Bayern survives early scare to win at Leipzig 5-1 in a show of Bundesliga dominance

Just when it seemed Leipzig might be the team to inflict Bayern Munich's first Bundesliga loss this season, Bayern found an extra gear.

Bayern scored five goals in 38 second-half minutes to rout Leipzig 5-1 after going into halftime behind for the first time in the league this season.

Harry Kane scored his 21st Bundesliga goal of what could yet be a record-breaking season, but it was a team effort with five different scorers. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, too, stepped up with crucial saves as speculation ramps up over whether Bayern will extend the 39-year-old's contract.

Jürgen Klopp, watching on in his capacity as Red Bull's head of global soccer, was pleased when Romulo turned in David Raum's cross to take the lead in a dominant though wasteful first half performance.

Leipzig blunders got Bayern back into the game. In the 50th minute, Dayot Upamecano caught Leipzig's Christoph Baumgartner in possession and played in Serge Gnabry to score, and in the 67th Ridle Baku slipped as he went to intercept a cross leaving Kane with an easy finish.

After that it was one-way traffic as Jonathan Tah, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Michael Olise scored in the 83rd, 85th and 88th minutes to complete Bayern's victory.

To cap it off, attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala came off the bench late on for his first game since July when he broke his left leg at the Club World Cup, and celebrated with the Bayern fans after the final whistle.

The win restored Bayern's 11-point advantage over Borussia Dortmund, which scraped past St. Pauli 3-2 after letting a two-goal lead slip earlier.

The Dortmund crowd cheered the referee's announcement that video review showed St. Pauli's Ricky-Jade Jones had indeed fouled Maximilian Beier inside the penalty area, and was jubilant when Emre Can converted the spot kick.

Jones and American midfielder James Sands earlier scored to give last-placed St. Pauli hope of a valuable point in its fight against relegation, canceling out goals by Dortmund's Julian Brandt and Karim Adeyemi either side of halftime.

An audacious free kick from Wouter Burger gave Hoffenheim a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen which boosts its unexpected charge for Champions League qualification.

With Leverkusen seemingly expecting a cross, Burger curled a free kick into the top corner from a wide angle to score the only goal early.

Back-to-back losses leave Leverkusen sixth and with doubts over winger Nathan Tella, who was helped off the field by medical staff, and goalkeeper Mark Flekken, who limped off after an hour when he seemed to jar his knee while making a save. Hoffenheim has lost once in the Bundesliga since October.

Urs Fischer's unbeaten start as Mainz coach ended in his seventh game after Cologne's Ragnar Ache scored twice in a comeback 2-1 win which leaves Mainz 17th.

Moritz Jenz's late header rescued a 1-1 draw for Wolfsburg against Heidenheim, which had been seeking a win to leave the relegation zone.

Hamburger SV missed a string of chances as it drew with Borussia Moenchengladbach 0-0. The game followed a week of hurried repairs at Hamburg's stadium to fix damage caused by melting snow which forced its last home game to be postponed.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Bayern's Serge Gnabry celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern Munich in Leipzig, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Jonathan Tah celebrates with team mate Michael Olise after scoring his side's third goal during the Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern Munich in Leipzig, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Harry Kane scores his side's second goal during the Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern Munich in Leipzig, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Leverkusen's goalkeeper Mark Flekken, centre, misses the opening goal by Hoffenheim's Wouter Burger during the German Bundesliga soccer match between TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen in Sinsheim, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)

Dortmund's Emre Can celebrates after he scored his side's decisive third goal from the penalty spot during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and St. Pauli in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Donovan Mitchell had 25 points and six rebounds, Max Strus' 3-pointer with 54 seconds left helped seal it as he scored 24, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors 118-111 on Thursday night.

James Harden contributed 19 points and five assists as the Cavs won for the seventh time in nine games during a stretch playing five times in eight nights.

Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski scored 25 points apiece for the Warriors, who were missing Stephen Curry for the 27th straight game but his return could come as soon as Sunday. He scrimmaged 5-on-5 for the third time in as many days to test his injured right knee that has sidelined him since Jan. 30.

Coach Steve Kerr said Curry and Vice President of Player Health and Performance Rick Celebrini might decide as soon as Friday based on how Curry feels a day later whether he can return to face the Rockets.

With 9:28 left, Cleveland's Dennis Schroder made a hard foul from behind on a driving LJ Cryer and it was reviewed and ruled a Flagrant 1 for his leap and kick into the Warriors guard. Draymond Green was called for a technical on the play after he shoved Schroder while helping Cryer up from the floor.

Schroder was whistled for a technical seven seconds later then Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson — a former Warriors top assistant — received a technical.

Kristaps Porzingis had 16 points and seven rebounds for the Warriors after sitting out a 127-113 loss to San Antonio on Wednesday in the front end of a back-to-back, while Gary Payton II also rested his right knee for the first game before playing Thursday and matching his career high with 12 rebounds.

Golden State also got some other reinforcements back with the returns of Santos after he was hit in the pelvic bone and De'Anthony Melton from a sprained left thumb.

Green passed Larry Smith (6,440) for third on the Warriors' career rebounding list.

Cavaliers: Host Indiana on Sunday.

Warriors: Host Houston on Sunday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Injured Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, watches from the bench with assistant coaches Kris Weems, middle, and Jerry Stackhouse during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in San Francisco, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, middle, reaches for the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Pat Spencer, right, and guard De'Anthony Melton, bottom, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski, left, shoots against Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) gestures toward an official during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in San Francisco, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) looks to pass the ball while being defended by Golden State Warriors guard Will Richard during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)