Kahn stops penalty to lead Bayern to victory

Oliver Kahn stopped a second-half Kaiserslautern penalty after goals from Michael Ballack and Roy Makaay gave Bayern Munich a 2-1 win yesterday.

The result also handed Bayern the honorary distinction of winning the first half of the season a week before the winter break.

With 41 points from 16 matches, Bayern re-opened a four-point cushion over Hamburg.

Kahn, in a tense battle with Arsenal's Jens Lehmann to win Germany's goalkeeping job, dived to his right and deflected Ervin Skela's penalty away in the 59th minute after Philipp Lahm had tackled Halil Altinop in the box.

Ballack scored first for Bayern, who have only been beaten by Hamburg this season, with a header from an Ali Karimi corner in the 26th minute before Ivory Coast striker Boubacar Sanogo equalised 13 minutes later.

Roy Makaay put Bayern back ahead in the 54th minute with a penalty before Kahn's heroics five minutes later.