Football Focus Highlight

Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich kicked off a crucial week with a tight victory against in-form Borussia Monchengladbach.

Manager Louis van Gaal faces a pivotal few days just months into his reign at the Bavarians' helm, with tonight's game followed four days later by a winner-takes-all battle against Juventus in the Champions League.

Gladbach came into the match buoyed by their five-game unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga but were undone tonight as Holger Badstuber hit a winning free-kick after Roel Broewers had cancelled out Mario Gomez's opener for the home side.

Bayern set a good pace from the start and Danijel Pranjic fired a warning shot in the 10th minute with his left-footed shot being tipped around the post by Gladbach goalkeeper Logan Bailly.

Nine minutes later Bayern were ahead and it was much-criticised national team striker Gomez who produced the goal. Gomez collected the ball out towards the right and tried his luck from 20 yards, his precise effort flying into the bottom right-hand corner.

Pranjic was involved in most of Bayern's good work and crossed from the left only to see Gomez send his left-footed effort well over the bar.

In the 25th minute Philipp Lahm bombed down the right before cutting inside and shooting from outside the box with Bailly proving equal to it.

Former Mallorca winger Juan Arango finally produced a shot for Gladbach in the 26th minute but his superb 30-yard effort was saved brilliantly by Hans-Jorg Butt.

Arango's effort gave the visitors impetus, however, and two minutes later they were level. Broewers was centrally positioned in the penalty area and when Michael Bradley sent the ball in, he was perfectly placed to sweep it home.



Rob Friend forced Butt into another save six minutes before the break and Arango brought the best out of the Bayern keeper in added time with a 30-yard cracker.

The second half began quietly until Badstuber made it 2-1, curling home a free-kick from just outside the box superbly with his left foot.

Gladbach were rocked by the goal and there seemed little chance of a comeback as Mark van Bommel tried his luck but saw his shot deflected before Badstuber was denied by Bailly three minutes into injury time.

Source: http://www.espnstar.com/football/bundesliga/news/detail/item361900/Bayern-Munich-2-1-Gladbach/

A hat-trick from Stefan Kießling ensured a masterful Bayer Leverkusen returned to the Bundesliga summit on Sunday afternoon as they thumped a sorry VfB Stuttgart 4-0 at the BayArena.


Leverkusen went into the match as the only unbeaten team in Germany's top tier this term, while Markus Babbel's Stuttgart were looking for their first win in six. How the tables had turned since the corresponding fixture last season, when the Swabians ran out 4-2 away victors.



Line-up:

Leverkusen: Adler - Schwaab, M. Friedrich, Hyypiä, Castro (Sarpei 84') - Vidal (L.Bender 84'), Reinartz - Barnetta, Kroos - Kießling (Helmes 89'), Derdiyok

Stuttgart: Lehmann - Osorio, Tasci, Delpierre, Boka - Rudy, Träsch - Gebhart (Hilbert 46'), Hleb - Cacau (Schieber 46'), Pogrebnyak (Marica 73')

Goals: 1-0 Kießling (22'), 2-0 Derdiyok (39'), 3-0 Kießling (59'), 4-0 Kießling (87' pen)

Attendance: 30,210 (BayArena - sold out)

Bayern Munich ended the series with three consecutive convincing victory. A visit to Hanover, FC Hollywood won with a score of 3-0.

With this result Munich broke through to the fourth position of the German League with 24 points. While Hannover not depart from the order of 12 standings with 16 points.

In the match held at AWD Arena, Sunday (29/11/2009), the two teams actually play in balance. But the visitors more sharply in the final settlement.

Thomas Muller opened Bayern advantage in 19 minutes through right foot in front of goal Hannover utilizing feedback from Ivica Olic. Score 1-0 to stay lasted until halftime.



Bayern appear immediately slapped in the second half. At minute 47 Danijel Pranjic off a successful cross headlong and converted into goals by Olic.

After that many opportunities are created for both sides. When the score was 2-0 going to survive until the second half ended, Gomez comes to add the benefits of Munich in 90 minutes.

Receiving feedback from Alexander Baumjohann breakthrough, he kicks off the left foot from the line of the penalty box that nestled in the bottom left of goalkeeper Florian Fromlowitz.

Werder Bremen's efforts to master the Bundesliga hampered. Defending champion entertain Wolfsburg, Bremen, coming from behind before eventually drew 2-2.

With the result that, while Bremen is leading the standings with a value of 27. However, they only superior goal difference over Bayer Leverkusen. If the game Leverkusen win or draw against Stuttgart on Sunday (29/11) , the Bremen had to go back to second place.

The game on the 13th week, Bremen failed to show his best game. In fact, Wolfsburg first winning goal by Edin Dzeko at minute 42.

Entering the second half, Bremen began to press. Their efforts led to a goal by Almeida in 62 minutes. However, Dzeko scored again in the 85th minute, winning 2-1 to Wolfsburg.

Toward the end of the match, Bremen tried to keep pressing his guest. Finally, at minute 90, Per Mertersacker managed to save Bremen from defeat, after scoring equaliser position.

Champions VfL Wolfsburg twice came from a goal down to level against visitors Nuremberg, who snatched the three points with the last kick of the match when Peer Kluge struck on the break.

Albert Bunjaku handed the visitors a surprising lead in the 56th minute, but it was quickly canceled out by Wolfsburg's Ashkan Dejagah. Bunjaku restored Nurnberg's lead again in the 64th minute, only for Grafite to convert a penalty kick 11 minutes from time for Wolfsburg to once again even the score.

However, Nurnberg left town with all three points in the dying seconds as a counter-attack opportunity allowed Daniel Gygax to square the ball to Kluge for the deciding goal.



Defending champions Wolfsburg are now five points back of leaders Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen, but they will fall further off the pace if Leverkusen is able to take anything from its away match with Bayern Munich on Sunday.

Werder Bremen 6-0 to record a victory over Freiburg in the Bundesliga continued, badenova Stadium, Saturday (21/11/2009). These results make them raced to the top of the standings with 26 points, or just superior goal difference from Bayer Leverkusen in second place.

Shown in the cage opposite, Bremen got nervous. Only after entering the 25th minute, Bremen found a rhythm of their game and started diligently to spread the threat to the goal Freiburg.

Bremen finally began to reap the fruits of their solid game after Hugo Almeida's goal broke Simon Pouplin in minute 33. Utilizing feedback Mezut Özil, Almeida passed the ball into the middle of the goal Freiburg.

Able scored one goal, Bremen attack raises tension. However, have not produced the second goal, their passion stopped halftime whistle.



Entering the second half, Bremen decreased performance compared to late second round. Performance of new machines smoothly Bremen scored their second goal after Marco Marin printed in the 55th minute. Marin scored from a free kick, following a breach Cedric Makiadi him.

Just two minutes later, Bremen 3-0 to ensure excellence through Hugo Almeida. Utilizing feedback Özil, Almeida sent the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal Freiburg.

Do not want to give just to give assists, Özil finally contributed a goal in the 67th minute. He beat goalkeeper after using feedback Pouplin Daniel Jensen.

Rev the engine back to spawn Bremen goals 73 minutes, through Naldo from the spot. Penalty awarded after Mohamadou Idrissou to Özil offense.

Massacre Bremen finally reached its peak when Markus Rosenberg scored in the sixth minute 82. After delivery of the ball Özil, Rosenburg strikes the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal Freiburg.

For Freiburg, these results make them slump to 13th position with 13 points.

Bayer Leverkusen strengthen its position at the top of the Bundesliga standings 1, after shave Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 on Friday (6 / 11/2009. This victory made "Wekself" has a value of 26.

Shown at home, Bayer Leverkusen appear dominantly since first minutes. As a result, "Werkself" only takes two minutes to break his guest. Stefan Kieeling successfully scored by using a ball-kick wild results Tranquillo Barnetta.

Goal is to make the spirit of the troops lined Jupp Haynckes. They increasingly fierce heart pounding defense "Die Adler", a nickname Frankfurt. In the sixth minute, Leverkusen supporters who crowded the Bay Arena Stadium cheered welcome back Stefan Reinartz goals. Goals stems from Barnetta corner kick in the right sectors, and then direct the menerabas Reinartz headlong on top right corner of the goal Ralf Fahrmann.





Five minutes later, Toni Kroos Fahrmann forced to re-picked up the ball in the net. Goal occurred after the Frankfurt defense that does not provide free escort him to kick from outside the penalty box that nestled in the top right of the goal Frankfurt.

Next, Leverkusen controlled the game. Several opportunities were created. However, in the 86th minute, Leverkusen players added goals through substitute, Lars Bender. He successfully maximize Reinartz bait. Until the long whistle, Leverkusen successfully shave Frankfurt, 4-0.

Bayern Munich recorded a late win courtesy of a last-minute goal by defender Daniel Van Buyten to secure a 2-1 victory over visitors Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany's Bundesliga.

The result lifts them to fifth place in the overall standings.

The hosts dominated the game throughout, missing many clear chances, but it was Frankfurt who took the lead in the 60th minute when Alexander Meier pounced on a through ball from Patrick Ochs to slot home.

Dutch winger Arjen Robben levelled nine minutes later when he tapped in from close range following a header from fellow substitute Mario Gomez, before Van Buyten headed in at the far post in the 88th to seal the win which lifted Bayern to fifth place on 18 points.

Leaders Bayer Leverkusen, on 22 points, drew 1-1 against Borussia Dortmund on Friday and second-placed Hamburg SV, on 21 points, visit Schalke 04, who are third with 19 points, on Sunday.

A second-half goal from defender Manuel Friedrich gave Bayer Leverkusen a 1-1 draw against visitors Borussia Dortmund in Germany's Bundesliga.

The results means that Bayer move a point clear at the top of the table.

Leverkusen, who are unbeaten this season, threatened twice in the opening minutes through Lars Bender and Toni Kroos but it was Dortmund who struck first in the eighth minute.

Paraguay international Nelson Valdez combined well with Nuri Shahin and floated a sweet cross into the area for Argentine Lucas Barrios to head the visitors into the lead.



It was the first goal Leverkusen had conceded in the league since mid-September.

Juergen Klopp's Dortmund team quickly retreated into their own half after going ahead as the hosts dominated possession but failed to carve out any clear scoring opportunities.

In a scrappy second half, Leverkusen finally broke through the visitors' double defensive line when Friedrich headed the equaliser from a Tranquillo Barnetta corner in the 65th as the home side preserved their unbeaten run this season.

Gelsenkirchen - VfL Wolfsburg managed to bring home maximum points from the visit to Schalke 04. Won by a score of 2-1, the champion two-goal scored by trusty striker Edin Dzeko.

Compete in the Veltins-Arena, Friday (18/9/2009) , Wolfsburg be calling to be haunted by the defeat in three previous German League action. Moreover, Schalke currently leaded by Felix Magath, the coach who last season led them win the Bundesliga.

But the Armin Veh squad get out of the pressure of the host camp. After playing a draw in the first round, they were able to excel in the second half 10 minutes after the break a goal Schalke Dzeko feedback corner kick advantage.

Ten minutes before the fight ended, Benedikt Hoewedes host inflame supporters after he scored an equalizer goal. However, these conditions did not last long , because of Dzeko goal back.

Victory leads 2-1 Wolfsburg climbed into fifth position of the standings with nine points collected from the six games that have been passed. Meanwhile, with 10 points, The Royal Blues were still survive in the order of three.

After performing poorly at the beginning of the competition, Bayern Munich started to show his ability. Come to the cage Borussia Dortmund, the care team was Louis van Gaal rampage and beat the hosts 5-1.

Bayern had difficulties. In fact, in the 11th minute, Dortmund managed to steal a goal through the Hummels.

This goal was actually sparked "outrage" Bayern. "FC Hollywood" is a direct attack tightening, to make Dortmund ruins.

Mario Gomez opened the scoring in minute Bavaria-36. Goal is increasingly making Bayern excited. They continued to press, especially in the second round.