Back on top
March 13, 2010
Arjen Robben on Saturday saved Bayern Munich with two goals to bring the team back to the top of the Bundesliga standings, a spot they had lost to Schalke a day earlier.
Bayern beat Freiburg 2-1, but for some time it looked as if Munich was having a hard time getting those three points.
Cedrick Makiadi put Freiburg ahead half an hour into the match and Bayern fans had to wait until the 76th minute to see Robben level the score with a free kick from just outside the penalty area.
Seven minutes later, Freiburg's Ivica Banovic upended Thomas Mueller - and Robben smashed home the ensuing penalty sealing Bayern's victory.
"He is scoring goals and making them," Bayern's coach Louis van Gaal said after the game. "It's incredible what he is doing this season and I am just glad we have him at Bayern."
Munich is now on top at 56 points, ahead of Schalke with 54, who beat Stuttgart on Friday. Third-placed Bayer Leverkusen hosts Hamburg on Sunday with a chance to move up.
Berlin closer to relegation
Cellar side Hertha Berlin edged closer to relegation after a 2-1 loss to Nuremberg. Berlin took the lead in the first half, but Nuremberg came back with Greek striker Angelos Charisteas scoring the winner in stoppage time.
After the final whistle, Berlin fans were so irate that some 100 stormed the pitch armed with flag poles. It took police to prevent them from getting to the dressing rooms to vent their anger at the players. Berlin now is at the bottom of the table, five points adrift of Freiburg and eight behind Hanover.
In other games on Saturday, Dortmund climbed to fourth overall by hammering neighbors Bochum 4-1. Mainz saw striker Aristide Bance sent off with a red card in the 27th minute, but went on to win the game anyway, beating Cologne 1-0.
Hanover upended Frankfurt 2-1 keeping its hopes alive to wriggle out of the relegation zone. Last season's champions Wolfsburg beat Moenchengladbach 4-0, but stay at eighth in the standings, a long way off from leaders.
gb/dpa/Reuters/AFP
Editors: Andreas Illmer