Champions Bayern Munich battled past gutsy Schalke to win 3-1 yesterday and open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.
A day after rivals Borussia Dortmund lost to Hamburg, the Bavarians went ahead on nine minutes with a deflected David Alaba effort, but then found it hard going against a disciplined Schalke defence.
The hosts levelled the scores with their first chance of the game as Max Meyer rounded off a superb break launched by teenager Leroy Sane.
Schalke, however, were caught napping in the 69th minute when Javi Martinez was left unmarked in the box and rose high to head in an Arjen Robben cross.
Robert Lewandowski went close to adding another goal late in the game when he hit the post with a low shot but Thomas Mueller slotted in with a clever effort from a tight angle in stoppage time for Bayern’s third.
Bayern’s 12th win from 13 games moved them onto 37 points with Dortmund on 29, following their 3-1 loss on Friday.
Max Kruse scored twice as Wolfsburg crushed Werder Bremen 6-0 while Borussia Moen-chengladbach coach Andre Schubert equalled a club record with his eighth unbeaten game since taking over as they earned a 2-1 win against Hanover.
Schubert, who took over after five straight losses at the start of the season, matched their great former coach Udo Lattek’s record from the 1975/76 season with seven wins and a draw so far.
Ibrahima Traore put the hosts ahead before Artur Sobiech’s 65th minute equaliser for Hanover.
Raffael was left unmarked five minutes from the end and he did not miss, tapping in the winner to lift Moenchengladbach, who also twice hit the woodwork, to fourth on 22 points.
Wolfsburg remain two points ahead in third place after easing past Bremen with Alejandro Galvez scoring an own goal before the hosts doubled their lead through Kruse on the stroke of half-time.
The Wolves netted four times in the second half, with Kruse completing the rout with his second goal in the 87th minute.
Results
B. M’gladbach vs Hanover - 2-1
E. Frankfurt vs B. Leverkusen - 1-3
Cologne vs Mainz - 0-0
Schalke vs Bayern Munich - 1-3
Stuttgart vs Augsburg - 0-4
Wolfsburg vs Werder Bremen - 6-0
Playing today
Hertha Berlin vs Hoffenheim - 15.30
Ingolstadt vs Darmstadt - 17.30
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| B. Munich | 13 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 5 | 37 |
| B. Dortmund | 13 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 36 | 18 | 29 |
| Wolfsburg | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 23 | 15 | 24 |
| B.Mgladbach | 13 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 19 | 22 |
| H. Berlin | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 15 | 20 |
| B. Leverkusen | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 17 | 17 | 20 |
| Schalke 04 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 17 | 19 | 20 |
| Cologne | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 18 | 19 |
| Hamburg | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 17 | 18 |
| Mainz | 13 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 19 | 17 |
| Ingolstadt | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| E. Frankfurt | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 20 | 14 |
| Darmstadt | 12 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 16 | 14 |
| W. Bremen | 13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 25 | 13 |
| Hanover | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 24 | 11 |
| Stuttgart | 13 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 17 | 31 | 10 |
| Augsburg | 13 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 9 |
| Hoffenheim | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 19 | 8 |