Coman sends Bayern back to the top with victory at Dusseldorf

Kingsley Coman scored twice to propel Bayern Munich back to the top of the Bundesliga with a regulation 4-1 win at Fortuna Dusseldorf yesterday. Borussia Dortmund, hammered 5-0 at Bayern last weekend, had retaken first place with Saturday’s nervous 2-1 home win over Mainz but now trail again by a point with five matches left. Bayern’s injury-prone goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had to limp off in the second half but the result was never in doubt with Coman, involved in a fight with team-mate Robert Lewandowski in midweek, clearing the air with two first-half goals. “It doesn’t affect us when we have a bit of pressure,” Bayern’s Thomas Mueller told Sky as they racked up 25 points from the last 27 available. “We have it in our own hands, we have to go game by game.”Fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt’s run of six straight league wins came to an end in a 3-1 home defeat by Augsburg and their new coach Martin Schmidt. Hoffenheim overcame Hertha Berlin 2-0 at home to go sixth and maintain their push for a European place.Bayern started with Coman and Lewandowski despite the pair coming to physical blows in training. It was Coman who glanced the post with a flick following a cross by fellow winger Serge Gnabry early on.Coman then scored the opener on 15 minutes when his cross drifted in at the far post with Mueller not quite getting a touch.France international Coman made it 2-0 just before half-time when he converted Joshua Kimmich’s excellent pull back.Gnabry added another on 55 minutes from close range following a corner. Dusseldorf’s Dodi Lukebakio, who bagged a hat-trick when Bayern were held 3-3 at home in November, slotted in a late spotkick after the video assistant surprisingly decided Mats Hummels deliberately handled. Bayern substitute Leon Goretzka then netted in injury time.Bayern look favourites for their seventh straight title but Dortmund fans will still hope for a twist in the tale in the coming weeks in the best Bundesliga run-in for years. Bayern host seventh-placed Werder Bremen next weekend while Dortmund go to Freiburg in 13th.Mid-table Dusseldorf, who celebrated being officially safe in the Bundesliga on Saturday in their first season back in the top flight, had their preparations slightly clouded by the club’s board admitting it wanted to sack chief executive Robert Schaefer. The only negative for Bayern was another injury to Neuer, who asked to be substituted with a calf problem. Hummels also felt his hamstring.Frankfurt, who host Benfica on Thursday in the Europa League quarter-finals after a 4-2 defeat last week, started superbly against Augsburg but quickly fell away.Goncalo Paciencia leapt to head home on 14 minutes but Marco Richter scored two classy strikes to put the visitors ahead at the break and Michael Gregoritsch added a late third.Gelson Fernandes received a second booking for the Eagles, who stayed in the final Champions League spot but their cushion over fifth-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach is now just a point. Augsburg are now seven points above the relegation play-off spot. RESULTS  Hoffenheim 2 (Amiri 30, Nelson 76) Hertha Berlin 0   Fortuna Duesseldorf 1 (Lukebakio 89-pen) Bayern Munich 4 (Coman 15, 41, Gnabry 55, Goretzka 90+2)  Eintracht Frankfurt 1 (Paciencia 15) Augsburg 3 (Richter 31, 45+4, Gregoritsch 84)