Staff Reporter.
Bayern Munich earned a nervous 1-0 win at St Pauli thanks to a sensational 28-metre drive from Jamal Musiala to stay unbeaten and open a six-point lead atop the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Bayern, fresh from their 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica courtesy of another goal from in-form Musiala, will go into the international break leading the standings.
They have 26 points ahead of second-placed RB Leipzig, who host Borussia Moenchengladbach later on Saturday. Eintracht Frankfurt, who visit VfB Stuttgart on Sunday, are third on 17.
The Bavarians had the upper hand at the start but did not succeed in taming the hosts straight away.
Promoted St Pauli looked confident and gradually became more aggressive, carving out a couple of chances of their own. As the hosts pushed for a goal, however, it was Bayern who struck.
Germany midfielder Musiala won possession 30 metres out, took two steps and unleashed a ferocious shot that went in off the crossbar for his fifth league goal in the 23rd minute.
They gave the visitors little space to create chances for much of the second half with St Pauli waiting for their opportunity to hit the Bavarians on the break.
Bayern did come close late in the game with first Musiala firing over the bar and then Harry Kane failing to beat the Bochum keeper from close range a little later.
More Leverkusen regret
Defending champion Bayer Leverkusen dropped more points as Koji Miyoshi scored late for last-placed Bochum to draw 1-1 in veteran coach Dieter Hecking’s first game in charge.
The visitors dominated from the start and took their first chance when Florian Wirtz sent Patrik Schick to score his first league goal of the season in the 18th.
But Bochum kept fighting and deservedly equalized in the 89th when Miyoshi scored from a narrow angle after eluding several defenders.
Leverkusen has drawn half of its 10 league games and is struggling to meet its standards from last season.
Dortmund loses again
Borussia Dortmund captain Emre Can was sent off as his team slumped to its sixth straight away defeat by 3-1 at Mainz in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Reuters and AP contributed in this reporter.