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Bayern Munich defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 yesterday to end a difficult week by moving 23 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table. |
On Friday, club president Uli Hoeness resigned having decided against appealing a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for tax evasion but the players managed to extend their unbeaten run in the league to 50 games.
Bayern were a little slow to start as Heung-Min Son missed a good chance for Leverkusen and Simon Rolfes forced Manuel Neuer into a flying save. But Mario Mandzukic opened the scoring for the hosts with a 45th-minute header and Bastian Schweinsteiger made the game safe just after the break with a beautiful free kick, curled over the wall to leave Bernd Leno helpless.
Stefan Kiessling headed an injury-time consolation for Leverkusen, who remain fourth.
Earlier, Borussia Moenchengladbach won 2-1 at Borussia Dortmund to end a nine-game winless run and boost their chances of finishing in a European spot. Goals from Raffael and Max Kruse gave Moenchengladbach a first-half lead and though Havard Nordtveit was red carded and Milos Jojic pulled one back, the guests held on to win.
Dortmund remain third but are now only one point ahead of Schalke, who won 2-1 at Augsburg on Friday.
Wolfsburg slip to sixth having also dropped points in the race for Champions League places, held 1-1 at bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig.
Luiz Gustavo had given the guests the lead in the first half but Karim Bellarabi slammed home Dominick Kumbela’s cross to ensure a share of the spoils.
Mainz moved fifth in the table by winning 4-2 at Hoffenheim. Sejad Salihovic missed an early penalty but the hosts took control as Eugen Polanski and Roberto Firmino scored in the second half.
Results
Dortmund...................... 1 Mon’gladbach 2
Braunschweig....... 1 Wolfsburg................... 1
Hertha Berlin......... 0 Hannover.................. 3
Hoffenheim............. 2 Mainz................................... 4
Werder Bremen 1 Stuttgart........................... 1
Bayern Munich. 2 Leverkusen............... 1
