Neuer keeps clean sheet as Hoffenheim hold Bayern

Posted on October 2, 2011 by SoccerPunter

Bayern’s 2-0 win over Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday had been their 10th consecutive victory and although the run was broken at Hoffenhein, Munich’s last defeat in any competition was still back on August 7.

Germany star Neuer, who joined from Schalke 04 last summer, has now gone 1018 minutes without conceding a goal in all competitions.

The 25-year-old had to work to keep his record intact as he pulled off a stunning save from defender Marvin Compper on 22 minutes.

Neuer still has to keep several clean-sheets to claim a record.

Belgian Dany Verlinden holds the European record of 1,390 minutes for Brugge, a mark which Manchester United’s Edwin van der Saar came close to breaking when he went 1,311 minutes without conceding a goal in the 2008-09 season.

Bayern’s best chance came in the first-half when Hoffenheim’s Ghana defender Isaac Vorsah cleared a shot off the line from Munich’s Jerome Boateng.

Despite picking up a point, Bayern remain three points clear at the top of the league and with a vastly superior goal difference, they can not be caught even if second-place Werder Bremen win at Hanover on Sunday.

Monchengladbach, the only team to beat Bayern this season, suffered their first defeat in four games when they went down 1-0 at Freiburg to stay third.

‘Gladbach’s teenage goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen conceded his first goal since August 22 in his side’s 1-0 defeat at Freiburg after midfielder Johannes Flum fired home from 20 metres and his shot took a deflection.

Ex-Germany captain Michael Ballack captained Leverkusen to a 3-1 win at home to Wolfsburg having scored in his team’s Champions League win over Belgium champions Genk on Wednesday and played the full 90 minutes.

Ballack was again impressive and went close with a long-range shot in the first-half as Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok, defender Gonzalo Castro and forward Stefan Kiessling all scored.

Borussia Dortmund bounced back from their heavy Champions League defeat at Marseille in midweek to enjoy an impressive 4-0 win at home to Augsburg FC as Poland striker Robert Lewandowski and Germany midfielder Mario Goetze ran riot.

Lewandowski hit two first half goals, before goalkeeper and captain Roman Wiedenfeller maintained his side’s lead when he dived the right way to halt a penalty on 48 minutes from defender Gibril Sankoh.

Goetze made sure of the three points when he darted onto a chip from Lewandowski and the 19-year-old returned the compliment when he fired in his cross which the Polish forward headed home to complete his hat-trick.

The three-points has done wonders for Dortmund’s league position and lifted them up to fourth.

Mainz 05 came back from 2-0 down to seal a 3-3 draw at Nuremberg, while Hannover 96 host Werder Bremen on Sunday and Schalke new coach Huub Stevens, who was appointed on Wednesday will be in charge for the Royal Blues game at Hamburger SV.

Stevens, who is on his second stint in Gelsenkirchen, was in talks to host Hamburg only last weekend.

German Bundesliga results

Bayer Leverkusen 3 VfL Wolfsburg 1
Nuremberg 3 Mainz 05 3
Dortmund 4 FC Augsburg 0
Hoffenheim 0 Bayern Munich 0
SC Freiburg 1 Borusssia M’gladbach 0