Bayern Munich raced from two goals down to crush visitors Freiburg 6-2 in the Bundesliga, with Michael Olise scoring twice and setting up three more goals, to maintain the champions’ unbeaten run and lead the title race.
Bayern, who saw their 16-match winning run in all competitions end with a 2-2 draw at Union Berlin before the international break, found themselves two goals down after 17 minutes.
The visitors caught the Bayern defence napping on two set pieces, with Yuito Suzuki slotting in from close range after a quick passing move from a corner in the 12th minute. Five minutes later a Freiburg corner sailed to the far post where the unmarked Johan Manzambi headed past Manuel Neuer for a 2-0 lead.
Bayern, who travel to Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday, almost immediately launched a comeback with Lennart Karl scoring a fine finish in the 21st minuted from an Olise assist. The France international then turned scorer, levelling with a powerful shot in first-half stoppage time.
The comeback was complete in the 55th when Olise whipped a corner to the far post for Dayot Upamecano to volley in before Harry Kane added another – his 14th league goal this season – five minutes later.
Another Olise solo run and assist for Nicolas Jackson earned Bayern their fifth goal in the 78th minute before Olise curled a stunning shot into the top corner.
Deniz Undav scored a hat-trick that included a last-gasp equaliser as Stuttgart earned a 3-3 draw at Borussia Dortmund. Undav fired home from just inside the box for a stoppage-time equaliser after Dortmund thought they had won it when the substitute Karim Adeyemi put them in the lead in the 89th.
Dortmund, who host Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday, carved out a two-goal cushion in the first half after struggling at times against the visitors. Emre Can converted a 34th-minute penalty before Maximilian Beier beat the Stuttgart keeper, Alexander Nuebel, from close range seven minutes later to double their lead.
But Stuttgart quickly worked their way back into the game with Undav cutting the deficit two minutes after the restart. Dortmund had Serhou Guirassy’s effort ruled offside a little later and then hit the crossbar before Undav fired in from close range following a corner to level.
There was late drama for both sides with Dortmund going back in front with the substitute Adeyemi’s goal a minute from time before Undav spoiled the party for the home fans with his third goal of the afternoon. Dortmund are in third place on 22 points, one behind second-placed Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern Munich are top on 31.
In Spain, Ferran Torres struck twice as Barcelona marked their long-awaited return to Camp Nou with an emphatic 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao. Barça climbed to the top of La Liga on 31 points, level with Real Madrid, who face Elche on Sunday.
Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring in front of a soldout crowd in the first match at the ground in 909 days, following its closure for redevelopment in 2023, scoring from close range in the fourth minute. Torres extended the lead from a just before the break.
Three minutes into the second half, Barcelona scored the third with a strike from inside the box by Fermin Lopez and Athletic’s frustrations boiled over when Oihan Sancet was sent off with a straight red card following a reckless challenge on Lopez.
The visitors then posed no threat, allowing Barcelona to comfortably dictate remainder of the match, with Torres adding his second in the closing stages after a counterattack set up by Lamine Yamal.
