BERLIN • Pep Guardiola rates 10-man Bayern Munich's "crazy" 2-1 comeback win at Hoffenheim on Saturday as one of the best Bundesliga football matches in his three seasons in Germany.
A 90th-minute Robert Lewandowski goal sealed Bayern's unlikely win after the Bavarian giants had conceded the joint-fastest goal in Bundesliga history when Hoffenheim's Kevin Volland scored after just nine seconds.
Bayern had begun the fight back when a Douglas Costa shot rocketed off the hands of Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.
Thomas Mueller jabbed home the rebound with his knee to equalise on 40 minutes.
The defending champions were reduced to 10 men when defender Jerome Boateng was sent off for a handball from the free kick he had just conceded to earn his second booking on 72 minutes.
Hoffenheim then wasted the chance to record a historic first win over Bayern when Eugen Polanski blasted his penalty into the post.
Bayern claimed the dramatic winner when Brazil winger Costa fired in a superb cross. Mario Goetze let the ball roll and Lewandowski drilled home his shot.
Said Guardiola: "The last 10 minutes were somewhat crazy, we saw one of the best Bundesliga matches in the last three years."
"I'm happy with the win and, above everything, with the performance. We knew it would be difficult as Hoffenheim have always created a few problems for us in the last few years," he added.
Boateng is now suspended for Bayern's key match at home to second-placed Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
Hoffenheim coach Markus Gisdol could barely mask his bitter disappointment but was complimentary of Bayern. "You saw the brutal individual class which Bayern have.
"There are players, two or three, who play with a tempo you can't really hinder," he said.
Having equalled Karim Bellarabi's record for the joint-fastest goal in Bundesliga history, set at the start of last season, Volland said his early strike was no consolation.
"The disappointment outweighs everything," he said. "We suffered a 2-1 defeat in the 90th minute, despite playing well and having had the chance to finish the job."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
