Bayern Munich maintained their seven-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga yesterday with a 2-0 win at home to third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.
After Munich’s 6-1 rout of Lille on Wednesday in the Champions League, Bayern laboured in the face of a dogged Frankfurt defence with Eintracht having won six of their 11 league games on their return to Germany’s top flight.
Bayern took the lead just before half-time when midfielder Javi Martinez set up Franck Ribery to fire home from five metres out.
They doubled their lead when David Alaba converted a 77th-minute penalty after a foul on Bastian Schweinsteiger to ensure three points at the Allianz Arena.
Second-placed Schalke stayed in touch with Bayern after coming from behind to beat Werder Bremen 2-1 in Gelsenkirchen.
Bremen’s Aaron Hunt scored his third goal in two games on 16 minutes to put the guests ahead.
But Schalke midfielder Roman Neustaedter celebrated his first call-up to the Germany team on Friday with a headed equaliser on 59 minutes.
The 24-year-old has been included by Germany coach Joachim Loew for Wednesday’s friendly away to Holland.
Julian Draxler then scored Schalke’s second after finishing off a superb counter-attack started by the Royal Blues’ goalkeeper Lars Unnerstall on 69 minutes.
Defending champions Borussia Dortmund moved up to fourth with a 3-1 win at bottom side Augsburg.
Having only been denied victory by a late goal at Real Madrid on Tuesday in the 2-2 Champions League draw in Spain, Dortmund returned to domestic business with a convincing display.
After Marco Reus fired home a superb free-kick after eight minutes, Poland striker Robert Lewandowski showed his class with goals on 51 and 70 minutes before Sascha Moelder scored a late header for Augsburg.
Dortmund are now hot on the heels of third-placed Eintracht and just a point behind, but Bayer Leverkusen can jump from fifth to third if they win at Wolfsburg today.
Hamburg were held to a goalless draw by Freiburg while ten-man Hoffenheim drew 1-1 at home to Fortuna Duesseldorf after defender Marvin Compper was sent off for the hosts after a second yellow card.
Results
B. Munich 2 - E. Frankfurt 0
Augsburg 1 - B. Dortmund 3
F. Dusseldorf 1 - Hoffenheim 1
Freiburg 0 - Hamburg 0
Schalke 2 - W. Bremen 1
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Bayern Munich | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 4 | 30 |
| Schalke 04 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 12 | 23 |
| E. Frankfurt | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 16 | 20 |
| B. Dortmund | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 23 | 12 | 19 |
| B. Leverkusen | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 14 | 18 |
| Mainz | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 13 | 17 |
| Hanover | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 16 | 14 |
| W. Bremen | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 17 | 14 |
| Hamburg | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 14 |
| Freiburg | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
| Stuttgart | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 15 | 13 |
| B. M’gladbach | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 19 | 13 |
| Hoffenheim | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 17 | 23 | 12 |
| F. Duesseldorf | 11 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 11 |
| Nuremberg | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 17 | 11 |
| Wolfsburg | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 17 | 8 |
| G. Fuerth | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 7 |
| Augsburg | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 18 | 6 |
Playing today
Wolfsburg vs B. Leverkusen - 15.30
G. Fuerth vs B. M’gladbach - 17.30
Stuttgart vs Hanover - 17.30