Bayer Leverkusen scored three goals inside four minutes and eased
past Freiburg 3-1 on Sunday to remain undefeated and retain a
two-point lead in the Bundesliga over Bayern Munich.
Stefan Kiessling opened the scoring with his league-high 13th
goal of the season in the 36th, Eren Derdiyok doubled the lead one
minute later and Sami Hyypia made it 3-0 in the 40th. Felix
Bastians pulled one back for the visiting team in the 66th.
The third consecutive win gave Leverkusen 44 points. Bayern
has 42 and Schalke 41.
Earlier, Stuttgart brought Borussia Dortmund's 12-game
unbeaten run to an abrupt halt with a 4-1 victory, its fourth
straight win in the Bundesliga.
Dortmund stayed fourth despite the end of its six-match
winning run and Stuttgart, still undefeated under new coach
Christian Gross, moved up to 10th.
In Leverkusen, Kiessling connected with a cross from
Tranquillo Barnetta to head in the first goal. Derdiyok picked off
a poor clearance from Freiburg goalkeeper Simon Pouplin to notch
his eighth goal of the season.
Hyypia, the Finnish defender, rose to head in a corner and
complete Leverkusen's stunning display inside four minutes that
ended Freiburg's hopes after the visiting team had had some chances
early in the match.
Stuttgart went ahead in the 14th minute after a goalmouth
scramble following a run down the left flank by Cristian Molinaro.
Stuttgart striker Pavel Pogrebnyak and Dortmund defender Felipe
Santana both went for the ball, which struck Santana on the hip and
bounced into the net.
Stuttgart's Romanian striker Ciprian Marica then missed a
chance to make it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 47th minute,
hitting the crossbar with his shot after being brought down by
Patrick Owomoyela. He also struck the crossbar with a header after
another free kick by substitute Zdravko Kuzmanovic.
Instead, Lucas Barrios equalized for Dortmund in the 55th
minute with his 10th goal of the season. Kevin Grosskreutz drew
goalkeeper Jens Lehmann off his line and then passed to Barrios,
who fired home.
However, Kuzmanovic restored Stuttgart's lead with a free
kick from 20 meters (yards) in the 77th minute, Marica capitalized
on a misunderstanding by two Dortmund defenders to score in the
86th and Christian Traesch added the fourth goal three minutes
later.
Before the match, Stuttgart announced the move of former
captain Thomas Hitzlsperger to Lazio.
On Saturday, Bayern Munich scored three second-half goals to
beat Mainz 3-0 for its seventh straight win.
Schalke beat Hoffenehim 2-0, while Werder Bremen dropped its
fifth straight match by losing 4-3 at Borussia Moenchengladbach.
In other matches Saturday, Cologne won 2-1 at Eintracht
Frankfurt, Nuremberg beat Hannover 3-1 and last-place Hertha Berlin
drew 0-0 at home with Bochum.
