Front runners
October 16, 2011
Bayern Munich tightened their grip at the top of the Bundesliga table, demolishing Hertha Berlin 4-0 on Saturday.
A gulf in class between the sides was evident as hosts Bayern raced to a 3-0 lead within the first 13 minutes.
Franck Ribery was in fine form, setting up Mario Gomez in the fifth minute to score with a low shot that went in off the post. The Frenchman got onto the score sheet himself just two minutes later, netting from a low cross by Jerome Boateng.
Ribery then went on to set up to score Bayern's third, Bastian Schweinsteiger taking advantage as the Berlin defense fell apart to shoot past keeper Thomas Kraft.
Bayern could have gone on to score in the first half, but it was not until the 69th minute that Gomez added to the score line - converting a penalty after a foul on Ribery.
"The whole team put in a superb performance," said Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes.
"When you lead 3-0 after 13 minutes then you can play your top football and that is what we did for long stretches of time, especially in the first half."
'Gladbach lose ground on leaders
The result puts Bayern five points clear of Borussia Mönchengladbach, who were only able to muster a draw at home against Bayern Leverkusen.
'Gladbach appeared destined to claim a 2-1 victory, with the home side's goals coming from Marco Reus and Patrick Herrmann.
However, it was not to be with Andre Schürrle scoring an 87th-minute equalizer for 10-man Leverkusen, who had Gonzalo Castro sent off midway through the second half for dissent.
Red cards were also brandished as Schalke lost 2-1 to visitors Kaiserslautern, both teams ending the match a man down.
Schalke keeper Ralf Fährmann was sent off for a foul after 28 minutes, with Kaiserslautern's Christian Tiffert converting the penalty.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar also netted a spot kick an hour into the match, after defender Rodnei was sent off for a foul on Jose Manuel Jurado. But it was the away side that proved victorious, with Cameroonian Dorge Kouemaha heading the winning goal at the far post on 72 minutes.
Flurry of red cards
In other games, Stuttgart beat Hoffenheim 2-0, moving up to fourth place thanks to a free kick from Japan striker Shinji Okazaki and a penalty by Pavel Pogrebnyak.
Wolfsburg managed a 2-1 victory over Nuremberg, Mario Mandzukic opening the scoring for the home side in the 24th minute. Although Nuremberg's Christian Eigler equalized in the 70th minute, Mandzukic sealed the win with a penalty in the 83rd minute.
Meanwhile, newcomers Augsburg recorded their first win of the season with a 1-0 victory away at Mainz, Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker scoring from the penalty spot on 88 minutes.
In Friday evening's soccer, Borussia Dortmund were 2-0 winners against Werder Bremen and had provisionally gone into second place.
Sunday's football action sees bottom-place Hamburg travel to Freiburg, with Hanover hoping to beat Cologne and move into second spot.
Author: Richard Connor (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Matt Zuvela