Bayern fight back to floor Fortuna as Arsenal loom

09 March 2013 17:16

Bayern Munich twice came from behind for a 3-2 win at home to Fortuna Duesseldorf on Saturday to extend their lead to 20 points in the Bundesliga and warm up for their Champions League clash with Arsenal.

Having beaten the Gunners 3-1 in London three weeks ago, Bayern are looking to book their quarter-final berth in Wednesday's second leg at Munich's Allianz Arena.

With both second-placed Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, third, losing, Bayern took the chance to extend their huge lead and, with nine matches left this season, are all but guaranteed their 23rd league title.

Bayern took their winning run to 11 matches as Germany defender Jerome Boateng's 86th-minute header gave them three more points after Thomas Mueller, then France wing Franck Ribery, had equalised.

Munich went behind on 16 minutes when Fortuna's Mathis Bolly drilled home his shot to give the guests a shock lead at the Allianz Arena.

With nearly 80 percent ball possession, Munich levelled just before the break when Mueller converted a Philipp Lahm pass.

Fortuna midfielder Andreas Lambertz put the guests ahead again on 71 minutes as Bayern conceded only their 10th league goal this season, but just two minutes later, Ribery snatched a pass back from replacement Claudio Pizarro and slammed home the equaliser to save Bayern's blushes before Boateng's winner.

Schalke warmed-up for Tuesday's Champions League last 16, second leg clash at home to Galatasaray with a 2-1 win over neighbours and rivals Borussia Dortmund in Gelsenkirchen in the Ruhr derby.

Schalke have a fighting chance of reaching the last eight having drawn 1-1 in Istanbul three weeks ago and claimed their second derby win of the season.

Having already enjoyed a 2-1 win at Dortmund last October, Schalke claimed their second by racing into a 2-0 lead.

The hosts went ahead when Japan defender Atsuto Uchida, making his first appearance since the start of February after injury, swung in a cross which teenager Julian Draxler converted on 11 minutes.

Dortmund's Germany midfielder Mario Goetze then cleared a header off the line, but Schalke caught the Borussia defence napping when Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar headed home unchallenged from Uchida's cross on 35 minutes.

Worryingly, ahead of the Galatasaray clash, Huntelaar had to be helped off with an injury in his left knee ligament on 53 minutes.

Dortmund pulled a goal back when Robert Lewandowski equalled the club's record of scoring in each of his last seven Bundesliga games to match the feat of ex-Germany striker Timo Konietzka in the 1964/65 season.

Having come off the bench after the break, Dortmund star Marco Reus provided the final pass for Lewandowski to drill home his 17th league goal of the season, but despite the pressure, Dortmund failed to grab an equaliser.

Bottom side Guerther Fuerth crashed to a 3-0 defeat at home to Hoffenheim to set a new Bundesliga record by becoming the first team to fail to win any of their first 13 home games.

They are now 14 points from safety and almost certain to be relegated after their first season in the top flight.

Wolfsburg are up to 12th after their 5-2 win at Freiburg, who drop to seventh, while third-placed Bayer Leverkusen suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Mainz, who move up to sixth.

Source: AFP