Lewandowski at the double in Dortmund victory
Reuters - Sunday 26 February 2012, 19:21
Borussia Dortmund forward
Robert Lewandowski scored twice as the champions beat Hannover 96
3-1 on Sunday to go four points clear at the top of the
Bundesliga and stretch their winning streak to seven games.
Rivals Bayern Munich moved into second place on 48 points
from 23 matches after beating Schalke 04 2-0 with Frenchman
Franck Ribery grabbing both goals in a dazzling performance.
Poland international Lewandowski fired in from a tight angle
in the first half as hosts Dortmund initially attacked at will
with Hannover's busy schedule including Europa League matches
looking to have sapped their energy.
The 23-year-old then took his league tally to 16 goals,
sliding in 10 minutes after the restart for his second.
Substitute Didier Ya Konan cut the deficit on the hour for
the visitors but Dortmund's Ivan Perisic struck in stoppage time
to extend the hosts' unbeaten run to 17 games and lift them to
52 points.
"We played a very good game and it was only down to us that
we did not decide it in our favour much earlier," said Dortmund
coach Jurgen Klopp.
Earlier on Sunday Ribery scored twice as home side Bayern
bounced back from their 1-0 Champions League midweek defeat at
Basel to move back into second spot.
"We are back in the game," Ribery, who combined well with
fellow winger Arjen Robben throughout, told reporters. "We
showed a good reaction. Now we have to keep winning and wait for
Dortmund to slip up."
Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes opted to bench playmaker Toni
Kroos and instead deploy Thomas Muller in a central role
between Ribery and Robben as he reshuffled the team in search of
more offensive spark.
The gamble paid off as the trio were a constant threat to
the Schalke defence.
Former Germany keeper Timo Hildebrand was on hand to deny
Robben and Muller before racing out of goal nine minutes from
the break to stop Ribery and instead seeing the ball float over
his head as the Frenchman snatched the lead.
Schalke's Joel Matip should have levelled right after the
restart when he was sent through with only goalkeeper Manuel Neuer
to beat but instead fired wide.
Bayern punished the visitors with Ribery combining well with
Muller in the box to grab his 10th league goal as Bayern looked
sharper than in their last five league games where they had
taken only two wins.
The victory lifted Bayern back into second place, a point
ahead of third-placed Borussia Monchengladbach, who drew 1-1
with Hamburg SV on Friday. Schalke remain fourth on 44.