BERLIN (AP) — Promoted Bochum stunned Bayern Munich and the Bundesliga with a 4-2 win over the Bavarian powerhouse on Saturday, preventing the league leader from going 12 points clear.
Bochum even had to come from behind to do it, after Robert Lewandowski’s opener for the visitors brought back memories of its 7-0 thrashing when the teams met in Munich in September.
But Thomas Reis’ team answered with four first-half goals, three of them in a six-minute spell when Bayern was left reeling from Bochum’s intensity.
“Every player has to ask themselves if they threw everything into it,” Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich said.
Lewandowski opened the scoring in the ninth minute, when he did well to control Kingsley Coman’s ball back and squeeze it past Bochum goalkeeper Michael Esser.
Bochum struck back five minutes later through Christopher Antwi-Adjei, who evaded Niklas Süle and let fly inside the post after being set up by Gerrit Holtmann.
Bochum was awarded a penalty when Dayot Upamecano’s outstretched arm blocked Elvis Rexhbecaj’s attempted cross. Jürgen Locadia converted the spot kick in the 38th.
Cristian Gamboa then scored a contender for goal of the season two minutes later, when he played the ball through Coman’s legs and a one-two with Patrick Osterhage – who returned the ball with his heel – before firing a rocket of a shot into the far corner.
As if to show it was no fluke, Holtmann repeated the feat from the other side four minutes later, when he played the ball between Upemacano’s legs before unleashing another spectacular shot inside the far corner.
It brought back memories of Bochum’s near success over a star-studded Bayern team in September 1976, when the visitors fought from four goals down to win 6-5 with Uli Hoeneß scoring the winner in the 89th minute. It was his second goal. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Gerd Müller were among the other Bayern scorers.
This time, Bochum held on for the win.
The home team twice had goals ruled out for offside after the break, before Armel Bella Kotchap made a goal-saving clearance to deny Lewandowski at the other end. Esser was next to deny Lewandowski in the 63rd, before the Poland star finally found a way through in the 75th. It was Lewandowski’s 26th goal in 22 games this season.
Lewandowski struck the crossbar with a free kick in the 88th. It was as close as the defending champions got to a fightback.
“The Bochumers certainly didn’t do it badly. But we have to recognize that it was an absolutely deserved loss," Kimmich said.
Hertha Berlin lost at last-placed Greuther Fürth 2-1, Borussia Mönchengladbach eased its relegation worries with a 3-2 win over Augsburg, and Wolfsburg won at Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0.
Also, Freiburg came from behind to draw with Mainz 1-1.
Bayer Leverkusen hosted Stuttgart later.
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Ciarán Fahey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cfaheyAP
