Bayern hammer 10-man Leipzig to open up lead

BERLIN, Germany -- Robert Lewandowski led Bayern Munich to a 3-0 triumph in their Bundesliga showdown against ten-man RB Leipzig that opened up a three-point lead over their rivals.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed a "perfect" first half in which Bayern's Thiago Alcantara and Xabi Alonso scored early goals before Leipzig winger Emil Forsberg was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle. That left the visitors to play an hour at Munich's Allianz Arena a man down.

Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi then conceded the penalty which Lewandowski converted on 45 minutes to put Bayern 3-0 up at the break.

The result put Munich three points clear of their battered opponents at the top of the German league table heading into the winter break.

Leipzig briefly knocked Bayern off top spot early this month and the two have been in a neck-and-neck battle since.

Ancelotti highlighted his side's first half display.


"We were very aggressive and quickly established control, which gives us self-confidence, but we must still improve," said the Italian.

There was a minute's silence for the victims of Monday's truck attack in Berlin at Munich, Cologne, Ingolstadt and Hoffenheim, but it was most poignant at the capital's Olympic stadium.

Hertha Berlin hosted Darmstadt seven kilometres (four miles) from Breitscheidplatz where a lorry ploughed into a busy Christmas market on Monday, leaving 12 dead and at least 48 injured.

Fans in Berlin held up thousands of lights during a poignant minute's silence before kick off. The Hertha squad had earlier laid a wreath at the site.

A second-half free-kick by Marvin Plattenhardt and a Salomon Kalou header sealed Hertha's 2-0 win to stay fourth.

In Munich, Ancelotti pulled a surprise by leaving Germany forward Thomas Mueller and French winger Franck Ribery on the bench.

- Thiago on target -

Thiago Alcantara and Douglas Costa started and the selection paid off with 17 minutes gone.

Captain Philipp Lahm fired in a cross, Lewandowski hit the post, but Thiago was waiting in the middle to convert the rebound.

A mistake by Leipzig's Naby Keita, who had recovered from a thigh injury, saw Bayern grab their second on 25 minutes.

Arturo Vidal robbed the Guinea midfielder of possession, Lewandowski sprinted clear and Thiago slipped the ball to Alonso, who fired home.

A header by Leipzig captain Willi Orban forced Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into a diving save just before disaster struck for the visitors on 30 minutes.

Left winger Forsberg was sent off when his tackle caught Philipp Lahm on the Achilles tendon and referee Felix Zwayer pulled out a red card.

"He knew straight away that he had made a mistake, he's already apologised and we all can make mistakes," said Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuettl.

Gulacsi then conceded the penalty as it finished 3-0 at the break.

Bayern were then to let their opponent chase the ball as they enjoyed 75 percent possession, but the hosts battered the Leipzig goal in the closing minutes.

"I am proud of what the team has achieved this season, but this was a lesson for us and compliment to Bayern on the way they played," added Hasenhuettl.

Hoffenheim, the only unbeaten team in Germany's top flight, stay third after their tenth draw in 16 games as it finished 1-1 at home to Werder Bremen.

Hoffenheim's striker Sandro Wagner claimed his ninth league goal this season before Bremen's ex-Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry rescued a point.

Cologne striker Anthony Modeste gave his side a first-half lead before Bayer Leverkusen's Brazil defender Wendell equalised in a 1-1 draw.

Ingolstadt remain second from bottom after their 2-1 home defeat to mid-table Freiburg, for whom Florian Niederlechner netted twice.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

BUNDESLIGA: Bayern held at home as Ancelotti misses record

BERLIN, Germany -- Leaders Bayern Munich dropped their first Bundesliga points of the season on Saturday as their 1-1 draw at home to Cologne denied Carlo Ancelotti a record-equaling sixth straight win.

Joshua Kimmich's first-half header at Munich's Allianz Arena was cancelled out by Anthony Modeste's volley to break the Bavarian giants' 100 percent record in the league this season.

It meant Ancelotti missed out on equalling the Bundesliga record of six straight wins for a coach in his debut season in Germany's top flight.

"We were good in the first half and controlled the game, then we lost the cohesion and order in our game," admitted Ancelotti.

"We haven't played well in the last two matches, but it continues after the international break."

Cologne could easily have claimed a rare win in Munich.

Simon Zoller sprinted clear of the defence and his shot beat Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, but rolled agonisingly past the post two minutes into injury time.

Ancelotti made seven changes to the side which lost 1-0 at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday in the Champions League.

Only Neuer, Javi Martinez, Xabi Alonso and Robert Lewandowski kept their starting places.

Bayern took the lead on 40 minutes when left-back Juan Bernat skipped through a tackle to deliver a superb cross, which Kimmich launched himself at to head the ball home past Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn.

The visitors drew level on 63 minutes when Modeste volleyed Marcel Risse's cross over Neuer.

It was only the second goal Bayern had conceded at home this season in five games at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern could have gone back in front, but Germany star Thomas Mueller was left with his head in his hands when Horn deflected his close-range shot onto the far post with 76 minutes gone.

The result leaves Bayern three points clear while fourth-placed Cologne preserve their unbeaten record this season.

- 5th straight defeat -

Hertha Berlin took their chance to claim second place with a 2-0 win at home to Hamburg.

Vedad Ibisevic's scrambled shot gave Hertha a first-half lead at Berlin's Olympic Stadium before he also converted a second-half penalty.

Hamburg stumbled to their fifth straight defeat and their first under new coach Markus Gisdol after Bruno Labbadia was sacked last week.

Borussia Dortmund remain third despite crashing to a 2-0 defeat at fellow Champions League side Bayer Leverkusen, thanks to Admir Mehmedi's header and Javi Hernandez's second-half strike -- Chicharito's fifth goal in three games.

Borussia's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a late goal ruled offside, but this was a below-par display from Dortmund in the wake of Tuesday's 2-2 draw at home to holders Real Madrid in the Champions League.

"It's really annoying -- we could have done with the three points," Dortmund's Germany defender Matthias Ginter told Sky following Leverkusen's first home win against Borussia for nine years.

Along with Bayern, Cologne and RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim remain one of the four unbeaten teams after their 2-1 win at Ingolstadt, achieved thanks to first-half goals by Sandro Wagner and Kerem Demirbay.

Having drawn four of their six games this season, Hoffenheim are eighth.

Freiburg are in mid-table after Vincenzo Grifo's early effort gave them a 1-0 win at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Werder Bremen's 2-2 draw at Darmstadt left them just above the relegation places.

Bremen's Senegal defender Lamine Sane and Germany Under-21 winger Serge Gnabry, with his second since joining from Arsenal, netted their goals while Antonio-Mirko Colak scored twice for Darmstadt.

On Friday, Leipzig's 2-1 victory at home to Augsburg saw them go a sixth game unbeaten, giving them the best start to a season by a team making it's debut in Germany's top flight after promotion.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bayern need Munich miracle to deny Barcelona

MUNICH, Germany -- Pep Guardiola has promised embattled Bayern Munich will put up a fight in Tuesday's Champions League semi-final, second-leg, in their near-impossible bid to deny Barcelona an eighth final appearance.

Bayern are chasing a miracle at the Allianz Arena after their humbling 3-0 first-leg defeat at the Camp Nou last Wednesday when Lionel Messi capped a dazzling display with two goals.

No team has ever over-turned a three-goal deficit in a European semi-final.

"We all know it's going to be a mammoth task, but we're not going to give up," said Bayern forward Thomas Mueller.

Bayern believe they can claim a historic win with Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger suggesting: "Sometimes unbelievable things happen in football and we hope we're going to catch one of those days".

But their confidence has been dented by losing their last four games since winning the German league for the 25th time a fortnight ago and the losing streak is their longest since 1991.

In Saturday's latest defeat, Bayern crashed 1-0 at home to neighbours Augsburg and had to play 77 minutes with ten-men after reserve goalkeeper Pepe Reina was sent off.

Having also lost 2-0 at Leverkusen the previous week before their drubbing in Barcelona, it is the first time Bayern have failed to score in three consecutive games for 15 years.

- 'We'll fight to the end' -

But Bayern coach Guardiola, a former Barcelona boss, insists his side must keep their dreams alive.

"I am realistic, that is the only way you can win," said the Spaniard, who has warned his side they risk being routed unless they contain Barcelona's star-studded attack.

"The dream is still there and we have 90 minutes. It won't be easy, but I am a fighter."

In contrast, Barca are in fine form having scored 19 goals in their last four games.

They are poised to win the Spanish league title after beating David Moyes's Real Sociedad 2-0 on Saturday which left them four points ahead of rivals Real Madrid.

Brazil star Neymar has now scored in each of his last six matches to take his tally for the season to 35, while Barca have now not conceded for seven straight games.

But Barca coach Luis Enrique refuses to believe Bayern will bow out of Europe without a fight.

"I saw it (the defeat against Augsburg). They lost, but they played 70 minutes with 10 men. We will suffer a lot in Munich," said the Barca boss.

"They are a unique opponent, who know what it is like to turn around important matches already this season.

"We will never think that it is done, nor even that it looks very good for us. We need to defend as far away from our goal as possible."

One ray of hope, as Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer put it, is the fact Guardiola's side emphatically turned their 3-1 quarter-final, first-leg defeat at Porto into a 6-1 rout in Munich with five goals in the opening 45 minutes.

But in-form Barca are a different proposition after Messi dazzled in the first leg with two goals and an assist for Neymar's 94th-minute goal.

"We have to give our all. We have showed many times how well we can perform in Munich," said Bayern's top-scorer Robert Lewandowski, who will again play with a protective mask after fracturing his nose and cheekbone nearly two weeks ago.

"It's not yet over and we'll fight to the end."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bayern hold upper hand after 1-1 draw at United

MANCHESTER, England - Holders Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 draw at a resilient Manchester United on Tuesday but remain favorites to clinch their Champions League quarter-final despite losing Bastian Schweinsteiger to a red card.

Bayern played the last few minutes at Old Trafford with 10 men after Schweinsteiger, who scored their equaliser in the 67th minute, got a second booking for tripping Wayne Rooney, ruling him out of next Wednesday's second leg at the Allianz Arena.

Schweinsteiger's superbly taken first-time lash into the roof of David De Gea's net came nine minutes after United skipper Nemanja Vidic stretched to clinically head a Rooney corner past stranded goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the 58th.

"Congratulations to the team," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola told reporters. "I am satisfied because Manchester United is one of the best teams in the world and that is something we should not forget.

"The away goal is extremely important even though the 1-1 can be tricky. We will try to win the return leg and I have full confidence in my players," added the Spaniard whos team are still on track to repeat the treble they claimed last season.

United's performance was in stark contrast to their recent 3-0 home defeats by arch-rivals Liverpool and Manchester City in a lacklustre Premier League campaign.

Although the draw ended United's run of four straight Champions League home wins this season, it was a huge improvement on much of their domestic league form which has left them stranded in seventh place in the table.

Manager David Moyes, who has endured a tough baptism this season after taking over from the retired Alex Ferguson, had said his main wish was to have a foothold in the tie going into the second leg and he was encourged by United's performance.

"I was really pleased with the way we played there was a great atmosphere a great crowd, it was really gutsy, " he told ITV Sport.

"There was a real determination tonight to make sure we did well. Its a competition we have a really good history in, and we played a really good side tonight."

With Schweinsteiger and defender Javi Martinez now suspended for the return, Moyes was asked if he had more belief in winning next week against a side who retained their domestic title with seven matches left and are in the German Cup semi-finals.

"Well we have to score a goal because if the score stays as it is, Bayern goes through and we have to do something about it.

"We said we wanted to go into the second leg with a real chance and we have done that. We have given ourselves a real opportunity. We will go to Munich and try and get a victory."

BAYERN SUCCESS

Bayern had won their last four matches on English soil in the last 13 months, including two wins at Arsenal, a victory at Manchester City and success in last season's Champions League final when they beat Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

After a scare when United's Danny Welbeck saw a goal ruled out after five minutes for raising his foot too high, Bayern looked capable of extending that winning run, and taking their overall Champions League away record to eight successive wins.

They established a grip on the game, creating seven scoring chances in the opening 35 minutes, as defenders David Alaba and Rafinha poured forward to support the attack and they looked sharper to the ball than the home side.

But, for once, the German side, who had scored in their last 60 matches in all competitions, appeared to have lost their cutting edge in front of goal.

The best of those first-half efforts came after 31 minutes when winger Arjen Robben was allowed too much space and De Gea had to dive full length to beat away his inswinging shot.

Despite being overrun by Bayern's attacking momentum, United had the best chance before the break when Rooney found fellow England striker Welbeck with a low through ball after 40 minutes which Bayern defender Jerome Boateng attempted to block but fell over instead.

That allowed Welbeck time and space to beat Neuer but his weak chip gave the keeper the chance to paw the ball safely away.

Ryan Giggs, making his 141st Champions League appearance, one short of Raul's record, suffered a groin injury and had to be replaced by Shinji Kagawa at halftime.

The enterprising Japanese midfielder, who never lost to Bayern when he was at Dortmund, caused the visitors plenty of problems with some intelligent runs and passes.

From one of them United won a corner which Rooney swept into the box. The ball went slightly behind the incoming but unmarked Vidic who turned his head to nod past Neuer for his first goal in Europe for more than five years.

United only led for nine minutes though before Schweinsteiger replied.

Dutchman Robben came close to a late goal for Bayern but, despite only drawing, the tie is balanced in their favour before as they prepare for the return in Germany next week without Schweinsteiger and Martinez.

(Reporting by Mike Collett; editing by Ken Ferris)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com