Champions Bayern Munich crashed to a 3-2 loss at VfL Bochum on Sunday for a third straight defeat in all competitions that saw them drop eight points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Goals from Jeremie Frimpong and Amine Adli earned Leverkusen a 2-1 win at Heidenheim on Saturday, sending Xabi Alonso's Bundesliga leaders eight points clear of Bayern Munich in second.

Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen outplayed champions Bayern Munich for a 3-0 victory on Saturday that sent them five points clear at the top of the league and put them firmly in charge of the title race.

"What do I think we were missing? In training we show what we can do much better because we are courageous, because we play football freely," Mueller said.

Bayern Munich still have room for improvement and must up their game on Saturday at unbeaten league leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who have been playing close to their performance limit, said Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel on Friday.

English winger Jadon Sancho said he was "welcomed like family" after returning to Borussia Dortmund from Manchester United.

Bayer Leverkusen were held to a goalless draw at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday as their lead over injury-hit Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga was cut to two points.

Exequiel Palacios scored in the fourth minute of injury time to earn Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen a 1-0 win at Augsburg on Saturday, keeping them four points clear of reigning champions Bayern Munich.

Initially seen as dark horses, Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso have stormed out of the blocks in the 2023-24 Bundesliga season, etching their name in the record books with some stellar displays so far.

"It's been tough here without the family for these four months, without the kids and without the wife," he added.

Kane scored twice and now has 20 goals from just 14 league matches since joining Bayern in the summer from Tottenham.

Bundesliga club FC Cologne have on Wednesday been hit with a 595,000 euro ($641,800) fine for igniting pyrotechnics and throwing objects on the field which delayed a match.

Bayern Munich suffered a jolt to their title defence, losing their first league game of the season 5-1 in Frankfurt and handing Bayer Leverkusen the chance to open a six-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.

Saturday's Bundesliga clash between Bayern Munich and Union Berlin has been postponed due to heavy snowfall in Munich, Bayern said in a statement.

Kane is also the first English player to score 18 times in one season in the Bundesliga.

Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel on Thursday hit out at the crowded fixture list, saying it was "not for the good of the game and not for the good of the players".

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane said Robert Lewandowski's league goals record was "still a bit too far away" despite again scoring a brace in a 4-2 win over Heidenheim on Saturday.

Bundesliga club Mainz sacked footballer Anwar El Ghazi on Friday, hours after German prosecutors opened an investigation over his social media posts on the Israel-Hamas war.

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane joked that he would have to keep the match ball in his hotel room after scoring a Bundesliga hat-trick against Darmstadt on Saturday, as he is still yet to find a house in Munich.

Kane lobbed goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen from the centre circle to score Bayern's fifth and his second as Bayern tore Darmstadt apart on a rollercoaster afternoon for the champions.