Bayern Munich moved 14 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga as Robert Lewandowski scored twice to secure a sixth successive league win
Thomas Muller curled in a superb opener against Werder Bremen before David Alaba floated home a free-kick at the end of the first half.
Santiago Garcia had a second-half cross shot tipped over by Bayern's debutant keeper Pepe Reina after the break.
But Lewandowski headed in a third goal before tapping in late on.
To complete a satisfying afternoon for Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, captain Philipp Lahm made his comeback as a late substitute after four months out with a broken ankle.
Guardiola's side - who reached the Champions League quarter-finals with a 7-0 demolition of Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday - have dropped just 11 points in their 25 Bundesliga matches this season.
They were too strong for mid-table Bremen even though Manuel Neuer, Holger Badstuber, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben were rested.
Bremen made a decent fight of it in a second half that threatened to become over-physical when centre-back Sebastian Prodl reacted to Mehdi Benatia's challenge on Clemens Fritz by going in late on the Bayern man.
Reina, making his first competitive appearance since arriving from Liverpool last August, had to deal with Garcia's effort, while Philipp Bargfrede had a goal ruled out for the home side after Davie Selke was judged to have handled.
But the Spain keeper did not have to work too hard for his clean sheet, in a match delayed as ground staff fixed the netting in one of the goals.
Levin Oztunali's early volley was Bremen's only notable first-half effort, with Lewandowski's downward header pushed over by keeper Raphael Wolf at the other end before Muller struck.
The midfielder burst on to Lewandowski's pass and, after Wolf had dashed out to block his first effort, curled a lovely shot into the corner when the ball came back to him.
Alaba's free-kick, right on half-time, gave the home side too much to do and their spirited attempt at a fight-back was ended when Muller was sent clear by Jerome Boateng, and lifted the ball beyond Wolf for Lewandowski to head into an empty net.
Bayern, who are now 14 points clear of second-placed VfL Wolfsburg, finished in style, with Lewandowski and Muller combining to carve open Bremen's defence, and the Germany international rolling the ball across goal for the Pole to tap in his 13th league goal of the season.
0 comments:
Post a Comment