ilkay Gündogan and substitute Vitor Roque, who was sent off after picking up a second yellow card.
Barcelona opened the scoring thanks to an incisive pass from Gündogan to Lewandowski and the Pole lofted the ball over goalkeeper Antonio Sivera to score his ninth goal of the season.
Gündogan popped up early in the second half with a fine left-foot strike from Pedri’s pass to increase Barcelona’s lead.
Alavés launched a quick counterattack two minutes later after a breakaway by Álex Sola who crossed for Samu Omorodion to head home. But Barcelona increased their lead thanks to Roque, who had replaced Gündogan in the 63rd minute.
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The Brazilian was sent off nine minutes later, however, after receiving yellow cards for an elbow on Nahuel Tenaglia and a foul on Rafa Marín.
Barcelona are third in the table on 50 points, seven behind the leaders, Real Madrid, who face Atlético Madrid on Sunday.
Second-placed Girona were held to a goalless draw at home by Real Sociedad, leaving them a point behind Real Madrid.
Girona thought they had taken the lead after 24 minutes but VAR intervened to overturn Yangel Herrera’s header for offside. Sixth-placed Sociedad, meanwhile, had Mikel Oyarzabal’s effort overruled, also for offside.
Jordan Henderson made his Ajax debut, completing the full 90 minutes as they held PSV Eindhoven, the unbeaten Eredivisie leaders, to a 1-1 draw.
Gareth Southgate, the England manager, watched from the stands at the Johan Cruyff Arena as the 33-year-old former Liverpool captain, signed last month from the Saudi club Al-Ettifaq, received a rousing welcome and looked comfortable in the Ajax midfield.
Steven Berghuis put Ajax ahead after 19 minutes, but PSV equalised 10 minutes before half-time through Luuk de Jong.
PSV have a 13-point lead over second-placed Feyenoord who play on Sunday. Ajax are fifth, 21 points behind PSV.
A late goal by Luka Jovic rescued a 3-2 win for Milan at Frosinone, helping Stefano Pioli’s side to keep in touching distance of Serie A’s top two sides, Internazionale and Juventus. Milan, third on 49 points, trail Inter by five and second-placed Juventus by four before the top two meet at the San Siro on Sunday, a clash that will still leave Inter with a game in hand.
Olivier Giroud opened the scoring in the 17th minute but Matías Soulé and Luca Mazzitelli gave Frosinone a 2-1 lead by the midpoint of the second half. Matteo Gabbia soon levelled and the substitute Jovic sealed the win for Milan nine minutes from time, firing in a loose ball in the box, one minute after coming on for Christian Pulisic.
