Bayern extended their Bundesliga lead and made it eight wins out of ten this term after coming back from a goal down against stubborn VfL Bochum.
A sell-out 30,000 crowd at the rewirpower Stadion witnessed an exciting first half in which Dennis Grote's cracking opener on 11 minutes prompted Bayern to pound the home goal in an effort to level, but a string of chances went begging until Franck Ribery's backheeled equaliser ten minutes before the break.
Schweini breaks deadlock
The league leaders found chances harder to come by against the deep-lying home defence in the second half, but the Reds persevered and were rewarded twelve minutes from time when sub Bastian Schweinsteiger converted from the outstanding Ribery's pull-back.
The goal finally broke the home side's obstinate resistance and Bayern comfortably held out to record an eighth victory in ten league fixtures, taking Munich onto 26 points and extending their advantage at the top of the table to six points.
Fit-again Klose restored
Following the break for internationals, Bayern boss Ottmar Hitzfeld made two changes to the side which comprehensively saw off Nuremberg two weeks ago, restoring Mark van Bommel in place of Andreas Ottl and bringing back fit-again Miroslav Klose up front, with Bastian Schweinsteiger the man to miss out.
Once FIFA referee Herbert Fandel had whistled play underway on a cold but sunny afternoon in the Ruhr Valley, the sides showed promising attacking intent in the opening exchanges, but Bayern were caught cold when Grote picked up the ball in midfield, rode a couple of half-hearted tackles and strode on to beat Michael Rensing with a thumping left-foot drive from the edge of the box.
Chances go begging
Cameroon star Joel Epalle threatened with a run and shot a minute later, but that was the last of the home side as an attacking force for the rest of the first half as the league leaders launched a furious assault on home keeper Jan Lastuvka's goal.
The Czech keeper palmed away Altintop's free-kick before over-elaboration denied Luca Toni a clear-cut chance. Ribery's run and shot shaved the upright and the lively France star laid off for Van Bommel to drive narrowly wide.
Altintop hit the side-netting with a surprise effort as he shaped to cross, and the Turkey international's next intervention was a centre which Toni planted just over the bar. Klose and Demichelis followed suit with free headers, before the Germany striker failed to capitalise on a defensive error, sliding the ball wide with only Lastuvka to beat.
Franck's leveller
When it finally arrived on 35 minutes, the long-overdue equaliser was a much less simple affair than many of the chances which had preceded it. Klose stole possession from the always nervous Marc Pfertzel on the edge of the box and arrowed a ball into the danger zone, where Ribery's backheel evaded a scrum of VfL defenders and dribbled over the line.
A speculative Van Bommel effort aside, the sides took a breather through to the interval, but Bayern emerged the stronger after the restart and Lastuvka was forced into a brave stop when Ze Roberto bore down on goal after 50 minutes.
But the home defence looked a lot more sorted now, and although Ribery tried a curler and Toni scuffed a 71st minute opening, Bochum were menacing on the break as both Oliver Schröder and the mobile Epalle tested Rensing's alertness.
Late winner
Bayern were still visibly chasing the victory when Schweinsteiger took over from the tiring Altintop after 72 minutes, and it was the Germany midfielder who wrong-footed the otherwise immaculate Lastuvka to net Ribery's excellent cut-back and complete the turnaround six minutes later.
The wind was taken out of the home side's sails now and the Reds survived the closing stages without undue difficulty to continue their scintillating league form this season.
Chris Hamley reporting from the rewirpower Stadion for fcbayern.de
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