Persistence paid off for Bayern in an awkward home meeting with Bielefeld, the champions ultimately reaping the reward for a sustained second-half onslaught.
The 69,000 full house at the Allianz Arena saw the home side take a deserved 25th-minute lead through on-fire Miroslav Klose, but Artur Wichniarek levelled from the spot with 30 minutes played.
The men in red camped out in their opponents’ half after the interval, but fortune appeared to desert the champions as they were denied by the goal frame on no fewer than three occasions, en route to loosing off a record 37 shots at goal.
Up to third
Justice was finally done in a furious final fifteen minutes, Franck Ribery brilliantly firing his side in front and sub Lukas Podolski wrapping up the win from the spot against a stubborn but limited Bielefeld side, who finished the game with ten men after Robert Tesche’s dismissal for an ugly foul on Ribery.
A fourth league win on the bounce takes the Bavarians up to third in the Bundesliga standings on 21 points from 11 games, three behind second-placed Bayer Leverkusen and four off leaders Hoffenheim.
New formation for FCB
Jürgen Klinsmann made two changes to the team which beat Frankfurt in midweek, swapping Christina Lell for Massimo Oddo at right-back and installing Andreas Ottl as a second holding midfielder alongside skipper Mark van Bommel.
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