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Bayern logo
Bundesliga
Apr 26, 2014 at 2.30pm UK
 
Werder Bremen logo

5-2

Ribery (19'), Pizarro (53', 56'), Schweinsteiger (61'), Robben (73')
FT(HT: 1-2)
Gebre Selassie (10'), Hunt (35')

Live Commentary: Bayern Munich 5-2 Werder Bremen - as it happened

Sports Mole's live text commentary of Bayern Munich's clash with Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.
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Bayern Munich produced a superb second-half performance to beat Werder Bremen 5-2 at the Allianz Arena this afternoon.

The Bundesliga champions trailed the visitors 2-1 at the break before two goals in quick succession from Claudio Pizarro gave Pep Guardiola's side the lead.

Bastian Schweinsteiger then made it 4-2 just after the hour mark, before substitute Arjen Robben wrapped it up within minutes of coming on after 73 minutes.

See how it all happened below.


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Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary of Bayern Munich's clash with Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.

Team news is just reaching us here, so without further ado...

Bayern: Neuer; Dante, Boateng, Weiser, Alaba; Martinez, Schweinsteiger, Gotze, Ribery, Muller; Pizzarro

Werder: Wolf; Fritz, Prodl, Caldirola, Garcia; Bargfrede, Makiadi, Theo, Hunt, Junuzovic; Di Santo

So something of a changed lineup from Guardiola then. Mitchell Weiser, the 20-year-old is given a start, while Claudio Pizarro is gven a run out in the striking role. Mario Gotze is in from the start, while Franck Ribery retains his place.

For Werder then, Franco di Santo starts on his own up front, which means that there is no Nils Petersen in the lineup in order to pack the midfield, in a game where they will be expected to see less of the ball.

Any time you get to watch the European champions is a good day at the office, but it will be interesting to see what Bayern shows up this afternoon. There is no doubt that Bayern have taken their foot off the gas since being crowned champions of Germany a few weeks ago.

Their form seeped into their Champions League tie against Real Madrid during the week. Despite dominating possession, as you would expect of a Pep Guardiola side, they lacked a cutting edge and it was Los Blancos who had the biggest chances in the first leg. For all Bayern's dominance in the ball-retention stakes, Madrid offered a timely reminder of what can be achieved with pacey, direct attacking.

PREDICTION: We're around 10 minutes or so away from kick off, so it's time to get a prediction. Bayern I feel, will be looking to send out a statement ahead of next week's return leg against Real Madrid. Yes, they have been a tad sluggish since they wrapped up the title, but I think they will respond today. I'll go with 3-0.

Werder endured something of an indifferent campaign this term. They're currently 12 in the Bundesliga and have lost three of their last six. I expect the home side to have too much for them this afternoon.

I'm looking forward to seeing Mario Gotze in from the off this afternoon. The youngster made a difference when he came off the bench against Madrid, and he will no doubt be eager to stake a claim for next week.

A nice touch from Bayern as they commemorate the death of former Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova, who tragically passed away in the early hours. They're holding a minute's silence ahead of the game. And then we'll get underway.

KICK OFF Here we go then...

The sun is beating down at the Allianz, and it's been all Bayern in the first two minutes. Alaba almost finds Piazarro with a through ball, but the striker, just can quite adjust his feet.

Hunt breaks into the Bayern box, but his cut back is cut out by Martinez. The home side bring it forward with Ribery in the wide left position and his one-two with Muller almost opens them up.

A decent chance for Franco di Santo opens up. He gets across his marker and gets a header in but it just goes wide. Manuel Neuer was not happy about the awarding of a corner, but it comes to nothing anyway.

There's an enthusiastic atmosphere at the Allianz, but the football is bieng played at a pre-season's tempo at the minute. Not a lot happening either end.

GOAL! Bayern Munich 0-1 (Theodor Gebre Selassie)

Well, what a shock! a swift counter-attack puts Bayern on the back, and Gebre Selassie is in acres of space on the right. He burst into the box and slams it beyond Neuer with an emphatic finish.

Maybe that will bring Bayern from their slumber. We shall see. Werder have the ball high up the pitch with a throw-in...it eventually comes to nothing. How will Bayern respond?

A win for the visitors would see their status in the Bundesliga officially retained for another season, so they have plenty to hold on to here. Bayern have struggled to get to grips so far.

Neuer is nearly caught out with shades of Wayne Rooney's effort against West Ham earlier this season. I didn't quite catch who hit, but it travelled and the Germany international was struggling but it eventually bounced up wide and he caught it.

CHANCE! Pizarro with a strong run and shot that goes just wide from the edge of the box. Bayern need more of that positivity.

GOAL! Bayern Munich 1-1 Werder Bremen (Franck Ribery)

And it's as easy as that! Pizarro holds it up and Ribery makes the run beyond him and the striker feeds the Frenchman in for him to slot home. Good finish. Bayern right back in it.

That was a typical example of how to play the lone target man role. The forward held it up well and waited for Ribery's run beyond him. The winger duly obliged and tucked it away well.

Bastian Schweinsteiger fires in an effort just over the bar from around 25 yards out. Bayern then win a free kick moments later from a bit further back.

They refuse to shoot but pass it to Alaba. Gotze and Ribery link up and this is starting to look more like Bayern. Pizarro just overhits a through ball to Ribery. It's starting to come together though.

Alaba races down the wing and swings in a great cross, but Thomas Muller jumps unfairly and concedes a free kick.

The manacing Ribery is causing problems down the left, and he wins a corner for his side this time round. They work it to Jerome Boateng centrally, and the defender hits a fierce effort straight at Wolf.

Pizarro again with some more direct running. He again gets his shot off, but this one is always rising.

Weiser finds Gotze with a clever dink over the top but the Germany international cannot get his shot off in time before he is crowded out. Nice play from Weiser though.

Werder have struggled to get out of their own half since the goal. Bayern's pressure hasn't been total, but they have pushed up and that has allowed them to pass the ball more.

CHANCE! Pizarro nearly gives his side the lead, but somehow it stays down. What a clearance from Frtiz. Pizarro did everything right, but it was acrobatically cleared off the line before Ribery's over-head missed.

GOAL! Bayern Munich 1-2 Werder Bremen (Aaron Hunt)

Would you believe it, Bayern caught cold once more. Di Santo threads the ball in behind Boateng, and Hunt cuts inside and puts the ball beyond Neuer. 2-1 Werder!

Well, the patter of play suggested that Bayern were building towards a win, but Werder have got another! Bayern have to come once again. Neuer nearly gets in trouble keeping hold of the ball too much. Corner for Werder ...

CHANCE! That's a wonderful low ball across the box from Hunt, but Di Santo just can't quite stretch enough to connect.

Confident keeping from Wolf as he comes and takes Gotze's corner with minimal fuss.

CHANCE! Ribery in behind once more and his cross is close to finding Pizarro but is cut out at the last second. That's the last action of the half...

HALF TIME: Bayern Munich 1-2 Werder Bremen

Well, this one hasn't gone to plan. Bayern were stunned with the opening goal from Theodor Gebre Selassie, but responded through Franck Ribery. However after as they started to find their groove, Aaron Hunt popped up to shock them again.

The result of course, is largely irrelevant to the home side, but they won't want to head into the game against Real Madrid on the back of another defeat.

UPDATE: In the Premier League's early game Southampton were grateful for two own goals as they eased past Everton 2-0 in the day's early kick off. Swansea are drawing 1-1 with Aston Villa, while West Brom have a 1-0 lead against West Ham. All other 3pm kick offs are goalless so far...

UPDATE: Elsewhere in the Bundesliga, Mainz lead Nuremberg 2-0, while Wolfsburg are 1-0 up against Freiburg. Hertha Berlin vs. Braunschweig is 0-0, while Hoffenheim are goalless with Frankfurt.

Back to this game then, and it is clear that Bayern Munich have taken their foot off the gas since they were crowned champions of Germany a few weeks ago.

That of course has been good news to Werder, but they have to take advantage of their opponents' slumber, and they are doing exactly that at the moment.

That being said, I still expect Bayern to shake off their lethargy this second 45. Their build up play has been nice as you would expect, but it's a similar problem to the defeat against Madrid, they're lacking a cutting edge up top. Pizarro has been willing, and he was denied by some superb defending from Fritz, but generally, they need more.

KICK OFF The second period is underway...

Alaba has swung in some dangerous crosses this afternoon and he's just flighted in another. It bounces up awkwardly, but Werder get it clear.

CHANCE! Lahm sticks in a low cross right across the face of the goal, and it comes to Gotze on the other side of the area. His shot is low and tame though. Wolf easily gathers.

Ribery once more tormenting the Werder backline, he attracts the attention of two of them before winning a corner. The set piece is easily cleared though, but the game is all Bayern at the moment. The visitors won't be too worried though at this stage. All the action is in front of their defence.

Arjen Robben is going through the motions on the touchline, could be introduced?

Neuer is once again culpable with the ball at his feet. His pass is short and Schweinsteiger is dispossessed high up the pitch by Di Santo. The ball is played out wide but Hunt had strayed offside.

GOAL! Bayern Munich 2-2 Werder Bremen (Claudio Pizarro)

The Peruvian won't score an easier goal this term. A corner is swung in, Thomas Muller wins the flick on and the striker pokes home into an empty net from two yards out.

Will that reinvigorate Guardiola's men? You'd fancy them to go on to win it now surely?

GOAL! Bayern Munich 3-2 Werder Bremen (Claudio Pizarro)

It's that man again! Credit to Franck Ribery for keeping the ball alive on the touchline, he pokes it back to Alaba who finds Pizarro with a low cross for a second tap-in of the afternoon for the forward.

CHANCE! Almost 4-2. Javi Martinez's low effort is well saved by Wolf. He got down well to turn that around the post. Bayern are in the mood now.

GOAL! Bayern Munich 4-2 Werder Bremen (Bastian Schweinsteiger)

That could be game over now. Lahm clips in a teasing cross for his German international teammate and the midfielder makes no mistake with a great header that goes back across goal into the top corner. Bayern has simply stepped up the gears in the last 10 minutes.

CHANCE! They're queuing up to get in on the act. Martinez again with another low shot. This time Wolf holds on to it.

CHANCE! Well, which one shall I describe first? Ribery's effort was beaten away by Wolf before Schweinsteiger retrieves it and finds Alaba after being unable to work space for shot. Alaba's cross eventually comes to Pizarro and his effort goes over. He nearly had the hat-trick!

Werder get the ball in Bayern's half for the first time in a long while, but they're unable to do anything with it. The home side win a goal kick and go again. Alaba breaks into the opposition area, but he slips as he tries to cut it back with a cross.

Arjen Robben is coming for Bayern. Elijero Elia comes on in place of Franco di Santo for Werder.

CHANCE! Better from Werder. Junzovic with a well-struck effort on the edge of the box is held by Neuer. Meanwhile Dante makes way for Robben.

GOAL! Bayern Munich 5-2 Werder Bremen (Arjen Robben)

A trademark Robben goal. The Dutch winger cuts inside from the right, rides a challenge before eventually curling it into the far corner with a guided effort. Great streak. What an impact!

A trademark Robben goal. The Dutch winger cuts inside from the right, rides a challenge before eventually curling it into the far corner with a guided effort. Great streak. What an impact!

Diego Contento is on for Alaba for Bayern.

CHANCE! Should be six, but what a save from Wolf. Ribery around eight yards out tries to slam it into the corner, but Wolf is equal to it to beat it away from the far post.

Bayern have been different class this second half. The same metronomic passing game is there, but they have gone up a notch in the final third and been ruthless. They look as though they want more too.

Elia with some neat footwork wide left, but Javi Martinez eventually gets back to deny the Dutchman. Meanwhile Felix Kroos comes on for Aaron Hunt for the away side.

Robben gets in behind the defence again but he can only connect with it as it looks as though it's running out of play. It hits a Werder defender and goes out for a corner. Muller meets the set piece with his head but it arches wide of the far post.

Gotze is guilty of being too elaborate inside the box. He has the chance to get a left-footed effort off, but tries to jink back inside onto his favoured right. He is eventually halted in his tracks.

Robben once again with that familiar passage of play, but his shot takes a deflection and goes for a corner...

Werder half-clear it, but Schweinsteiger meets it on the edge of the box, but it goes over the bar. A dominant second-half performance from Die Roten this afternoon.

Werder muster a slight attack, but it eventually fizzles out with an over-hit cross. Bayern have been comfortable at the back this second half.

FULL TIME: Bayern Munich 5-2 Werder Bremen

Well what a second-half display from the European champions. They were 2-1 down at half time. The perfect way to gear up for the Champions League semi-final second leg.

Claudio Pizarro is unlikely to start against Los Blancos, but he did his chances no harm with two poacher's goals. Franck Ribery was constant menace throughout also.

Well, that's all from me. Bayern shake off their patchy form in emphatic style. Until next time, goodbye.

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Bayern Munich's Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro celebrates the fourth goal for Munich during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Bayern Munich vs Sport Club Freiburg in Munich, southern Germany on February 15, 2014
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Bayer LeverkusenB. Leverkusen26224066184870
2Bayern MunichBayern26193478314760
3Stuttgart26182660312956
4Borussia DortmundDortmund26148453322150
5RB Leipzig26154760322849
6Eintracht FrankfurtFrankfurt26101064235740
7Augsburg269894342135
8Hoffenheim2696114450-633
9Freiburg2696113648-1233
10Werder Bremen2686123541-630
11Heidenheim2678113544-929
12Borussia MonchengladbachBorussia M'bach26610104650-428
13Union BerlinUnion Berlin2684142542-1728
14Wolfsburg2667133144-1325
15VfL BochumVfL Bochum26510113054-2425
16Mainz 05Mainz26310132246-2419
17FC Koln2639142047-2718
18SV Darmstadt 98Darmstadt2627172665-3913


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