Bayer Leverkusen beats Werder Bremen in Bundesliga.
Bayer Leverkusen beats Werder Bremen in Bundesliga. Bayern Leverkusen regained a provisional lead in the Bundesliga by winning 2-0 at Werder Bremen in the 10th round on Tuesday.
By beating last season’s runner-up on goals by Arturo Vidal and Manuel Friedrich, Leverkusen moved past Hoffenheim into first place with 21 points.
Hoffenheim, the surprising newcomer with 19 points, plays at Bochum on Wednesday and can reclaim the top spot.
With most of the leaders playing on Wednesday, Schalke also moved closer to the top with a 3-0 win in Karlsruhe.
In other games, Wolfsburg beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-0 behind a pair of penalties, and Arminia Bielefeld rallied to draw 1-1 at home against fellow strugglers Energie Cottbus.
Werder Bremen was without a win in six games in all competitions, and was 10th in the 18-team standings and in danger of dropping further when the round was complete. Leverkusen scored its fourth win on the road.
Werder Bremen had the early chances but could not score. Striker Hugo Almeida had the first shot but Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler parried his free kick. Almeida then struck the ball across the face of the goal and barely missed a few minutes later.
Vidal put the visitors ahead after Werder Bremen goalkeeper Christian Vander, playing for the injured Tim Wiese, collided hard with defender Per Mertesacker, leaving Vidal an unprotected net in the 71st. Mertesacker had to be substituted a few minutes later.
In the 81st, Simon Rolfes hit the post off a corner but Friedrich knocked in the rebound for his second goal in two games.
Markus Rosenberg then forced Adler into a diving save as Bremen desperately pressed ahead but Leverkusen held on.
Wolfsburg striker Grafite earned a penalty in the 40th minute and converted it himself for 1-0. The home side doubled the lead in the 55th when Alexander Madlung headed in off a free kick by Zvjezdan Misimovic. Misimovic converted another spot kick in the 75th after Gal Alberman gave away the penalty.
In Karlsruhe, Schalke went ahead after 15 minutes when Kevin Kuranyi chested down the ball to Marcelo Bordon, who drove inside the post.
Four minutes later, Kuranyi headed in a free kick from Ivan Rakitic.
Karlsruhe made its job even more difficult when defender and captain Maik Franz was sent off in the 56th. Jefferson Farfan made it 3-0 with a header in the 67th.
Cottbus took the lead in the 31st when Dimitar Rangelov headed in a soft cross from Ervin Skela. But Rangelov was sent off in the 44th with his second yellow card of the match for rough play and Arminia Bielefeld’s Artur Wichniarek tied the game in the 63rd with his seventh goal of the season.
