Comfortable Bayern cruise as Dortmund slip

BERLIN (AFP) –

Bayern Munich’s defender Philipp Lahm (L) and Augsburg’s midfielder Daniel Baier challenge for the ball during their German first division Bundesliga match in Augsburg. Bayern Munich moved a step closer to the Bundesliga title on Saturday as they beat Augsburg 2-0.

Bayern Munich moved a step closer to the Bundesliga title on Saturday as they beat Augsburg 2-0 and extended their lead over two-time reigning champions Borussia Dortmund to 14 points.

Thomas Mueller and Mario Gomez scored in Bayern’s victory while 10-man Dortmund lost 3-2 at home against Wolfsburg.

Munich jumped to 41 points while Dortmund remained on 27 points, one game day before the winter break.

Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen have 30 points and will play at Hanover on Sunday.

Bayern dominated the proceedings in Augsburg and grabbed the lead in the 40th minute from the spot through Mueller after Gibril Sankoh had handled Toni Kroos’ pass.

Gomez doubled the advantage in the 62nd minute, just two minutes after coming into the game to decide the contest.

Wolfsburg’s striker Bas Dost (R) and Dortmund’s midfielder Ilkay Guendogan fight for the ball during their German first division Bundesliga football match in the German city of Dortmund. Wolfsburg won 3-2.

“Three points, so it was a nice Saturday,” said Bayern captain Philipp Lahm.

Gomez added: “In order to win the championship, we have to win these kinds of game, and we did that.”

In Dortmund, Juergen Klopp’s hosts went ahead on a free kick goal by Marco Reus in the sixth minute.

Wolfsburg equalised in the 36th minute from the spot through Diego one minute after Marcel Schmelzer was red-carded for stopping Bas Dost’s shot at the line with his hand although replays showed the defender blocked the ball with his knee.

Wolfsburg took the lead in the 41st minute as Naldo volleyed home Diego’s free kick.

Jakub Blaszczykowski converted a penalty in the 61st minute as Dortmund pulled even at 2-2 but Dost re-established Wolfsburg’s lead in the 73rd minute.

“I am satisfied with our performance but the result hurts us a lot,” said Klopp.

“It decided the game because we had to play the final 54 minutes a man down. Still we had more ball possession and still felt we could win. But it was difficult to maintain the high energy level.”

Stuttgart’s forward Vedad Ibisevic (C) scores his third goal past Schalke’s goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand (L) during their German first division Bundesliga football match in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany. Schalke 04‘s dropped further behind the leading trio with a 3-1 loss at VfB Stuttgart thanks to Ibisevic’s hat-trick.

Eintracht Frankfurt scored twice within a minute to snap a three-game winless streak with a 4-1 victory at home against Werder Bremen to improve to 27 points.

Alex Meier made it 1-0 in the 47th minute for Frankfurt and Nils Petersen equalised seven minutes later.

But Pirmin Schwegler and Stefan Aigner both scored in the 63rd minute for Frankfurt and Takashi Inui added the final strike in the 90th minute as Bremen remained on 21 points.

Schalke failed to win their fifth straight match and saw Frankfurt pass them in the table with a 3-1 loss at VfB Stuttgart thanks to Vedad Ibisevic’s hat-trick.

Stuttgart, who pulled even with Schalke with 25 points each, stormed ahead after two minutes through Ibisevic before Schalke equalised in the 12th minute though Ciprian Marica.

Frankfurt’s Heiko Butscher (R) and Bremen’s Nils Petersen jump for the ball during their German first division Bundesliga football match in Frankfurt, Germany. Eintracht Frankfurt scored twice within a minute to snap a three-game winless streak with a 4-1 victory at home against Werder Bremen to improve to 27 points.

Ibisevic gave Stuttgart the lead 2-1 from the spot in the 38th minute and completed his hat-trick after 61 minutes.

Both teams finished with 10 men as Gotoku Sakai of Stuttgart and Schalke’s Jermaine Jones were sent off.

On Friday, Artjoms Rednevs scored both goals in Hamburg’s 2-0 victory at home over Hoffenheim, who lost in their first game under interim coach Frank Kramer.

Sebastian Polter and Markus Feulner scored to give Nuremberg a 2-0 win over Fortuna Duesseldorf.

Freiburg won 1-0 over bottom club Greuther Fuerth thanks to Daniel Caligiuri’s goal in the 15th minute.