Lewandowski spares Bayern's blushes

Bayern Munich 3-2 Paderborn
Goals: 1-0 Gnabry (25'), 1-1 Srbeny (44'), 2-1 Lewandowski (70'), 2-2 Michel (75'), 3-2 Lewandowski (87')

Bayern captain Manuel Neuer was picking the ball out of the net inside four minutes, but Paderborn's Streli Mamba was clearly offside when he put the ball away and it was rightly ruled out. The visitors would have to wait until late in the half to trouble Bayern again, however, as the defending champions assumed complete control. Real Madrid loanee Alvaro Odriozola asked the first question with an inch-perfect cross for Lewandowski, who could only head wide. The Bundesliga's leading scorer tried to play in Corentin Tolisso soon after, but Paderborn goalkeeper Leopold Zingerle - a former Bayern youth player - was off his line in a flash to smother. The pressure told before the half-hour mark when Lewandowski took the ball off the toes of Alphonso Davies and - with a bit of help from Tolisso - found Gnabry, who showed great composure under pressure in the box and finished with aplomb. Lewandowski and Philippe Coutinho spurned further chances, and were punished on the stroke of half-time as Dennis Srbeny made the most of an uncharacteristic slip from Neuer to level.

Mamba scored twice at Borussia Dortmund earlier in the season and very nearly added Bayern to his list of conquests, but couldn't apply the necessary touch to Paderborn substitute Dennis Jastrzembski's inviting cross, before going off injured. Zingerle pulled off two superb saves in quick succession from Lewandowski, though Paderborn continued to carry a threat on the break with Sven Michel testing Neuer. Lewandowski finally got the better of Zingerle following a mistake by Kai Pröger to restore the defending champions' lead, but Paderborn were not down for long. After Neuer saved well from Jastrzembski, Michel put away the loose ball for 2-2. Zingerle thwarted substitute Kingsley Coman as Bayern threw everything including the kitchen sink, getting their reward three minutes from time when Gnabry turned provider as he had done earlier in the half for the irrepressible Lewandowski to sweep home his second of the night. One last round of Zingerle heroics prevented Gnabry from celebrating his 100th Bundesliga appearance with a brace of his own.

• The match was Bayern's 250th in the Bundesliga at their Allianz Arena.
• Bayern conceded as many goals against Paderborn as they had in their previous five league games in 2020.
• Gerd Müller is the only player not named Lewandowski to have scored 25 goals after 23 rounds of Bundesliga fixtures.
• Gnabry scored his 10th Bundesliga goal of the season. He has reached double figures in all four of his Bundesliga campaigns to date.
• Lucas Hernandez made his first Bundesliga appearance since Matchday 8 following ankle surgery.
• Srbeny scored his third Bundesliga goal in six games with Paderborn's first shot of the match, while two of Michel's three league goals this season have come from the bench.

Watch: Davies: “Lewandowski can finish anything you give him”

Bayern: Neuer (c) - Kimmich, Alaba, Hernandez - Odriozola (Coman 63'), Thiago, Tolisso (Zirkzee 87'), Davies - Gnabry, Coutinho (Müller 63') - Lewandowski
Unused subs: Ulreich, Cuisance, Arp, Dajaku, Mai, Batista-Meier
Out: Boateng (suspended), Martinez (thigh), Pavard (suspended), Perisic (ankle), Süle (torn ACL)
Coach: Hansi Flick

Paderborn: Zingerle - Jans, Strohdiek, Schonlau, Holtmann (Jastrzembski 29') - Pröger, Gjasula, Vasiliadis, Antwi-Adjei - Mamba (Michel 53'), Srbeny (Fridjonsson 81')
Unused subs: Huth, Hünemeier, Dräger, Ritter, Kapic, Zolinski
Out: Killian (hamstring), Collins (fatigue)
Coach: Steffen Baumgart