Bayern battle past St Pauli 3-2 with Sane's second-half double

MUNICH, Germany :Bayern Munich's Leroy Sane scored twice in the second half as the Bundesliga leaders were made to work hard for a 3-2 win over visitors St Pauli on Saturday to restore their six-point gap at the top going into the last seven matchdays.

Bayern, who face Inter Milan in their Champions League quarter-final, first leg on April 8, have 65 points, with second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, 3-1 winners at home to VfL Bochum on Friday, on 59.

"We have to continue and we are one game closer. We have to win another seven games," said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.

But there was some bad news for the league leaders with defender Hiroki Ito, who came on in the 58th minute, suffering a foot injury late in the game. The Japan defender broke the same foot back in July and had only recently come back.

Bayern are already without injured defenders Dayot Upamecano and Alphonso Davies.

"He (Ito) felt the same foot where he had the problems this season so that's not great for us," Kompany said. "The extent of what he has is a bit difficult to say right now. Let's not jump to conclusions but that's what it was."

The hosts took a 17th-minute lead when Harry Kane tapped in from a Michael Olise cross.

Kane, who is the league-leading scorer with 22 goals, has now netted against all 19 clubs he has faced in the Bundesliga, the second best all-time record behind retired Miroslav Klose.

The visitors, who had hit the crossbar earlier, levelled 10 minutes later from Elias Saad's clever flick and gave Bayern a run for their money before Sane took action.

Bayern, looking for their first win in three Bundesliga matches, struck in the 53rd from yet another superb Olise cross for Sane to drill in.

Jamal Musiala saw his 69th minute effort tipped onto the