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Bayern redeem Arsenal defeat with record away win

by AFP
March 17, 2013 , 10 : 17 am

Former Bayer Leverkusen manager Reiner Calmund (L) and Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes are pictured at a TV interview before their team's German first division Bundesliga soccer match in Leverkusen. Photo - REUTERS

Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes has said his side redeemed themselves for their Champions League defeat to Arsenal as they closed in on the Bundesliga title with a 2-1 win at Bayer Leverkusen. This was a record 12th away victory in this season's Bundesliga, with Bayern having won 22 of their 26 league games so far this campaign, and they now stand 20 points clear in the table.

They only need to beat Hamburg at home next Saturday, then win at Eintracht Frankfurt on April 6 to have their 23rd German league title confirmed. Bayern are also eyeing the Champions League title. Despite losing 2-0 to Arsenal on Wednesday, they still reached the quarter-finals on away goals to face Juventus, and bounced back with the win at Leverkusen.

"We're very happy. It was a difficult after the Champions League on Wednesday, you could really see that in the second half," said Heynckes. "We played well in the first half, we ran well and played some good football.

"After the break we played with heavy legs, but the team gritted their teeth and we got our reward at the end." With captain Philipp Lahm, wing Thomas Mueller and striker Mario Mandzukic all rested for the trip to Leverkusen, Germany forward Mario Gomez showed his strength with the opening goal on 37 minutes.

Leverkusen, the only team to beat Bayern in the Bundesliga this year, pulled a goal back when Simon Rolfes exploited some poor defending to score from a corner on 75 minutes. But Bayern took the three points when Bastian Schweinsteiger's free kick deflected off the shoulder of Leverkusen's Philipp Wollscheid into his own net on 87 minutes.

"It's always difficult to win at Leverkusen, it's only their second league defeat at home this season," said Germany star Schweinsteiger. "We conceded a standard goal which Jupp Heynckes has prepared us to defend against hundreds of times, which is annoying.

"We started well, put in some long balls and pressed well, but Leverkusen came back at us in the second half and we made a few mistakes. "They are always dangerous on the counter-attack."

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