Frankfurt’s Alexander Meier
Alex Meier scored both goals as Eintracht Frankfurt defeated Freiburg 2-1 on Sunday to maintain their undefeated start to the season and stay just two points behind leaders Bayern Munich.
It was their fifth win in six matches and also allowed them to stay five points clear of defending champions Borussia Dortmund in third place.
Just five days after coming from behind to draw 3-3 with Dortmund, Eintracht were trailing again on Sunday when Max Kruse opened the scoring for Freiburg in the 50th minute.
But Meier drove in a superb equaliser in the 67th minute before heading the winner six minutes later.
It was Meier’s second double of the season after also grabbing a brace in the 4-0 win over Hoffenheim.
The 29-year-old’s goals also helped make up for two bad misses by Japan star Inui Takashi in the 27th and 69th minutes.
Freiburg ended the match with 10 men after Karim Guede was sent off in the closing stages.
On Saturday, goals in the final nine minutes from Luis Gustavo and Mario Mandzukic gave Bayern Munich a sixth league win out of six as the Bavarians cantered to a 2-0 win at Werder Bremen.
Dortmund enjoyed a 5-0 romp over Borussia Moenchengladbach to show that they are back in the groove after dropping seven points in their opening five matches.
Bayern’s mean machine once again kept a clean sheet – they have conceded just two goals to date – and Gustavo’s 20-metre drive into the top left-hand corner finally broke the deadlock when it looked as if Werder might pinch a point.
Gustavo had come on for Peruvian veteran Claudio Pizarro on the hour and coach Jupp Heynckes pulled off another tactical coup in sending on Swiss Xherdan Shaquiri, who combined with Franck Ribery in orchestrating a move which saw Mandzukic finish from close range for his third goal in two games.
“In the first half we were slow and the players tried my patience,” Heynckes admitted. “I had to have words with them at half-time.”
Bayern, who Tuesday face BATE Borisov in the Champions League, will expect to keep their run of form going next weekend when they take on midtable Hoffenheim.
Dortmund’s thrashing of Gladbach took them into third place on 11 points with Schalke, who drew 2-2 draw on Friday at Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Jurgen Klopp’s men steamrolled their way to three points courtesy of goals from former Gladbach star Marco Reus – who netted the opener in the 35th minute and bagged another midway through the second period.
In between there were goals for Serbia international Neven Subotic, Ilkay Gundogan – who returned from a flu bout to great effect – and Jakub Blaszczykowski.
©2011 AFP