A much-improved second half display crowned by Luca Toni’s headed winner earned Bayern a vital victory in an always hard-fought encounter away to relegation-threatened Arminia Bielefeld.
The 27,300 capacity crowd at the Schüco Arena saw Bayern dominate possession but fail to conjure up the decisive final pass before half-time against disciplined and aggressive opponents.
Munich shifted up a gear after the restart and were rewarded for their renewed urgency with Toni’s 64th-minute opener. Bayern ultimately could have won by more as a string of chances went begging, but the result was more important than the manner of victory on the day.
The win, combined with Wolfsburg's 2-1 home success over Bayer Leverkusen, means the champions remain second in the Bundesliga standings on 54 points from 28 matches, three off leaders Wolves with six games to play.
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