Leon Goretzka scored twice to give champion Bayern Munich a 3-1 victory at Hoffenheim Friday and cut Borussia Dortmund's lead to three points as the Bundesliga resumed after the winter break. The Germany midfielder scored both his goals in the first half and Robert Lewandowski added another in the 87th minute to earn the three points that lifted Bayern to 39, three behind Dortmund. "We did not play to rattle Dortmund. We wanted to make a good start to the year and play a good game," Goretzka told reporters. "Obviously, we want to be champions. We are six points behind and have to catch up. We are the hunters now and we need to win our games." It was the first time since 2011 that Bayern started the new year not as Bundesliga leader and it has won the title for the last six years. Hoffenheim suffered its first loss in 11 league games to remain in seventh place. Bayern, which has now won its last six league games, was eager to lay a marker down at the start of the year, with Dortmund in command of the league and Liverpool awaiting in the Champions League round of 16 next month. It twice went close early in the game through Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller but both fired narrowly wide of Oliver Baumann's goal. Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann had won the previous two home matches in the league against Bayern but his team were under pressure from the start and Baumann made a desperate stop on the line after a goal-mouth scramble. He made another sensational save on Lewandowski's 35th minute header but was beaten on the rebound by Goretzka. The 23-year-old got his second in first-half stoppage time to complete a textbook Bayern counter-attack over 80 meters. But the visitors' superiority was reduced after the interval and it was Hoffenheim which was more dangerous, threatening on the break and cutting the deficit with Nico Schulz's fine finish on the hour. Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer denied an 83rd-minute equalizer for the hosts, blocking Adam Szalai's header, and Poland striker Lewandowski grabbed Bayern's third goal three minutes from time to seal victory and move them within striking distance of Dortmund. Norwich beats Birmingham Norwich ended a five-match winless run and closed the gap on Championship leader Leeds to one point with a 3-1 victory over Birmingham Friday. Daniel Farke's side dropped out of the top two last weekend following a draw at West Bromwich Albion. But promotion-chasing Norwich moved back into second place as goals from Teemu Pukki, Mario Vrancic and Tom Trybull secured their first home win since December 8. All four goals came in a frenetic 12-minute period at Carrow Road. Former Celtic forward Pukki put the Canaries ahead from Jamal Lewis's in the 13th minute, only for Birmingham's Che Adams to equalize with a fine finish a minute later. Norwich restored its lead in the 22nd minute through Vrancic's 20-yard blast and Trybull's header consolidated their advantage in the 25th minute. Birmingham would have moved up to seventh place with a victory, but it couldn't reduce the deficit in the second half. Garry Monk's team stays eighth, four points adrift of the play-offs and without a win in four league games. — Agencies
