Bayern Munich vs. Darmstadt: Score, Reaction from 2016 Bundesliga Match

Bayern Munich came from behind to beat Darmstadt 3-1 as they continued their Bundesliga title charge at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Sandro Wagner gave the hosts a shock 1-0 lead at half-time, but a second-half brace from Thomas Muller and a goal from Robert Lewandowski secured the victory.

As they so often do, Bayern dominated throughout the match in both possession and chances, and though Darmstadt defended valiantly, it was ultimately a deserved victory for the hosts.

The Bavarians fielded a typically attacking formation with Arturo Vidal their only natural option in the centre of midfield. Bayern began with intent as Arjen Robben fired high before sending an effort straight at Christian Mathenia in the opening minutes.

Vidal had a long shot deflected onto the crossbar as the hosts took charge of proceedings, while Lewandowski slid in to connect with Douglas Costa's low delivery only for Mathenia to make an impressive stop. Darmstadt defended ably, though, per Bayern's official Twitter account:

Robben should have done better when he raced onto a pass from Lewandowski on the left, but in a one-on-one situation with Mathenia, he sent his shot too close to the 'keeper, who saved well with his leg.

Darmstadt took a surprise lead shortly after. Wagner failed to convert a low cross from Junior Diaz on the left, but when Sandro Sirigu sent the ball back in from the opposite flank, Wagner made no mistake with a close range header.

Bundesliga expert Clark Whitney noted Wagner was an appropriate scorer having began his career at Bayern:

Meanwhile, Squawka Football highlighted the lengthy spell the hosts enjoyed without conceding at the Allianz:

Bayern almost equalised moments later but Costa was denied by the crossbar:

From there, the visitors were largely restricted to counter-attacks as Bayern sought to pull level, but for the remainder of the half, their only notable effort was a Vidal free-kick aimed at Mathenia.

Squawka Football shared the one-sided stats to the match, while Whitney noted the way Darmstadt were defying their critics:

It took Bayern less than three minutes to find an equaliser in the second half, as Muller converted an excellent cross from Rafinha, showing outstanding control to bring the ball down on his chest:

The German almost added to his tally three minutes later but saw his effort blocked well by Slobodan Rajkovic as Bayern pursued another.

Lewandowski looked to have put the hosts ahead when he finished Franck Ribery's square ball from close range, but he was adjudged to be offside in a narrow call.

Bayern did not have to wait much longer, though, as they took the lead on 70 minutes through another strike from Muller, who controlled a lovely floated pass forward from Vidal on his chest before hitting a delightful overhead kick past Mathenia.

Squawka Football highlighted Muller's incredible form, while Whitney noted the way Darmstadt were helpless to stop the goal despite their best efforts in the match:

The deflated visitors struggled to threaten the Bavarians in the closing stages of the match, but a rare charge up field left them open at the back—and Bayern took full advantage as Lewandowski scored a repeat of the goal he had disallowed earlier.

Munich are now 11 points clear of title rivals Borussia Dortmund, who will look to reduce the deficit back to eight points when they travel to Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.

Bayern face a potentially tricky trip to Wolfsburg in their next Bundesliga outing, but Lewandowski will be hungry to replicate the five goals he scored in nine minutes against the side earlier this season—particularly after being denied a brace here.

Post-Match Reaction

Bayern boss Pep Guardiola admitted it was a difficult match despite Bayern's attacking dominance, and he turned his attention to Tuesday's crunch Champions League clash with Juventus:

Per Bayern's official Twitter feed, he added on Ribery: "I'm happy that Franck made his comeback, even if it wasn't a full 90 minutes!"