Gladbach's quick treble condemns Bayern to first league loss
In-form Borussia Moenchengladbach struck three times in 14 minutes in the second half to floor champions Bayern Munich 3-1 on Saturday and inflict their first Bundesliga defeat of the season.
Bayern's lead at the top of the league was cut to five points after second-placed Borussia Dortmund snatched a 2-1 victory at VfL Wolfsburg when Shinji Kagawa scored in the third minute of stoppage time, moments after Ricardo Rodriguez had levelled for the hosts.
Oscar Wendt put Gladbach ahead in the 54th minute and quick goals from Lars Stindl and Fabian Johnson knocked out Bayern, who looked stunned after winning 13 of their 14 league games in a record-breaking start to the campaign.
Franck Ribery scored on his comeback after an eight-month injury break but the Frenchman's 81st-minute goal came too late to turn the game around.
"It can happen that you concede a goal but after the first goal we completely lost our discipline," said Bayern coach Pep Guardiola. "That was not good at all. We ran straight into counter-attacks and that is the reason we lost today."
"It was difficult after the break because we kept losing possession," said the Spaniard. "This game was a lesson that you should not neglect your own playing style."
Gladbach, who face Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday, stretched their unbeaten run under coach Andre Schubert to 10 league games and climbed to third on 26 points.
Bayern, repeatedly caught napping at the back and lacking their usual pace on the wings with Arjen Robben and Douglas Costa out injured, were still the better side in the first half.
Robert Lewandowski connected with a superb Philipp Lahm through ball in the 18th minute and Thomas Mueller had a shot on goal but keeper Yann Sommer was well placed to save both efforts. Kingsley Coman hit the post with a low drive in the 25th minute.
But Gladbach hit the champions on the break, Raffael combining beautifully with Wendt and the Swede curling a low shot past keeper Manuel Neuer. Stindl was given far too much space and volleyed in on 66 minutes and Johnson beat the offside trap two minutes later before Ribery scored a consolation.
Dortmund, who moved up to 35 points, struck through Marco Reus in the first half and desperately tried to protect their lead as Wolfsburg attacked after the break.
The Wolves thought they had done enough to secure a point when Rodriguez scored a stoppage-time penalty to level.
But Japan international Kagawa broke free in the third minute of stoppage time and finished to snap Wolfsburg's 29-game unbeaten run at home in the Bundesliga and earn Dortmund a sixth win in their last seven games.
Hertha Berlin climbed up to fourth with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Bayer Leverkusen, who had Sebastian Boenisch sent off with a red card for a dangerous challenge.
Leverkusen, who host holders Barcelona in the Champions League, have now won just once in their last five league matches and are five points off Hertha in eighth place as their rollercoaster season continued with their sixth defeat of the campaign.
