Bayern München wrapped up a 3-1 victory at VfL Wolfsburg to move level on points at the top with Leverkusen after the leaders were held at Bochum. The result also made it eight league wins in a row for the German record champions.
Bayern went on the attack straight from the kick-off and with just a minute on the clock Thomas Müller freed up Mario Gomez, whose low ball in to Ivica Olic in the middle was intercepted by Andrea Barzagli. A minute after that, the guests were in front.
Bastian Schweinsteiger chipped the ball into the path of Müller, who made headway down the left before cutting it back for Arjen Robben to clinically slot home his seventh goal of the season. It was also an uncharacteristically bright start for Bayern, being only the second time they had scored in the opening quarter-hour all season.
VfL pressure play
Wolfsburg were quick to respond, Grafite managing to send Edin Dzeko clear in the sixth minute, only for the Bosnian forward to be flagged up for offside. A minute later, a mistake by Robben forced Bayern keeper Jörg Butt into a hasty clearance with Grafite bearing down.
Two minutes after that Butt blocked an effort from the Brazilian striker when he was clean through inside the box, Dzeko miscuing the rebound altogether as the Wolves really went to work. Their next chance came in the twelfth minute, Christian Gentner playing the ball through to Dzeko, who hit the outside of the net from a tight angle.
On 20 minutes, VfL playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic pulled a good saveout of Butt at the near post from a free kick and two minutes later Dzeko set up Grafite for a backheeled effort which, in stark contrast to the same fixture last season, came to naught.
After that purple period of pressure, the visitors moved upfield themselves and won a couple of corners. The first came to nothing. The second, taken by Robben, found its way to Olic, who nodded it on to the far post, where Daniel van Buyten powered it home from close range.
Bayern take command
On the half-hour mark the guests nearly made it three, Wolfsburg keeper Andre Lenz having to rush out to clear the ball ahead of Gomez, who had been played in by Robben. With their two-goal cushion the guests were visibly more relaxed and Müller, Mark van Bommel and Olic all had long-range efforts saved or blocked before Butt was called into action again on the stroke of half time, pushing away a cross-shot from Grafite.
Olic made way for Franck Ribery in the Bayern forward department for the second half, which got off to an almost identical start to the first, Robben tricking his way past Marcel Schäfer and firing a low shot against the far post. The chances continued to pile up in the visitors' favour, and on 55 minutes Bastian Schweinsteiger let loose from well outside the box, pulling a fine save out of Lenz.
Own-goal seals it
Two minutes on from that, the record champions effectively wrapped up the contest. Robben teed up Müller, whose shot was blocked almost at point-blank range by Lenz. Ribery stabbed at the rebound and Barzagli knocked it over his own line to make it 3-0 for Bayern.
The home side were thrown a lifeline in the 65th minute when Ribery felled Sascha Riether inside the box. Grafite stepped up and aimed the spot kick for the bottom right-hand corner, but Jörg Butt stooped to save and was even able to smother the ball.
To their credit, Wolves did not give up even in the face of mounting evidence that this was not to be their day. Dzeko tested Butt with a long-range effort, while further VfL attacks left them exposed on several occasions to counter-attacks that Bayern could have made more of.
In the final minute of regulation time, Wolfsburg eventually got a consolation goal for the effort they had put in, Grafite making belated amends for his penalty miss by nodding home after van Buyten made a hash of clearing a cross from Dzeko. All-in-all though, Bayern were good value for a good win.
Line-ups
Wolfsburg: Lenz – Riether, Madlung, Barzagli, Schäfer – Josue – Hasebe (Pekarik 61'), Gentner – Misimovic (Kahlenberg 72') – Grafite, Dzeko
Bayern: Butt – Lahm, van Buyten, Demichelis, Badstuber – Robben (Klose 81'), Schweinsteiger, van Bommel, Müller – Gomez, Olic (Ribery 46')
Goals: 0-1 Robben (2'), 0-2 van Buyten (26'), 0-3 (Barzagli o.g., 57'), 1-3 Grafite (90')
0 komentar:
Post a Comment