Bayern Munich’s Thomas Mueller (centre) celebrates with teammates after their 2-0 win over Eintracht Braunschweig in the Bundesliga yesterday. (AFP)
Reuters/Berlin
Late goals from veteran Claudio Pizarro and Mario Mandzukic rescued lacklustre Bayern Munich who beat Eintracht Braunschweig 2-0 yesterday to bounce back from two straight league losses ahead of next week’s Champions League semi-final at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old Peruvian, who has now scored against every Bundesliga club with Braunschweig the only one missing from his list prior to the game, was picked to start ahead of Bayern top scorer Mandzukic.
The choice proved key as the Bavarians’ slump in form showed for much of the game and needed the goal prowess of the league’s top foreign scorer of all time.
Bayern, who secured the league title weeks ago and had won none of their last three league games prior to Saturday, were missing several players including keeper Manuel Neuer and defender David Alaba.
Despite enough big name players in the squad, however, they struggled against the aggressive hosts, out for any points to avoid relegation.
Braunschweig, missing Karim Bellarabi and Marcel Correia who were suspended by coach Torsten Lieberknecht after oversleeping and missing a team meeting, were far livelier despite the absence of injured top striker Domi Kumbela.
It took Bayern more than an hour to settle in and Pizarro drilled home from a tight angle after a well-timed pass by Mario Goetze. Substitute Mandzukic settled any nerves in the 86th.
Borussia Dortmund made sure of Champions League action again next season after tightening their grip on second place and opening a six-point lead over third-placed Schalke 04, who take on VfB Stuttgart on Sunday, with a 4-2 victory over Mainz 05.
Dortmund, who hit the post through in-form Marco Reus in the third minute, did better two minutes later with Milos Jojic’s deflected shot.
Twice Mainz 05 recovered with goals from Japan international Shinji Okazaki but twice the hosts hit back almost instantly with Robert Lewandowski’s 18th goal of the campaign and another from fullback Lukasz Piszczek.
Lewandowski, in his penultimate home game for Dortmund before joining Bayern next season, then forced Niko Bungert to use his hands to stop the ball in the box.
Bungert was sent off and Reus, who twice hit the woodwork with free kicks in the game, converted the spot kick to clinch their fourth consecutive league win.
Former Bundesliga champions Werder Bremen all but secured another season in the top division after beating Hoffenheim 3-1 to move nine points away from the relegation playoff spot with three games left.
Freiburg also took a major step towards safety, coming from a goal down to beat 10-man Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-2 and move up to 35 points.
Gladbach saw their chances of Champions League action next season severely dented after they dropped to sixth, two points off fourth place that leads to the qualifying rounds of Europe’s top club competition.
