Football
ESPN staff 10y

Bayern late show, Dortmund win thriller

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caption:It took Bayern until the 75th minute to take the lead through Claudio Pizarro.
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Bayern Munich returned to winning ways in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 triumph at relegation-threatened Eintracht Braunschweig.

In what was little more than a warm-up for Wednesday's Champions League semi-final clash with Real Madrid, Bayern were still far from their best, but did the bare minimum to beat the bottom-placed Bundesliga side.

Claudio Pizarro put them in front in the 75th minute before Mario Mandzukic sealed victory five minutes from time.

Pep Guardiola's men therefore end a three-game winless run in the Bundesliga, leaving Braunschweig with just three games left to survive.

Borussia Dortmund secured their place in the Champions League next season thanks to a 4-2 win over Mainz at the Westfalenstadion.

Milos Jojic gave the hosts an early lead which was soon cancelled out by Shinji Okazaki. Robert Lewandowski then put Dortmund ahead once again, only for that too to be pegged back as Okazaki levelled for a second time.

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caption:Marco Reus kept his cool from the spot for Dortmund.
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Lukasz Piszczek added a third for Dortmund, however, and this time there was no way back for the visitors as a Marco Reus penalty completed the win after Niko Bungert had been shown a red card.

Hamburg's Bundesliga future was left hanging by a thread as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at home to Champions League-chasing Wolfsburg, who ended the match with 10 men as Luiz Gustavo was sent off late on.

Ivan Perisic gave the Wolves an early lead and Kevin De Bruyne doubled their advantage before the interval. Ivica Olic added a third for Dieter Hecking's men with Ivo Ilicevic's goal scant consolation for a Hamburg side who are staring their first ever relegation in the face with three games of the season remaining.

 

Hamburg remain in the Bundesliga relegation playoff place, a point behind Stuttgart who play Schalke on Sunday. Wolfsburg moved two points above Bayer Leverkusen, who also play on Sunday at Nurnberg, into the final Champions League qualifying place.

Freiburg struck four times in the second half to also claim a 4-2 victory against Borussia Moenchengladbach which all-but secures their place in the Bundesliga for next season.

The hosts trailed to a Patrick Herrmann goal but a double from Admir Mehmedi, a goal of the season contender from Oliver Sorg and one courtesy of record signing Vladimir Darida put some gloss on an incredible performance from the hosts.

Gladbach cut the arrears in the 89th minute when Havard Nordtveit netted. It is a massive blow to their hopes of Champions League football.

Werder Bremen picked up a vital three points to stave off relegation danger with a 3-1 win over Hoffenheim.

Kevin Volland had stuck Markus Gisdol's men ahead within three minutes, but a rallying response from Werder, through goals from Philipp Bargfrede, Santiago Garcia and Nils Petersen, won the points.

Jos Luhukay left his old stomping ground with a point after Augsburg and Hertha Berlin played out a goalless stalemate.

 

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