BERLIN: Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Bayern Munich opened up a four-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga with a 3-2 win at second-placed Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Julian Brandt and Erling Haaland scored Dortmund’s goals at Signal Iduna Park, but Lewandowski netted and converted the winning penalty, either side of a Kingsley Coman goal.

Dortmund coach Marco Rose was shown a red card for arguing with the referee after a Mats Hummels handball led to Lewandowski converting the key spot-kick 12 minutes from time.

This was Bayern’s seventh straight win over Dortmund, including five Bundesliga victories and two German Super Cup triumphs.

Dortmund were unhappy to not be awarded a penalty after Marco Reus appeared to be fouled just before Lewandowski’s crucial spot kick.

We always had the feeling that we could win. That’s why it’s doubly bitter that we lost like that,” fumed Reus.

Dortmund forged ahead in the fifth minute when Brandt, who was later stretchered off after a clash of heads, slammed in a superb shot.

A Hummels mistake led to Lewandowski equalising four minutes later against his former club when the Poland striker motored onto a Thomas Mueller pass and fired home.

Bayern capitalised on another Dortmund error when Coman’s excellent strike put the visitors in front before half-time.

Just 120 seconds after the break, Dortmund were level when Haaland shot past diving Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after Dayot Upamecano cheaply gave away possession.

Dortmund were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when their Reus appeared to be fouled by Lucas Hernandez.

At the other end, Hummels was again at fault when VAR confirmed his handball, to Rose’s fury, and Lewandowski made no mistake.

I think we deserved to win but I also understand the discussions over the two penalty situations,” Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said.

Bayern, chasing a record-extending 10th league crown, move up to 34 points, leaving Dortmund in second place on 30.

The onset of winter brought a flurry of goals on Saturday, when Patrick Schick scored four to help Bayer Leverkusen consolidate third place on 27 points with a 7-1 rout of helpless Greuther Fuerth.

Schick needed only 27 second-half minutes for his four-goal haul, the league’s fastest since Lewandowski scored five in nine minutes against VfL Wolfsburg in September 2015.

Fuerth extended their desolate Bundesliga-record run of defeats to 12 straight, while the promoted team’s solitary point is also a record after 14 rounds.

Hoffenheim climbed into the top four with a 3-2 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt, whose three-match winning streak was ended. Bochum won in Augsburg 3-2, Mainz 05 dispatched visiting Wolfsburg 3-0, and Arminia Bielefeld fought back against visiting Cologne to draw 1-1.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2021