Bayern on top with unconvincing victory over Wolfsburg
Bayern Munich carved out a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg to stay at the top of the Bundesliga football while defending champions Borussia Dortmund beat Hoffenheim 3-1 with midfielder Shinji Kagawa scoring a brace.
- Indo-Asian News Service
- Updated: January 29, 2012 04:23 PM IST
Bayern Munich carved out a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg to stay at the top of the Bundesliga football while defending champions Borussia Dortmund beat Hoffenheim 3-1 with midfielder Shinji Kagawa scoring a brace.
The Bavarians were under pressure to remain in the championship lead as they were tied on points with Dortmund and Schalke.
Bayern striker Mario Gomez opened the scoring in the 60th minute on Saturday, latching on to a free kick for his 17th goal of the season.
In the closing minutes, Dutch midfielder Arjen Robben scored to seal an important but unimpressive win.
Bayern stay on top with 40 points while Wolfsburg remain in ninth position on 23 points, reports Xinhua.
Meanwhile, Dortmund earned their first ever win at Hoffenheim.
Dortmund midfielder and Japanese international Shinji Kagawa had all the time and space inside the penalty area to slot home in the 16th minute. The score was doubled in the 31st minute through midfielder Kevin Groskreutz and Kagawa struck again in the 54th minute.
Hoffenheim, though, were able to reduce the margin eight minutes later through defender Fabian Johnson.
Dortmund extended their unbeaten streak to 13 matches to remain in second position, equal on points with Bayern, but with a worse goal difference. Hoffenheim are in eighth position with 23 points.
Elsewhere, Schalke ensured the top three teams stay tied as they humiliated Cologne 4-1. Schalke came from behind after Cologne striker and German international Lukas Podolski hammered the opener from 18 meters.
Soon after the break Schalke striker Ciprian Marica struck twice.
In the 77th minute, Cologne defender Miso Brecko committed a foul inside the penalty area to get a red card and the penalty was converted by Klaas Jan Huntelaar, his 16th goal of the season - one behind Bayern striker Gomez. Midfielder Marco Hoeger netted the fourth goal.
Schalke are in third position with 40 points while Cologne slipped from 11th to 13th with 21 points.
Werder Bremen failed to beat Bayer Leverkusen for the eighth successive time, sharing points after a 1-1 draw at the Weser stadium.
Bremen's leading striker Claudio Pizzaro scored in the 29th minute but Leverkusen levelled the score in the 57th minute through defender Stefan Reinartz.
Both sides remain where they were before the game, Bremen in fifth position with 31 points and Leverkusen in sixth with 30.
After the disastrous 5-1 loss last week against Dortmund, Hamburg came back to defeat Hertha Berlin 2-1.
Marcell Jansen scored first for Hamburg and then Mladen Pentric headed home to make it 2-0.
Berlin could only reduce the margin in the 81st minute as young striker Pierre Michel Lasogga nodded home a cross from the left.
Berlin slip from 13th to 14th position with 20 points while Hamburg climb from 14th to 11th position on 22 points.
In the match between two bottom sides, 18th positioned Augsburg shared points with 16th positioned Kaiserslautern after a two-all draw. Augsburg jump from 18th to 17th position with 16 points while Kaiserslautern remain at 16th on 18 points.