Bayern Munich came from two goals down in the last 10 minutes to win 3-2 at Freiburg in the German Bundesliga on Saturday, ahead of their Champions League quarter-final first leg at Real Madrid.
Trailing 2-0 and without injured talisman Harry Kane, Tom Bischof scored twice from distance before Lennart Karl grabbed the winner in the ninth minute of stoppage time.
Bischof said the comeback win was the ideal preparation for Tuesday’s European tie in the Spanish capital.
“A game like this is the perfect match for us right now before Real Madrid, because we realise what type of team we are -- we stick together,” said the 20-year-old Bischof, who scored his first Bayern goals since arriving from Hoffenheim last summer.
Real lost 2-1 to Mallorca in La Liga on Saturday but Bischof said the 15-time European champions always perform on the biggest stage.
“It will be a different game, that much is clear, because Real are simply on a different level,” he said.
“They can always be dangerous, even if things aren’t going so well in the league.”
With Kane sidelined by an ankle complaint, Vincent Kompany opted to leave Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano on the bench ahead of the trip to Madrid, whom Bayern have not beaten since 2012.
Veteran Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer returned from injury and rescued the visitors with two superb saves in the first half.
Freiburg took the lead just after the break when Johan Manzambi blasted a long-range effort into the corner with Neuer flat-footed.
Lucas Hoeler doubled Freiburg’s lead on 71 minutes to seemingly put his side on track for a first league win over Bayern since 2015.
The defending champions sparked into life late however, with Bischof scoring in the 81st minute and again in stoppage time. Substitute Alphonso Davies set up Karl for the winner with an excellent low pass across the face of goal.
Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt scored in stoppage time to snatch Borussia Dortmund a fiery 2-0 win at Stuttgart.
Both sides had few chances and the match looked headed for a goalless draw until Dortmund broke through on the counter, Adeyemi blasting in from near the penalty spot in the fourth minute of added time.
Two minutes later, Dortmund again went on the counter and Brandt rippled the top of the net with a superb volley.
As Dortmund celebrated in front of the Stuttgart fans, several supporters breached the fence and came close to the field, with a folding chair thrown onto the pitch.
The win keeps Dortmund nine points behind Bayern, while Stuttgart drop from third to fourth behind RB Leipzig, who beat Werder Bremen 2-1, on goal difference.
Leipzig’s win came thanks to two pieces of individual brilliance.
Antonio Nusa put Leipzig in front with an excellent shot from outside the box and Romulo drove a low shot into the corner to pad the visitors’ advantage.
Bremen sit four points ahead of St Pauli, who occupy the relegation play-off spot.
Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen came from behind twice to win 6-3 in a wild clash at home to Wolfsburg to stay in Champions League contention.
Wolfsburg’s Danish contingent Jonas Wind, Joakim Maehle and Christian Eriksen all scored before half-time to put the Wolves 3-1 up against a Leverkusen side coached by former Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand.
Leverkusen pulled one back before the break and then responded with four second-half goals to grab control of the match.
Alejandro Grimaldo bagged a brace, while Patrik Schick, Ibrahim Maza, Edmond Tapsoba and Malik Tillman also scored as Leverkusen moved four points behind fourth-placed Leipzig.
Leverkusen’s win took them a point behind Hoffenheim, whose 2-1 home defeat to Mainz continued their slide.
Cruising in third in February, Hoffenheim are now fifth and have won just one of their past six matches.
Borussia Moenchengladbach drew 2-2 with last-placed Heidenheim, while 10-man Hamburg drew 1-1 at home with Augsburg.
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