Bayern made to sweat for 3-1 win at Stuttgart

STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Kingsley Coman scored one goal and set up another as Bayern Munich came from a goal down to beat VfB Stuttgart 3-1 on Saturday and stay top of the Bundesliga.

It was the seventh consecutive game that Bayern, who face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League next week, conceded a goal, and their defensive weaknesses were repeatedly exposed by the quick-breaking Stuttgart team.

They managed to turn the game around, however, and move two points clear at the top of the table as they chase a record-extending ninth straight league crown.

"We know that at the moment we are not winning any beauty awards for our game but we are delivering results," said Bayern coach Hansi Flick, whose team also had to come from a goal down in their 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen last week.

"So it was important that we found our way back into the game after falling behind and that we got the three points back to Munich. That is what matter though we all know we can play better," Flick added.

The hosts went in front in the 20th minute after Tanguy Coulibaly beat keeper Manuel Neuer to the ball to score.

Philipp Foerster should have doubled Stuttgart's lead when he shot wide from three metres, and Neuer was lucky to be awarded a foul after losing possession in the box, allowing Foerster to put the ball in the net.

Bayern's Coman punished the home side, hitting them on the break to level in the 38th minute.

Bundesliga top scorer Robert Lewandowski, who had hit the post with an early header, drilled in his 12th league goal of the season on the stroke of halftime from a Coman assist to turn the game around.

Stuttgart kept carving out chances in the second half and Neuer played well to keep the visitors in front. It was not until Douglas Costa's low shot in the 87th made it 3-1 that the Bavarians were able to breathe more easily.

Bayern are on 22 points with RB Leipzig second on 20 after beating Arminia Bielefeld 2-1. Borussia Dortmund dropped to third on 18 after suffering a shock 2-1 home loss to Cologne.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Ed Osmond)