30.01.2010
Flying Dutchman Robben puts Bayern back on top
Bayern Munich's defender Philipp Lahm (L) and Dutch striker Arjen Robben (C) celebrate.
Dutch winger Arjen Robben scored his second goal in two matches to seal Bayern Munich's 3-0 win over Bochum on Saturday to put his side top of the Bundesliga and give them their seventh straight league win.
Having scored the winner in the 3-2 win at Bremen the week before, Robben curled in another free-kick to give Louis van Gaal-coached Bayern three more Bundesliga points.
With Leverkusen facing strugglers Freiburg on Sunday, Bayern can expect to lose their place at the top of the table, but for now they enjoy a single-point lead.
Bayern's Mario Gomez and Daniel Van Buyten had fired the German giants into the lead before Robben stepped up with the third goal.
The home side took the lead amidst heavy snow when Van Buyten headed home after a cross from Robben on 58 minutes.
French winger Franck Ribery, who continues to work his way back to fitness after a knee injury, came off the bench with 30 minutes remaining.
Ribery and Robben combined to free Germany defender Philipp Lahm down the right flank who fired in a cross which Gomez slotted home on 75 minutes before Robben struck with four minutes remaining.
Elsewhere, Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf is in a precarious position as his side have now gone seven German league games without a win after they went down 4-3 at midtable Borussia Moenchengladbach.
The home side raced into a 3-0 lead after just 18 minutes before Mesut Oezil and Claudio Pizarro pulled goals back for Bremen and captain Torsten Frings converted a penalty with six minutes left to guarantee a frantic finish.
Second from bottom Nuremberg picked up only their second win in their last 10 games when they won 3-1 at Hanover and the result leaves bottom side Hertha Berlin five points adrift after they drew 0-0 with Bochum in the capital.
Cologne are up to 12th after their second consecutive win having beaten Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1.
With defending champions Wolfsburg drawing 1-1 at Hamburg on Friday, fourth-placed Dortmund face Stuttgart on Sunday.
Under former Tottenham Hotspur boss Christian Gross, who took over from Markus Babbel in December, Stuttgart have moved up to 13th in the table.
Source: © 2010 AFP - Steffi Loos
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