Lewy hat-trick seals cracking Klassiker clash
Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick to make it 31 Bundesliga goals this season, sealing Bayern Munich's 4-2 Klassiker comeback against Borussia Dortmund on Sunday (AEDT).
Dortmund raced into a 2-0 lead as Erling Braut Haaland netted twice in the first nine minutes at Allianz Arena.
But Lewandowksi struck twice, the second from the penalty spot, to haul Bayern level before the half-time break.
Leon Goretzka put Bayern ahead for the first time with two minutes left before Lewandowski completed his hat-trick in the 90th.
"The quality is certainly there, that's our DNA," Thomas Mueller said of Bayern's fightback.
"But it is not part of our match plan to always be behind. It's humbling to be 2-0 down," he added, noting Bayern has had to fight back on several occasions in recent weeks.
The win leaves Bayern two points clear of RB Leipzig at the top of the table, Leipzig having beaten Freiburg 3-0 earlier in the day to enjoy a brief stay at the summit.
The match delivered on its billing as the battle of the Bundesliga's star strikers.
Haaland scored with just two minutes on the clock when his shot clipped the heel of Jerome Boateng and deflected past Manuel Neuer.
Bayern was reeling after nine minutes when Thorgan Hazard flicked the ball back inside for Haaland to again smash the ball home.
Dortmund could have been 3-0 up on 25 minutes, but Thomas Meunier squandered the chance to shoot, opting to square the ball for Haaland in the box, but the pass failed.
A minute later, Bayern pulled a goal back when Leroy Sane squared the ball for Lewandowski to score, and the hosts never looked back.
Bayern went into the break level when Mahmoud Dahoud brought down Kingsley Coman in the area and Lewandowski converted the penalty.
After a frantic first-half, the tempo dropped in the second as both teams suffered key injuries, but slowly Bayern tightened its grip.
Haaland came off after an hour gone with a cut on the back of his ankle, but Dortmund coach Edin Terzic said he should be fit to face Sevilla in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday (AEDT).
With 10 minutes left, Bayern's Boateng had to be helped off in clear discomfort with an ankle injury.
Bayern settled the matter when Goretzka pinged his shot in off the post before Lewandowski completed his hat-trick with an outstanding low drive.
With 10 games left in the league season, Lewandowski threatens to break Gerd Mueller's all-time record of 40 Bundesliga goals in the 1971-1972 season.
