Bayern Beat Bochum, Bremen Retain Unblemished Record
August 20, 2006
Striker Roy Makaay and Philipp Lahm whipped a sluggish Bayern Munich into form to clinch a 2-1 victory against Bochum on Sunday. The win gives the Bundesliga champions a maximum six points from two matches.
Makaay found the net two minutes before the break, but Bochum equalized in the 52nd minute when Brazilian Fabio Junior outplayed Oliver Kahn. Philipp Lahm finally shot in the winning goal with 25 minutes to go. The result sees Bayern joining Nuremberg and Werder Bremen.
In Sunday's other game, VfB Stuttgart won 3-2 against Arminia Bielefeld despite finishing the game with nine men. Cacau got the winner in the 82nd minute, his second goal of a frantic game.
Bremen prove their mettle
Playing at home for the first time this season, coach Thomas Schaaf's Werder Bremen proved their mettle on Saturday by defeating Bayer Leverkusen 2-1. With the victory Bremen pulled even with Nuremberg on six points to lead the table.
Like in their opening day 4-2 win against Hanover, the northern Germans came from behind to take all three points. The guests from Leverkusen took the lead on a penalty at the quarter hour mark after the team's off-season acquisition Stefan Kiessling was fouled by Bremen's Petri Pasanen in the penalty box. Paul Freier converted the spot kick for the lead, which would hold up for only 11 minutes.
Miroslav Klose, two-goal scorer in Germany's friendly against Sweden on Wednesday, notched the equalizer and his second goal of the young campaign, rising above the defenders to head in a Diego cross. Both sides were hungry for the victory after that, and it was substitute Hugo Almeida who scored the gamewinner in the 70th minute. Again it was Bremen's new midfield playmaker Diego who assisted. With a goal and assist last week, the Brazilian has already made most Werder supporters forget the departure of former moody midfield maestro Johan Micoud.
Hertha Berlin humiliate Hanover
After just two games, Hanover coach Peter Neururer must be wishing he still had Per Mertesacker to anchor the back line. There was last week's 4-2 defeat to Bremen to start. On the second match day, his team traveled to the country's capital and suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Hertha Berlin.
Berlin's Marko Pantelic found the net twice. Pal Dardai and Patrick Ebert scored in addition. Hanover keeper Robert Enke prevented the demolition from being worse by stopping a Yildiray Basturk penalty just before the end. Neururer, who is no stranger to being given the axe, is certainly the first coach on the hot seat this season.
Mainz lie even with Berlin on four points after escaping Dortmund with one point. The yellow-and-black needed 75 minutes to take the lead when debutant Martin Amedick brought 70,000 home fans into ecstasy. That lasted all of one minute, however, when Mainz' Edu promptly tallied the equalizer.
Cottbus make life hard for HSV
Energie Cottbus, back in the first division after a three year absence, captured their first point against disappointing Hamburg SV, drawing 2-2. Dutch national player Nigel de Jong preserved the one point for pre-season title aspirants Hamburg in the 71st minute. After both sides started cautiously, Hamburg took the lead in the 39th minute on Boubacar's rifled a shot into the upper right-hand corner from 20 meters out. Cottbus fought back in the second half, taking the lead after Vlad Munteanu scored on a penalty kick and Sergiu Radu's goal.
Alemannia Aachen, another promoted team, and despite being the better side most of the match, lost to Schalke 1-0 at home. Out of the league 36 years, Aachen failed to take advantage of being a man up for one hour after Mladen Krstajic was sent early to the showers. Schalke's Dario Rodriguez got the lone goal in the 53rd minute and the Royal Blues have four points after two games.
Frankfurt, Wolfsburg in ho-hum affair
The man in the match between Frankfurt and Wolfsburg was home goalkeeper Markus Pröll. He saved a point for Frankfurt after stopping a Diego Klimowicz penalty just nine minutes from time. Strikers Ioannis Amanatidis and Michael Thurk should never have allowed it to come to Pröll's heroics, having given up numerous golden chances to score.
On Friday, Nuremberg completed a dream start to the season. Coach Hans Meyer's team beat Mönchengladbach 1-0 at home and based on goal difference lie at the top of the standings for the moment. That could change if Bayern Munich wins on Sunday at Bochum. Stuttgart travel to Bielefeld for the second Sunday match.