Headlines

  • Tuesday 19 May 2009

    Wolves put one hand on the shield: Bundesliga reviews

    Dortmund 6-0 Arminia
    Stuttgart 2-0 Energie
    Leverkusen 5-0 Monchengladbach
    Hertha 0-0 Schalke
    Hoffenheim 2-2 Bayern
    Bochum 2-0 Eintracht
    Hamburg 0-1 Cologne
    Bremen 1-3 Karlsruhe
    Hannover 0-5 Wolfsburg

    Wolfsburg's demolition job on Hannover put them in pole position for the championship. Edin Dzeko fired a hat-trick, started by this toaster, and Grafite got the other two as Hannover rolled over to have their tummies tickled. They were abject, but they're safe. Dzeko took his tally for the season to 25 and Grafite 26 (from just 24 starts) and all of Europe are eyeing up them and the architect-in-chief, Zvejzdan Misimovic, as the side is already in danger of falling apart before they've even made it to the Champions League group stages following Felix Magath's announcement of his departure.

    That leaves the Wolves two clear of Bayern with one game to go after Bayern were held at Hoffenheim. Franck Ribéry put the Bavarians ahead, turning in a rebound after Timo Hildebrand could only parry a tame shot. Demba Ba equalised and Carlos Eduardo was on hand to put the Villagers ahead after Ba struck a post with a header. Before half-time, some Ribéry trickery laid on a goal for Luca Toni. Stuttgart are level on points with Bayern, albeit seven goals worse off, after another win, 2-0 against Cottbus. Crucially, though, Bayern and Stuttgart play each other in the final week. Tomas Hitzlsperger got them off the mark here with one of those free-kicks that comes swirling in and misses everybody before nestling in the far corner, making the keeper look a right charlie, and Cacau wrapped it up with a neat finish as Mario Gomez turned provider for a change. Hertha are out of it though. Although three points off Wolfsburg, their paltry goal difference of 11 means they'll have to win by more than 20 next week to stand a chance following a drab 0-0 against Schalke. The Gelsenkirchen side came to frustrate, though few sides in the league are better at that than Hertha themselves. Their aim in the final week will be to take advantage of any slip by Bayern and/or Stuttgart to take a Champions League place.

    Despite shipping five goals, Gladbach are just about safe. Stefan Kiessling, Patrick Helmes, a stunner from Gonzalo Castro, Michael Kadlec and a comedy own goal from Danté did for them, but defeats for Energie and Arminia leave them three points clear and with a goal difference better by four. Arminia dispensed with the services of manager Michael Frontzeck after their 6-0 humiliation at Dortmund. The avalanche only started two minutes before the break through Sebastien Kehl, but they ran riot in the second half with Tamas Hajnal, Nelson Valdez, a second for Kehl and late goals from Tinga and Mohamed Zidan wrapping it up. Karlsruhe gave themselves a chance of escaping automatic relegation, though they will finish in the bottom three, by beating Werder Bremen. This waqs not a good way for Bremen to warm up for the UEFA Cup final as Lars Stindl got two and Alexander Iashvili the third as Karlsruhe ran into a shock lead which only Hugo Almeida's late consolation spoiled.

    Bochum made themselves safe by beating Eintracht thanks to Vahid Hashemian and Diego Klimovic and Hamburg are outsiders for any sort of European football after losing to Cologne, Fabrice Ehret's early goal enough to see off the early season pace setters.

    No comments: