Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scor

O&N HOME | NFL MLB NBA NHL NCAAF NCAABk Nascar Golf Soccer Tennis Boxing Horse Racing All Sports

SOCCER-GERMANY Home | Live Odds | Scoreboard | Standings |

Bayern blasts Wolfsburg to pull even with Bayer

Sat 6th, February 2010

Wolfsburg, Germany (Sports Network) - Arjen Robben, Daniel van Buyten and Franck Ribery scored, and Bayern Munich extended its winning streak to eight games to move level with Bayer Leverkusen atop the Bundesliga with a 3-1 win over Wolfsburg on Saturday at the Volkswagen Arena.

Bayern entered the day two points behind unbeaten Leverkusen, but used the victory and Bayer's 1-1 tie at Bochum to pull level on points through 21 matches. Leverkusen still holds a slight edge based on a two-goal lead in goal differential.

Robben scored in the second minute, Van Buyten added his goal midway through the half, and then Ribery clinched the match in the 57th. Bayern goalie Hans- Jorg Butt saved a penalty from Grafite in the second half, but the Wolfsburg striker did add a consolation goal with just seconds left in regular time.

Wolfsburg, which won the Bundesliga last season, had its winless streak extended to nine matches.

Bayern stunned Wolfsburg less than two minutes into the match when Bastian Schweinsteiger looped a long ball down the left wing to spring Thomas Muller. The 20-year-old Muller let the ball bounce once, then drove a cross into the area to Robben.

The Dutch winger, who scored twice in his debut for Bayern against Wolfsburg earlier this season following his arrival from Real Madrid, met the cross at the near post and drove a 14-yard shot to the right post to leave Wolfsburg goalie Andre Lenz helpless.

Bayern fullback Philipp Lahm nearly handed the goal back five minutes later when he headed weakly back to Butt. Grafite was in position to intercept the pass, but Butt did well to race off his line and punched it away as he collided with the Wolves striker.

Wolfsburg's dynamic duo of Edin Dzeko and Grafite combined for the first time in the 10th when Dzeko sprung Grafite with a great pass. Grafite only had Butt to beat, but he was denied from 10 yards. Grafite had another chance in the 22nd, but his flashy back heel flick with his back to the goal from the top- right corner of the six-yard box was directed wide of the right post.

Bayern weathered Wolfsburg's chances and took complete control in the 26th when Van Buyten was on target for the sixth time in the Bundesliga. Robben drove a corner in from the right, and although the Wolves got the first touch on the ball, it popped into the air to Ivica Olic at the back post.

Olic headed back to the near post to Van Buyten, who lunged to powerfully to head back inside the left post from six yards.

Gomez, who had an earlier shot saved, and Muller followed with chances in the final 20 minutes of the half but Bayern couldn't add to its lead.

Grafite tried to pull Wolfsburg back into the match with just under 15 minutes left in the half, but as he drove into the left side of the area, was defended well by Van Buyten and slipped to the ground to waste the opportunity. Grafite had one more chance before the break, but only got a slight touch on a cross at the left post and Butt just had to tap the ball away from the upper corner to preserve the two-goal lead.

Bayern opened the second half with Ribery in place of Olic, but it was Muller and Robben who combined on the first chance in the 46th. Muller set up Robben, but his deflected shot hit the left post and deflected wide.

Ribery won a free kick just outside the area in the 52nd, but with Robben and Schweinsteiger also on the ball, drove his quick kick into the wall, and then fired the rebound just wide of the left post.

Dzeko had a chance for Wolfsburg in the 54th but was denied by Butt, and Lenz followed by saving a shot at the upper-left corner by Schweinsteiger in the 55th to temporarily keep Wolfsburg's hopes alive.

Bayern quickly ended those hopes, using a long build up of well over 10 passes to set up its third goal. Robben eventually sprung Muller in the area and his initial shot was deflected by Lenz. Ribery latched onto the deflection, had his first shot hop over the fallen goalie, and then lunged to tap the ball into the empty net in the 57th with Wolfsburg's Andrea Barzaeli inches away.

Ribery handed Wolfsburg a chance to get back in the match in the 65th when he was called for a foul in the area, but Butt was up to the challenge and dove left to deny Grafite at the right post. Wolfsburg continued to create chances, but Butt denied Dzeko in the 75th and Grafite again in the 77th to put Bayern on cruise control in the final 10 minutes.

Grafite added a meaningless goal with just seconds left in the match, heading in an easy finish from a few yards out to cap an otherwise frustrating day for him and Wolfsburg.

Bayer Leverkusen took a 30th-minute lead at Bochum through Eren Derdiyok. but Zlatko Dedic leveled in the 68th. Bayer ran its season-long unbeaten streak to 21 matches, but tied its ninth match to fall into a tie with Bayern.

Third-place Schalke also dropped points, settling for a 0-0 draw at Freiburg, while Hamburg moved up to fourth despite blowing a two-goal lead in a 3-3 tie at Koln. Mladen Petric scored twice for Hamburg, but Milivoje Novakovic and Adil Chihi scored in the final 15 minutes for Koln.

Also Saturday, Carlos Eduardo and Sejad Salihovic scored to lead Hoffenheim to a 2-1 win over Hannover, and Roberto Hilbert scored in the 87th as Stuttgart won at Nurnberg 2-1.

On Sunday, Mainz hosts Monchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund hosts Eintracht.