Bayern Munich confirmed Joao Palhinha will be sidelined for several weeks after suffering an adductor injury while on international duty.

The midfielder sustained the issue while training with Portugal, and withdrew from the squad, missing both of their Nations League fixtures against Poland and Croatia. 

Palhinha, who joined Bayern on a four-year contract in July from Fulham, has made 13 appearances in all competitions and boasts a 100% tackle completion rate in the Bundesliga (7/7).

"FC Bayern's medical department has confirmed that Joao Palhinha suffered a torn muscle fibre in his right adductor while training with the Portugal national team," the club said. "The midfielder will therefore be sidelined for the coming weeks."

Bayern have been boosted by Aleksandar Pavlovic's return to first-team training over the international break, though he has still not returned to full fitness.

The Bavarians, top of the Bundesliga with a five-point advantage over RB Leipzig, have a busy schedule ahead of them with four matches in 11 days.

Bayern take on Augsburg in the league on Friday before hosting Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League next Tuesday. They then travel to Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga and face holders Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal on December 3.

Xabi Alonso offered a blunt assessment of Bayer Leverkusen's performance after the Bundesliga champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Bochum.

Koji Miyoshi produced an 89th-minute leveller to snatch struggling Bochum a point on Saturday.

Patrik Schick had put Leverkusen, who were hammered 4-0 by Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek, ahead in the 18th minute.

Leverkusen only had 11 shots to Bochum's 15, though Alonso's team did finish with a higher expected goals total (1.24 to 0.7).

But Alonso was left frustrated by sloppiness in both boxes from his team, and he compared the result to a 2-2 draw against Holstein Kiel, in which they squandered a lead, in October.

"It is the same feeling as against Kiel," Alonso told reporters, with Leverkusen having now drawn five of their last six Bundesliga outings.

"We again could not finish the game with a win and conceded before the end an equaliser. We have to do that better. We have to keep working on that and learn to handle it and secure the three points.

"Bochum were disciplined at the back and we did not do well in the last third of the pitch. We just were not good enough."

Leverkusen will aim to get back on track when they face Heidenheim at home after the international break.

Bayern Munich may have been far from impressive in their 1-0 win at promoted St Pauli, but Vincent Kompany believes it shows there are no easy games in the Bundesliga.

Bayern had scored 12 goals in their previous three league games going into the encounter in Hamburg, but they struggled against the disciplined hosts who staunchly refused to capitulate.

It took a stunning long-range Jamal Musiala shot in the 22nd minute to decide the game, even as Bayern upped the pressure in the second half in search of a second goal.

"When you look at what [Bayer] Leverkusen did in Bochum and what [Borussia] Dortmund did in Mainz, there are no easy games and today was a tough game. It's a very good win for us," Kompany said.

While Bayern narrowly won their game, champions Leverkusen conceded an 89th-minute goal to draw 1-1 at bottom club Bochum, while Dortmund slumped to a 3-1 loss at Mainz, their fourth straight loss on the road in the league.

"This game came at a tricky moment for us because we had a Champions League game on Wednesday," added Kompany, whose team beat Benfica 1-0 in the European competition.

"We played against a very compact team, with high energy and a very good game management. Even when we scored the first goal, they didn't panic and stayed patient.

"They put a bit more pressure towards the end of the game. I can value this win a lot."

Kompany has earned 26 points in his first 10 Bundesliga games with Bayern - a joint-record after the first 10 games in the competition by a manager at the club, along with Pep Guardiola in 2013 and Branko Zebec in 1968 (converted to 3 points per game).

Nuri Sahin made no excuses after another dismal away performance saw Borussia Dortmund slip to a 3-1 loss at Mainz.

Dortmund saw Emre Can sent off as they fell to a fourth straight away defeat in the Bundesliga.

Saturday's loss leaves them in seventh place, 10 points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

"A difficult away game for us. Once we got that red card it got really hard," said Sahin, whose team have become the second Bundesliga side this century to have zero wins in their first five away games and five wins from their first five home games (after Borussia Monchengladbach in 2013-14).

"We have too few points on the road though I have to analyse today's defeat a bit differently than the other defeats because of the red card.

"With a few more points we would be somewhere else in the table. But for us we just are getting too few points."

Mainz picked up what was their first home win of the season in the Bundesliga, as they made their numerical advantage count following Emre Can's 27th-minute dismissal following a rash tackle. 

"Emre can't go into this challenge like that," Sahin said.

"He wins the first ball and then in the second effort he should stay up."

Borussia Dortmund slumped to a fourth consecutive away defeat on Saturday, losing 3-1 to Mainz after Emre Can's first-half sending-off. 

Dortmund, who had a midweek confidence boost with a 1-0 home win over Sturm Graz in the Champions League, struggled against the hosts and were left with 10 men in the 27th minute when their captain launched a reckless studs-up challenge on Lee Jae-Sung and received a straight red card.

Things got even worse when the South Korean rose to nod a deft finish past Alexander Meyer to give Mainz the lead in the 36th minute.

However, Lee then brought down Serhou Guirassy in the box just four minutes later, with the striker restoring parity from 12 yards.

Dortmund could not hold on until half-time though, as their defence was again caught out when Jonathan Burkardt turned in a cutback in first-half stoppage time.

After the break, Mainz picked up where they had left off, bagging a third goal through Paul Nebel, who coolly slid in from the edge of the six-yard box in the 54th minute.

Dortmund, who have lost four of their five away league games this season and drawn the other, are on 16 points in seventh spot. Mainz are three points behind in 10th.

Data Debrief: Away day woes

Dortmund have won just one of their away games in all competitions this season - a 3-0 victory over Club Brugge in the Champions League - but there does not seem to be an end in sight to their troubles.

It is the first time that Dortmund have lost six competitive away games on the bounce since 2006-07, but Nuri Sahin's bigger worry will be the fact that they only attempted two shots, with their penalty the only effort on target. 

Meanwhile, Mainz have ended a three-match winless run in the Bundesliga, extending their impressive recent record against Dortmund in the process, as they are unbeaten in four games against the Black and Yellow (W2 D2).

Koji Miyoshi produced an 89th-minute leveller to snatch struggling Bochum a 1-1 draw against champions Bayer Leverkusen in Saturday's Bundesliga clash.

Patrik Schick fired Leverkusen into an 18th-minute lead after he was sent through by Florian Wirtz's superb ball before threading through Patrick Drewes' legs, with his strike hitting the post and rolling in.

Bochum, with new head coach Dieter Hecking on the bench, were by no means overrun, working hard in defence to shut down spaces but lacked more clinical finish up front.

Those profligate struggles ended late on as Miyoshi slammed home from close range to salvage a draw for the hosts.

The draw leaves Leverkusen, who lost 4-0 at Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek, in fourth place on 17 points, nine behind leaders Bayern Munich. 

Data Debrief: Familiar issue for Leverkusen

Leverkusen seemed on course for a battling away victory, until Miyoshi's last-gasp leveller proved pivotal for Bochum.

Alonso's side have now dropped 11 points from winning positions in the Bundesliga this season, no team has lost more.

That is in stark contrast to last season when Leverkusen became just the second team in Bundesliga history to not drop a single point from a winning position over an entire campaign.

Jamal Musiala's stunning first-half finish powered undefeated Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich to a nervy 1-0 victory at St. Pauli on Saturday.

Bayern, fresh from their 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica courtesy of another Musiala goal, had the upper hand at the start.

St. Pauli, however, showed few nerves and gradually became more aggressive, carving out a couple of scoring chances of their own.

Bayern struck first, however, when Germany midfielder Musiala won possession before unleashing a ferocious shot from range that went in off the crossbar for his fifth league goal.

Promoted St. Pauli turned out to be a tough nut to crack with Bayern given little space to create chances in the second half and the hosts lurking on the break.

Victory leaves Bayern top on 26 points, six ahead of second-placed RB Leipzig, who host Borussia Monchengladbach later on Saturday.

Data Debrief: St. Pauli's scoring struggles

St. Pauli have failed to score at home across their opening five such matches in the Bundesliga, leaving them on a league-low seven goals in the competition overall.

That issue may not have been expected to change here, however, considering the hosts have only won one of their 11 home games in professional football against Bayern (D3 L9).

St. Pauli managed just three shots for their 0.08 expected goals tally (xG), failing to find the target with all of those in what proved to be another frustrating outing.

Jamal Musiala's stunning first-half finish powered undefeated Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich to a nervy 1-0 victory at St. Pauli on Saturday.

Bayern, fresh from their 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica courtesy of another Musiala goal, had the upper hand at the start.

St. Pauli, however, showed few nerves and gradually became more aggressive, carving out a couple of scoring chances of their own.

Bayern struck first, however, when Germany midfielder Musiala won possession before unleashing a ferocious shot from range that went in off the crossbar for his fifth league goal.

Promoted St. Pauli turned out to be a tough nut to crack with Bayern given little space to create chances in the second half and the hosts lurking on the break.

Victory leaves Bayern top on 26 points, six ahead of second-placed RB Leipzig, who host Borussia Monchengladbach later on Saturday.

Data Debrief: St. Pauli's scoring struggles

St. Pauli have failed to score at home across their opening five such matches in the Bundesliga, leaving them on a league-low seven goals in the competition overall.

That issue may not have been expected to change here, however, considering the hosts have only won one of their 11 home games in professional football against Bayern (D3 L9).

St. Pauli managed just three shots for their 0.08 expected goals tally (xG), failing to find the target with all of those in what proved to be another frustrating outing.

Bayer Leverkusen must show consistency and focus upon their return to Bundesliga action after their Champions League hammering against Liverpool. 

Those were the words of Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, who endured a miserable return to Anfield as the German champions were beaten 4-0 on Tuesday. 

Luis Diaz's second-half hat-trick and Cody Gakpo's header compounded Leverkusen to defeat, though that result had been coming according to Alonso. 

Die Werkself have managed just one win from their last five Bundesliga outings, dropping them to fourth having taken 16 points from their nine league games this term. 

Alonso's side are nine points worse off compared to last year, with the last reigning champion to start a campaign so poorly being Borussia Dortmund in 2012-13 (15 points).

"We have to become consistent in the game with our concentration and mentality," coach Xabi Alonso told a press conference on Friday.

"That's what we need to improve most. We want to be consistent in our way of playing but also our mentality and our focus. Every moment is important.

"It is not enough to play well over 80 minutes. We need it over the entire time with 100% presence on the pitch.

"If not then we make mistakes and mistakes at this high level are costly."

Leverkusen make the trip to the Vonovia Ruhrstadion to face bottom club Bochum, who have managed just one point from their nine games so far this season.

Only Greuther Furth (2021-22) and 1. FC Saarbrucken (inaugural 1963-64 Bundesliga season) have started off worse than Bochum in the league. 

But considering Bochum's -20 goal difference, they have recorded the worst start ever by a Bundesliga team, resulting in Peter Zeidler's dismissal last month. 

Dieter Hecking was announced as the club's new head coach earlier this week, and Alonso is expecting a tricky encounter this weekend.

"We want to be consistent. We can do it better and tomorrow it is important to play well. We are prepared for all situations," Alonso said.

"We know what to expect," Alonso said. "The intensity in Bochum, a new coach. They want to change the mood and mindset. But we are prepared. We know what to expect.

"We have to know it is very important for us. Tomorrow there are no excuses for not playing well. We face a good opponent, but we have to be prepared." 

Nuri Sahin is confident that Borussia Dortmund's back-to-back victories will help improve spirits within their depleted squad ahead of facing Mainz in the Bundesliga. 

The likes of Gregor Kobel, Karim Adeyemi, Julien Duranville, Gio Reyna, Niklas Sule, Waldemar Anton, Julian Ryerson and Yan Couto are all notable absentees for BVB. 

However, Sahin's side followed up their impressive league win over RB Leipzig last week with a 1-0 win over Sturm Graz in the Champions League on Tuesday. 

The win saw Sahin become the first Dortmund boss since the Bundesliga was founded to win each of his first seven home matches in charge (all competitions).

However, their struggles, particularly in the Bundesliga, have come away from the Westfalenstadion this season. 

Dortmund have failed to win any of their four away matches in the league. Should they fail to win in Mainz, they would become the second side this century to have zero wins in their first five away games and five wins from their first five home games. 

Borussia Monchengladbach were the last team to go on a similar run in 2013-14, while the last time Dortmund experienced this stretch of form came in 1967-68. 

However, Sahin revealed that their recent victories have improved the mood in the dressing room, and is positive his players can stop the rot away from home. 

"We have not really trained as a team on the pitch yet (after the win over Graz)," Sahin told a press conference.

"But the atmosphere is obviously more relaxed. Victories always do well and especially the way we won." It is normal there's more laughter after wins than after defeats."

Dortmund currently sit fifth in the Bundesliga standings after nine games, seven points behind league leaders Bayern Munich. 

Sahin's side do, however, have the opportunity to close the gap at the summit ahead of the final international break of 2024. 

The BVB head coach welcomed the two-week break as an opportunity to nurse his injury-hit squad back to health, though asked his available players for one final push after a difficult few months. 

"It is never easy in Mainz. It will be uncomfortable," Sahin said. "We need to do it one more time before going into the international break."

"It needs to be clear to us that it is about the three points. It does not matter if it is home or away.

"We will try to get those important points to start again after the international break from a better position."

Vincent Kompany is confident that his free-scoring Bayern Munich side can continue their prolific form away from home when they face St. Pauli on Saturday. 

Bayern returned to winning ways in the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Benfica in midweek, but are now looking to remain at the Bundesliga summit. 

Kompany's team are the only unbeaten side away from home in the league this term, taking 13 points from their five games on the road. 

They have scored at least three goals in each of their last five Bundesliga away games to equal the league record set by themselves in 2019-20 under Hansi Flick.

In league history, no other side has ever scored as many goals in their first five away games of a campaign as Bayern’s current return (22).

Kompany, however, was unsure about why his team were so effective away from the Allianz Arena. 

"Good question. Honestly, I don't know why that is," Kompany told a press conference.

"I don't think we differentiate too much between away games and home games. Obviously, it is extra motivation to play in our Allianz Arena.

"But we have also played a lot of matches on the road. Our plan does not change whether we play against St Pauli away or at home.

"Maybe that is the reason we have scored so much. Maybe it is the opponents changing their plans.

"We have prepared for what we have seen, and we hope it will work on the day."

Bayern's victory over Benfica came after back-to-back defeats to Aston Villa and Barcelona in the Champions League, moving them up to 17th in the new 36-team standings. 

Though the scoreline suggested a closely contested affair, Kompany's side put on a dominant display that warranted a more handsome margin at full-time. 

Bayern ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.45 from their 22 shots, while restricting their opponents to just one shot. 

Despite the quick turnaround from Wednesday's triumph, Kompany insisted that his players will be well-prepared for their trip to the Millerntor-Stadion. 

"My players will be fresh on Saturday. I have the feeling the team is fresh mentally and physically even though we did not have a lot of time to recover," Kompany said. 

Borussia Dortmund's 2-1 comeback win over RB Leipzig to snap a three-game losing run was a reward for their hard work, coach Nuri Sahin said.

Dortmund, who face Sturm Graz in the Champions League next week, were without nine injured players but dug deep to score twice after visitors Leipzig took the lead.

They came into Saturday's Bundesliga match against second-placed Leipzig having lost three straight games across all competitions, and fell behind to Benjamin Sesko's thumping strike.

But goals from Maximilian Beier and Serhou Guirassy completed the turnaround and saw Sahin continue his strong home form, having won each of his first five league matches in charge at Signal Iduna Park.

"An important win, and in my opinion a deserved win," Sahin told reporters. 

"We started well and the goal did not knock us down. We were rewarded with a goal before half-time and then again after the break. Sometimes you suffer, but with suffering you learn. We are now on a better track and won't veer away."

Sahin had been under mounting pressure following a loss in the Champions League to Real Madrid after leading 2-0, and defeats by Augsburg in the Bundesliga last week and Tuesday's DFB-Cup exit to Wolfsburg.

"On Tuesday I also saw a team that gave everything but were not rewarded in the end. Today we were," Sahin said.

"The boys applied what we planned. The belief in this team is the same even if we had lost seven in a row."

Borussia Dortmund fought back to beat RB Leipzig 2-1 and claim a morale-boosting Bundesliga win for under-pressure boss Nuri Sahin.

Dortmund bounced back from a three-game losing streak in all competitions despite having nine players missing for Saturday's clash at Signal Iduna Park.

Leipzig took the lead when Benjamin Sesko lashed home from a tight angle in the 27th minute, though Dortmund had spurned several gilt-edged chances by that stage.

Dortmund responded within three minutes, though, with Maximilian Beier pouncing onto a loose ball to prod in.

The turnaround was completed when Serhou Guirassy headed in from close range in the 65th minute.

While Leipzig suffered their first league defeat of the campaign, Dortmund sit fifth.

Data Debrief: Sahin's home fortress 

Dortmund's troubles this season, at least domestically, have come mainly on the road, but they have been excellent at home and this win continued that form.

Sahin has won each of his first five Bundesliga home games in charge of Dortmund, a feat previously only achieved by Marco Rose (seven wins), who of course was in the opposite dugout on Saturday.

Vincent Kompany said he is not focused on the pressures of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League after Bayern Munich's 3-0 win over Union Berlin. 

Bayern moved temporarily top of the Bundesliga standings thanks to a brace from Harry Kane and Kingsley Coman's third goal in as many league games. 

Kompany's side have now scored 32 goals in their first nine games this season, taking their tally to 50 goals under the Belgian's tenure in 14 games in all competitions. 

But Bayern have failed to replicate that form in the Champions League, failing to win their last two games following an opening day mauling of Dinamo Zagreb. 

They find themselves in 23rd place in the new league format in the competition, and are at risk of not making the knockout stages for the first time since 2002-03. 

"Fact is that every Bayern game has pressure. But I am not focusing on pressure. Just on the next game," Kompany said.

"This format is eight teams qualify and 20-odd play in playoffs.

"For the top eight teams it is true (automatic qualification) but it is not about being in or out of the Champions League with this format." 

Bayern host Benfica on Wednesday, and will be looking to turn their European fortunes around on home soil.

And Kompany believes the intensity shown in their latest Bundesliga triumph can be used as positive momentum ahead of their Champions League return. 

"I think the team was working hard in the first and second half, but I was happy with our performance in the second half because we did not concede momentum," Kompany said.

"We did it really well. It was not an easy game, therefore it is a great result for us."

Omar Marmoush made club history with his goal in Eintracht Frankfurt's 7-2 win over Bochum.

The forward was on target and provided two assists as Dino Toppmoller's side leapfrogged reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen to third place in the table.

Marmoush notched up his 10th goal of the season, becoming the first Frankfurt player to achieve the feat in the opening nine matches of a Bundesliga season.

The Egypt international broke Tony Yeboah's record of nine goals in as many matchdays, set during the 1993-94 campaign.

With his two assists, Marmoush took his tally of direct goal contributions for this season to 16, the joint-most in the Bundesliga along with Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane.

In fact, Kane is the only player to have previously registered more direct goal contributions after the first nine games of a Bundesliga campaign, with 17 last term.