Bayern beat Leverkusen, Cologne come back to beat Hamburg
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Germany star Thomas Muller scored twice as Bayern Munich went back to the top of the German Bundesliga table on Saturday with a 3-0 home win over Bayer Leverkusen. Pep Guardiola's Bayern impressed at Munich's Allianz Arena in sealing their third straight league win to claim top place from Wolfsburg, who beat Schalke 3-0 on Friday.
Guardiola said there is still room for improvement: "Our last pass wasn't always good, that's why it was only 3-0, but we only allowed them two chances, which is crazy." Muller, who has five goals from the first three league games, and Dutch winger Arjen Robben both converted second-half penalties for Bayern as fellow UEFA Champions League side Leverkusen were well beaten.
"Our training is high quality, our ambitions remain and we're developing something good," said Muller with Bayern targeting a repeat of their 2013 treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles this season.
The defending champions took the lead when Mueller met Douglas Costa's cross on 26 minutes, then converted a penalty after Arturo Vidal was pushed in the back by Leverkusen defender Roberto Hilbert on 59 minutes. Robben claimed his 11th penalty from 12 attempts in his Bundesliga career by drilling home a 71st-minute spot-kick as Hilbert was penalised after a Costa cross hit his armpit.
The 30-year-old ex-Germany defender was at fault for all three Bayern goals having also let Costa get away for the cross for Mueller's first-half goal. "That was a very good statement for us, we were strong to go 3-0 against a top Bundesliga and Champions League team," said the Netherlands captain Robben. Leverkusen had a goal disallowed when Australia winger Robbie Kruse looked to have scored on 72 minutes, but the referee spotted him bringing the ball down with his upper arm.
Earlier, Cologne's impressive start continued when they went third with a 2-1 comeback win at home to Hamburg after gleaning seven points from their opening three games. After ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lewis Holtby put Hamburg ahead early in the second half, Cologne levelled through Philipp Hosiner on 76 minutes, but the game turned on a dubious red card and penalty. Hamburg's ex-Bosnia captain Emir Spahic was sent off on 79 minutes for the slightest of touches on Cologne striker Anthony Modeste, who drilled home the resulting penalty to the fury of the visitors' bench.
Japan striker Yoshinori Muto warmed-up for his country's FIFA World Cup™ qualifier against Cambodia in Saitama on Thursday with his first two Bundesliga goals in Mainz's 3-0 win over Hanover. The 23-year-old opened his account on just his third Bundesliga appearance on 15 minutes, then doubled his tally on 29 minutes when he headed home from a corner.
Centre-forward Yunus Malli claimed Mainz's third by finishing off a sweeping counter-attack just after the break as Mainz moved up to fifth. Socceroos forward Mathew Leckie also scored his first goal in Germany's top flight in Ingolstadt's 1-0 win at Bavarian rivals Augsburg. The 24-year-old left winger, who has won 25 caps for Australia, curled a superb shot inside the left-hand post, which gave Augsburg goalkeeper Marwin Hitz no chance on 63 minutes.
Ten-man Stuttgart are bottom after a 4-1 defeat at home to Eintracht Frankfurt as Poland goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton was sent off for the hosts. Darmstadt are 11th after their third straight draw following a goalless effort at home to Hoffenheim.