Normal service resumes as Bayern beat Frankfurt

Bayern Munich recovered a measure of self-assurance in the Bundesliga by overcoming Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 at the Allianz Arena yesterday.

The champions, beaten 3-1 by Werder Bremen last weekend, took the lead against Frankfurt when Roy Makaay tapped in a rebound in the 24th minute.

Mark van Bommel scored a fine second five minutes later and Bayern should have gone three up when Claudio Pizarro won a penalty but his weak shot was turned round the post.

Frankfurt did little to suggest they were capable of making a game of it and their hopes nosedived when Aleksandar Vasoski received a second yellow card for holding Makaay in the 66th minute.

Victory took Bayern up to second spot within three points of leaders Werder, who won 6-1 at Mainz on Friday.

Werder have 19 points from nine games. Schalke 04, on the same points as Bayern, visit VfB Stuttgart today.

Hertha Berlin, who were third going into yesterday's games, lost 2-0 at Energie Cottbus and slipped to sixth.

Bayern, double winners for the past two years, have looked out of sorts in domestic competition all season. Their defeat by Werder was thoroughly deserved and they scarcely played any better in a 1-0 win over second division Kaiserslautern in the Cup last Wednesday.

After a slightly nervous start, they grew in confidence against Frankfurt and were soon playing with their old swagger.

The opening goal came when Roque Santa Cruz shot from distance and a block from goalkeeper Oka Nikolov fell nicely for Makaay.

The Dutch international set up the second almost immediately, cutting in from the right and teeing up Van Bommel to arrow the ball into the top right-hand corner.

Van Bommel had claims for a penalty waved away a few seconds later and Bayern had a handful of further chances before Pizarro did win a spotkick decision from the referee.

Pizarro's shot was a weak one, giving Nikolov time to get across and save. It never looked like being a costly miss and the game was up when Frankfurt were reduced to 10 men.

"It took us a few minutes to get into the game but we then started to play very well," said Bayern coach Felix Magath.

"We just should have won by a bigger margin."

Today - 17.00
A. Bielefeld vs A. Aachen
Stuttgart vs Schalke