Bayern extended their lead in the Bundesliga to five points on Sunday, although FCB made heavy weather of it at times against promoted Bavarian neighbours Augsburg. The league’s bottom club proved gutsy opponents, but Jupp Heynckes’ side, who looked reasonably at ease in their first game without long-term injury victim Bastian Schweinsteiger, ultimately had enough of an edge in class to seal the points.
The 30,660 full house at the SGL Arena saw Mario Gomez head Munich in front after an evenly-matched opening quarter of an hour, before Franck Ribery doubled the advantage on 28 minutes. The leaders did no more than was necessary for a while against limited but game opponents, and were punished for a momentary lapse when Japan international Hajime Hosogai pulled one back on the hour.
Bayern were never as comfortable from then on, and Manuel Neuer made a stunning one-on-one stop from sub Edmond Kapllani to rescue the three points in the closing stages, which also saw Anatoliy Tymoshchuk harshly red-carded for a foul on Daniel Baier.
The result takes FCB up to 28 points from 12 matches, five points clear of a chasing pack comprising Dortmund, Bremen and Mönchengladbach, with Schalke a further point adrift after a draw with Hannover earlier in the day. The league now takes a two-week break, before the Bavarians return to the fray on Saturday 19 November in the mouth-watering showdown at home to champions Dortmund.
Topics of this article