Bundesliga, Week 12: Bayern Munich Win Bavarian Derby, Leaders Borussia Dortmund Move Seven Points Clear

Bayern Munich won the weekend’s biggest match in the Bundesliga emphatically at home against rivals Nurnberg, 3-0 while Freiburg left matters incredibly late away to Hoffenheim but left with a valuable 0-1 win. The wins for Freiburg and FC Bayern place the clubs in fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Bundesliga table.

Papiss Demba Cisse scored a late winner for Freiburg in injury time to snatch three points in what was an open and entertaining match at Hoffenheim. The strike from Cisse was his 10th of the season and moves Freiburg into fourth spot in the league.

Nürnberg were getting back into this Bavarian Derby again, but the introduction of Franck Ribéry has made a crucial difference as Bayern Munich have taken a 3-0 lead with a quarter-hour to play. The French winger, who has been out with injury since Bayern’s victory over Hoffenheim in late September, made an immediate impact upon his return to the side. A mazy dribble from Ribéry nearly set up Thomas Müller for the third from point-blank range, but Raphael Schäfer prevented the World Cup Golden Boot winner from wrapping the match up on seventy-one minutes.

Müller was presented with another excellent chance to get on the score-sheet just three minutes later, as a through-ball by Schweinsteiger put him one-on-one against Schäfer, but the Nürnberg goalkeeper was again alert and turned the shot away for a corner kick to the hosts. The third goal for Bayern was certainly coming, and it arrived off of that set-piece. Ribéry took the corner and Gómez was first to the ball, heading in from close range for his seventh goal of the campaign.

Just as Nürnberg were starting to get back into this Bavarian Derby, Bayern captain for the day Philipp Lahm sent the pendulum of momentum swinging back in favour of the hosts with a fifty-seventh minute penalty. FCN came out strong after the interval, and Julian Schieber had an excellent chance to level the score from four yards out after the substitute Mike Frantz had beaten Daniel Van Buyten. The visitors also forced two corners, but failed to capitalize on their set-piece opportunities.

After introducing Breno for Martin Demichelis at half-time, Louis van Gaal withdrew Hamit Altintop and sent on Thomas Müller in an attempt to break the Nürnberg pressure. Shortly after, Daniel Pranjic played Mario Gómez in one-on-one with Raphael Schäfer, and the FCN goalkeeper took out Gómez to concede a penalty. It could have been worse for the visitors as Gómez would almost certainly have scored had it not been for Schäfer’s intervention and he was lucky to stay on the pitch. As it was Thorsten Kinhöfer only booked Schäfer, but Philipp Lahm stepped up to take the spot-kick and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to double the champions’ lead.

Bayern Munich have controlled most of the play in the first half of the Bavarian Derby against Nuremberg and head into halftime with a comfortable 1-0 lead. Despite conceding after just ten minutes, the visitors have failed to press Bayern and the defending champions have been comfortable in possession. FCN have been limited to a few shots in and around the edge of the penalty area, but Ilkay Gündogan and Julian Schieber haven’t tested the hosts’ notoriously weak central defense.

Louis van Gaal’s side, by contrast, should be fairly pleased with their first-half display, and were certainly aided by taking the lead early. Toni Kroos and Daniel Pranjic have combined dangerously on Bayern’s left, with the latter giving Nuremberg right back Juri Judt plenty of problems. The only disappointing aspect for FCB is that their halftime lead could be greater - Martin Demichelis found himself unmarked in the box but headed wide on twenty-four minutes and Toni Kroos has threatened Raphael Schäfer’s goal with several dangerous shots from distance.

Although still without a number of key first team players including Mark van Bommel, Arjen Robben, Ivica Olic and Miroslav Klose, Bayern Munich will host Nurnberg on Sunday in the Bundesliga’s biggest derby. The aforementioned van Bommel and French winger Franck Ribery will likely make Munich’s bench against Nurnberg but won’t start for Louis van Gaal’s 10th place side.

While the derby is sure to be one to entertain as the traditionally brilliant atmosphere in the Bundesliga delights fans across the world, Munich will take the prospect of gaining three points from their rivals and jumping ahead of them in the table quite seriously. Striker Mario Gomez has been in fine form for the reigning champs in recent weeks as has youngster Toni Kroos in midfield.

VfL Wolfsburg threw away another lead at home against Schalke 04 on Saturday as the visitors came from two goals down to draw 2-2. Wolfsburg had been the better side for much of the first half, and took the lead on eleven minutes as Grafite headed in Marcel Schäfer’s cross. The Wolfsburg left back was again the provider twenty-two minutes later as Edin Dzeko doubled the hosts’ lead. However, Grafite had spurned a good chance in the intervening period and Wolfsburg would rue that miss as Schalke pulled a goal back before the break. Raúl released Jeferson Farfan on the right and he blasted the ball across the face of the goal to Edu , whose shot was too powerful for Diego Benaglio to keep out.

Steve McClaren’s side tried to re-take control of the match in the second half, but failed to restore their two-goal advantage and were duly punished with fifteen minutes to go. A shot from Christoph Moritz was deflected, but Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was able to get the ball under control (with the use of his left arm) and level the score. Matters went from bad to worse for Wolfsburg just minutes later as Ashkan Dejagah was sent off for a late tactical foul on Farfan, and though the hosts had a shot cleared off the line in stoppage time, both sides would have to be content with a point.

Most of this weekend’s games in the Bundesliga are mid-table clashes between sides contending for European football, but there are also important games at the top and bottom of the league. Leaders Borussia Dortmund kick off the weekend at home against Hamburg SV, and a win would put them seven points clear before the Saturday kickoffs. At the other end of the league, Borussia Mönchengladbach take on Köln in a crucial relegation six-pointer between teams with awful defensive records. In the late game on Saturday, Mainz 05 will be trying to close the gap to Dortmund and break their run of poor form against Hannover 96. Hoffenheim take on Freiburg in the early game on Sunday, but the Bavarian Derby will close out the weekend as Nürnberg visit the Allianz Arena against struggling Bayern Munich.