Bayern Back on Top
September 24, 2006
On Sunday, the players of 1. FC Nuremberg failed to retake the league's top spot, but remained unbeated after a 1-1 draw against FC Energie Cottbus.
VfL Bochum meanwhile claimed a 2-1 victory in their home match against Arminia Bielfeld, handing over the bottom spot in the league table to VfL Wolfsburg.
On Saturday, Bayern Munich's front office demanded a victory at home against newly-promoted Alemannia Aachen. Coach Felix Magath and his players expected nothing less. And they got it, defeating Aachen 2-1. But it was hardly the convincing victory 66,000 Bayern supporters would have expected.
In fact, it was the guests -- absent from the Bundesliga for 36 years entering this season -- who provided the first shock in the 38th minute. Bayern's Brazilian defender Lucio deflected a Sascha Dum free kick which then fluttered into Oliver Kahn's net as he helplessly flew in the wrong direction.
But before Aachen could celebrate their unexpected lead, Claudio Pizarro headed home the equalizer and the score stood 1-1 as the two sides headed to the locker room at half.
After the interval, Bayern increased the pressure and it was Michael Ballack's replacement, Mark van Bommel, who scored the game-winner, and also took his new team to the top of the league standings on goal difference.
Kuranyi improves his status with Löw
Schalke were able to keep pace with Bayern Munich with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Wolfsburg at home.
After a week in which a controversy over the playing time of Schalke's German national player Gerald Asamoah continued, Kevin Kuranyi put the problem to rest for the time being when he headed the "Royal Blues" into the lead early in the second half.
At the same time Kuranyi improved his chances of being recalled into the national team by coach Joachim Löw. Lincoln then sealed Schalke's victory over the "Wolves" with his 89th minute goal.
For pre-season title contenders Hamburg and Bremen, the northern derby on the 5th match day already had great meaning, but neither side profited from a 1-1 draw.
Bremen's Tim Borowski shot his team in front in the 58th minute but Hamburg defender Bastian Reinhardt equalized 10 minutes later. Hamburg were then able to hold onto the draw despite defender Mehdi Mahdavikia being sent off for a hard challenge with over 15 minutes remaining.
Traffic jam in the middle
A glance at the standings will show that offensive power has been lacking this season. No team has yet to score 10 goals, causing congestion in the middle of the table. Stuttgart and Frankfurt also drew 1-1, leaving both sides with seven points together with three other clubs: Bremen, Dortmund and Cottbus. Stuttgart looked as if they would notch their first home victory of the season after Mario Gomez' 73rd minute strike. But Alexander Meier saved a point for Frankfurt with a goal two minutes from time.
Mainz also find themselves going neither up nor down after a 1-1 draw with Berlin. Also scoreless at half, Mainz took the lead quickly after the re-start on a headball goal by Bakary Diakite. Berlin's Kevin-Prince Boateng equalized seven minutes later, but the club from the capital gave up first place in the process.
Barbarez' first goal with Leverkusen not enough
In his fifth game after transferring from Hamburg, Leverkusen's Sergej Barbarez got his first goal with the club on the Rhine, putting his side up temporarily over Hanover. But Thomas Brdaric found the net for the third time in two matches and gave Hanover a point.
On Friday night, Borussia Mönchengladbach downed Borussia Dortmund 1-0. Brazilian striker, whom many Gladbach fans booed before the season began, got his league-leading fourth goal, leaving the five-time German champions just one point from the top of the standings.