Schalke beats Werder Bremen 2-0 in Bundesliga
Posted Sunday, December 13, 2009 by AP
FRANKFURT(AP) -- Schalke snapped Werder Bremen's 23-game unbeaten streak Saturday with a 2-0 win to move within a point of Bundesliga leader Bayer Leverkusen.
Kevin Kuranyi and Jan Moravek scored for Schalke, which has 31 points, one point fewer than Leverkusen, which drew 2-2 with Hertha Berlin on Friday. Bremen dropped to fourth and remained on 28 points.
"We stood really well defensively because we know that they can create a lot of chances," said Kuranyi, who scored his eighth goal of the season. "But we outran them and that is our strength. We know that we cannot play as entertaining football as they can."
Schalke coach Felix Magath praised his players' performance after halftime.
"We had some small problems in the first half," Magath said. "We wanted to use our chances in the first half, but we did a better job on that in the second half.
"I think everything regarding the streak was a bit in their heads and we were lucky to have faced a team that did not play that well today."
Ivica Olic scored twice and set up another goal as Bayern Munich thrashed VfL Bochum 5-1. Bayern striker Mario Gomez scored his fifth goal in six games as his team improved to 30 points.
"It's fun again. We're winning games and I can help the team with my goals," said Gomez, who as recently as last month was widely considered a poor offseason acquisition.
"We have had a couple of good weeks and have a good rhythm right now. We have a lot of good players who are new and are just getting used to one another. We haven't reached all of our goals but we are on a good way."
Bayern led 3-0 at halftime after goals by Olic, Gomez and an own-goal by Bochum's Mergim Mavraj. Olic struck early in the second half and Danijel Pranjic made it 5-0 before Christian Fuchs pulled one back for Bochum.
It was Bayern's fifth straight win in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
Bayern captain Mark van Bommel said one of the keys for his team's resurgence was Olic, who missed five games injured and has three goals and two assists in his last three Bundesliga matches.
"It's important that he's here," Van Bommel said of the Croatia striker. "He really pushes a lot of his teammates and that has really helped us."
Hamburg won 4-0 at Nuremberg to snap a seven-game winless streak. Eljero Elia scored twice, while Marcell Jansen and Tunay Turon each added goals for Hamburg, which has 28 points to fourth place.
American midfielder Michael Bradley scored as Borussia Moenchengladbach beat 10-man Hannover 5-3 with the help of three own-goals by Hannover.
"We scored six goals today and we lost. That is incredible," Hannover coach Andreas Bergmann said.
Hannover goalkeeper Florian Fromlowitz added: "After today, nothing can shock me."
Hoffenheim and Eintracht Frankfurt drew 1-1 at home against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Freiburg and Cologne drew 0-0.
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