Mario Mandzukic scored one goal and created the other as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich pulled 11 points clear of their nearest title rivals with a 2-0 victory at Stuttgart yesterday.

It was their 15th win in 19 league games, taking them up to 48 points as they seek to end a two-season trophy drought.

Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, on 37, dropped two points at Freiburg on Saturday with a goalless draw and champions Borussia Dortmund, in third on 36, closed in after beating Nuremberg 3-0 on Friday.

Stuttgart were extremely effective at neutralising all of Bayern’s offensive moves in the first half and even missed the biggest chance when Martin Harnik’s header bounced off the post into the arms of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

With the score already reading 2-0, the home side went down to 10 players when Austrian Harnik was booked for a second time for a foul on Franck Ribery.

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