Bayern beats Cologne and sets a record after smoke stops play in Bundesliga
Munich (AP): There was plenty of smoke, but Bayern Munich needed time to show some fire.
In a game held up for 10 minutes because flare smoke covered the field, 17-year-old Lennart Karl's fourth Bundesliga goal of a breakout season helped Bayern to a 3-1 win at Cologne in the Bundesliga on Wednesday.
With 17 games of 34 played, that meant Bayern matched the previous Bundesliga points record of 47 at the halfway stage set by Pep Guardiola's Bayern of 2013-14 and surpassed it on goal difference, +53 to +35. Bayern's win restored its 11-point lead over second-place Borussia Dortmund.
Still, it wasn't the sort of spectacular dominance seen Sunday in Bayern's 8-1 win over Wolfsburg.
Cologne fans' vast pyrotechnic display before kickoff produced thick smoke which drifted over the field before the referee stopped the game in the fourth minute, leaving the players to kick the ball around while it cleared.
Cologne was fired up, too. Only quick reactions from Manuel Neuer stopped 19-year-old Said El Mala giving Cologne the lead on a quick break in the second minute.
Linton Maina put Cologne ahead in the 41st, snatching the ball off Serge Gnabry deep inside his own half and surging down the field to score a spectacular solo goal as Bayern's defense was slow to react.
Gnabry hit back a few minutes later with a different kind of special goal, a trick shot from a narrow angle which bounced off the ground and over the goalkeeper.
After Bayern struggled to break down the Cologne defense, an intricate short corner routine did the trick, allowing Kim Min-jae to head his team ahead in the 71st. Karl's clinical first-time finish made it 3-1 in the 84th off a pass from Luis Díaz.
Leipzig back in action
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Leipzig showed its set-piece skills as it made a belated start to 2026 with a 2-0 win over Freiburg thanks to headers from Willi Orban and Romulo.
Leipzig's first game of the new year Saturday at St. Pauli was called off because of safety concerns over snow and ice at the stadium. It's in third place, 15 points off leader Bayern.
Andrej Kramaric had a hat trick by halftime as Hoffenheim beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 5-1 to boost its hopes of Champions League qualification in fifth.
Reeling from the 8-1 loss to Bayern, its worst in the Bundesliga, Wolfsburg responded with a 2-1 win over relegation-threatened St. Pauli. Dzenan Pejcinovic headed in the winning goal in the 88th minute.
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Maharashtra class 12 chemistry paper circulated on social media before exam, leak suspected
Nagpur (PTI): Police are investigating a suspected leak after the class 12 Chemistry question paper was allegedly circulated on social media in Nagpur ahead of the exam being conducted by the Maharashtra board, officials said on Saturday.
The exam malpractice came to light on Wednesday at a high school examination centre after a female student’s frequent visits to the washroom raised suspicion.
Invigilators seized the student's smartphone. Its analysis showed that the question paper had been shared on a WhatsApp group before the exam began, officials said, adding that possible answers were also exchanged in the same group.
Based on the student's statement, another pupil is being questioned.
The preliminary investigation suggests a person linked to a private coaching shared the question paper for money, officials said.
A case was registered at Sadar police station, and an investigation was launched.
