A first-half double from Borussia Dortmund’s Argentine striker Lucas Barrios compounded the misery of reigning Bundesliga champions VfL Wolfsburg by consigning them to a 3-1 home loss on Sunday.
Wolfsburg, eliminated from the Champions League by Manchester United this week, were over-run by Dortmund, who were 2-0 ahead within just 10 minutes after Barrios got on the score sheet with two quick-fire goals.
German international rightback Patrick Owomoyela scored a third after 36 minutes, before Brazilian striker Grafite got one back for the hosts after 55 minutes.
PHOTO: AFP
Unbeaten at home last season, Wolfsburg have already conceded four losses in front of their own fans since August. They are now in ninth place, nine points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
Dortmund move up to sixth, five points behind the leaders after 16 games.
Meanwhile, new VfB Stuttgart coach Christian Gross’ first league game in charge since replacing Markus Babbel ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw with Mainz after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was given his marching orders at the end of the match.
PHOTO: AFP
Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak had given Stuttgart the lead on 11 minutes and the visitors had looked on the way to their first Bundesliga win since Sept. 26, but Lehmann was shown a red card in the 87th minute after he responded to taunts from Mainz striker Aristide Bance by shouldering the Burkina Faso player and standing on his left foot.
Eugen Polanski stepped up with the equalizer from the spot, leaving Stuttgart in 15th position with 13 points.
The red card comes at the end of a particularly difficult week for Stuttgart and Lehmann, who was fined 40,000 euros for criticizing his club’s decision to fire Babbel.
It was the fifth dismissal of Lehmann’s career, a record for a goalkeeper. Lehmann was also caught on television arguing with a Stuttgart fan after the match.
Sporting director Horst Heldt insisted that it was not the end of 40-year-old Lehmann’s career with Stuttgart.
“I have to speak to him, but I don’t think it will be his last match with Stuttgart. He’s going to be suspended, but his contract runs until June 30, 2010,” Heldt said. “He had a super match until then, he’s very angry with himself above all.”
Stuttgart, who beat Unirea Urziceni during the week to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League, have struggled domestically and their winless run in the Bundesliga now stands at nine games.
German Bundesliga
Team | P | GD | PTS | |
1 | Bayer Leverkusen | 16 | 21 | 32 |
2 | Schalke 04 | 16 | 12 | 31 |
3 | Bayern Munich | 16 | 16 | 30 |
4 | Werder Bremen | 16 | 17 | 28 |
5 | Hamburg SV | 16 | 14 | 28 |
6 | Borussia Dortmund | 16 | 5 | 27 |
7 | Hoffenheim | 16 | 12 | 25 |
8 | Mainz | 16 | 0 | 24 |
9 | VfL Wolfsburg | 16 | 0 | 23 |
10 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 16 | -2 | 23 |
11 | Borussia M’gladbach | 16 | -4 | 21 |
12 | SC Freiburg | 16 | -13 | 18 |
13 | Hannover 96 | 16 | -5 | 17 |
14 | Cologne | 16 | -8 | 15 |
15 | VfB Stuttgart | 16 | -9 | 13 |
16 | VfL Bochum | 16 | -16 | 13 |
17 | Nuremberg | 16 | -17 | 12 |
18 | Hertha Berlin | 16 | -23 | 6 |
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