Bundesliga: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund return to winning ways

Bayern edge Mainz

The Bavarians beat Mainz 2-1 at the Mewa Arena to maintain top spot on the Bundesliga table.

Bayern took a 14th minute lead through a long-range Joshua Kimmich strike after being set up by Harry Kane as the defending champions dominated the opening stanza without being able to get a second goal.

Mainz were denied an equalizer when Jae-Sung Lee headed in from Nadiem Amiriâ™s free-kick, but the goal was ruled out for offside before the visitors goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer was substituted due to injury just before half-time.

Vincent Kompany's side continued to dominate the match in the second half but struggled to create clear chances until the 57th minute when Kane bagged his second assist after passing to Lennart Karl to score.

Both sides rung the changes after the hour mark but neither could find a goal until deep into injury time when Philip Tietz flicked on Benedict Hollerbach's cross to half the deficit for Mainz.

However, Bayern held on to record a win and keep their unbeaten record in the league.

"We're pleased that we won," said Bavarians assistant coach Aaron Danks.

"Weâ™re a little disappointed to have conceded the goal at the end, but we know it's always a tough game here at Mainz. We had to suffer at times, but we were well prepared and stood our ground well, so weâ™re very happy to come away with a hard-fought away win."

Nmecha brace downs Elversberg

Borussia Dortmund defeated Elversberg 2-1 at the Signal Iduna Park courtesy of a brace from midfielder Felix Nmecha.

The two teams produced a cautious first half, with Fabio Silva and Felix Nmecha having the best chances at the half hour mark but both missed the target before both sides were forced to make injury forced substitutions.

Dortmund started the second half brightly, with Jobe Bellingham failing to score in the first minute while Elversberg's Francis Onyeka also saw his header miss the target on the other end shortly afterwards.

The BVB eventually took the lead in the 55th-minute through a neat left-footed fininsh from Nmecha strike shortly before Gregor Kobel produced an excellent save on Lukas Petkov's long-range free kick.

Nmecha doubled the tally in the 71st minute with a powerful strike after a swift counter-attacking move and initial goalscoring attempt from Fabio Silva.

The visitors pulled one back through substitute Noel Futkeu's spectacular overhead-kick but could not find an equalizer as Dortmund claimed the three points.

"This is very much a hard-fought victory for us," said BVB coach Niko Kovac.

"That's the only way to put it. It's to do with our opponent, Elversberg, as well as with these nine games in four weeks. In the first half, we struggled to put together the kind of plays we had envisioned, but Elversberg also defended very well.

"In the second half, we really found our way into the game. I'd say the two-zero lead was well-deserved at that point.. Then we again started doing what I don't like. We didn't keep playing and didn't go for the third goal. We came under pressure because we gave the ball away too easily. That wasn't good. That said, we gave it our all."

Elsewhere, RB Leipzig hammered Augsburg 5-2 at the Red Bull Arena despite the visitors taking a first minute lead through Anton Kade.

Ezechiel Banzuzi [34'] and Christopher Nkunku [35'] and David Raum [45+1'] overturned the deficit before half time before Romulo[60'] and Christoph Baumgartner [66'] added two more after the break prior to Uchenna Ogundu's injury-time strike for Augsburg.

At the Home Deluxe Arena, Paderborn were held to a 2-2 draw by ten-man Eintracht Franfurt after Jonathan Burkardt's late equalizer for the visitors.

Burkardt had given Frankfurt the lead in the 23rd minute before Raphael Obermair equalized for the home side at the stroke of half-time.

Marvin Pieringer converted from the spot in the 73rd minute to give Paderborn the lead before Bukardt's equalizer deep into stoppage time.

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