Robben scores twice as Bayern beats Freiburg 2-1

Mar 13, 2010 - 7:50 PM FRANKFURT, Germany(AP) -- Arjen Robben scored two late goals Saturday to help Bayern Munich rally for a 2-1 win over Freiburg to regain the Bundesliga lead.

Cedrick Makiadi had given the visitors a surprising lead in the 31st minute, taking a pass from Yacine Abdessadki and blasting the ball into the upper right corner from 17 yards.

Freiburg's compact defense then kept an under-strength Bayern at bay until the 76th minute, when Robben converted a free kick.

Bayern, which was without Bastian Schweinsteiger, Franck Ribery and Mario Gomez, then took the lead after Ivica Banovic fouled Thomas Mueller in the area and Robben converted the penalty in the 83rd.

"We didn't play very good in the first half," Bayern coach Louis van Gaal said. "We didn't have a lot of creativity. But I think this team can play better and the team proved that in the second half."

Munich improved to 56 points from 26 rounds for a two-point lead over Schalke, which had taken the provisional lead Friday with a 2-1 victory at home over Stuttgart.

"We don't want to give up the lead again," Bayern captain Mark van Bommel said. "We have had a lot of confidence since November. And I hope we continue playing this way."

Third-place Bayer Leverkusen hosts fifth-place Hamburg on Sunday.

Freiburg remained in the relegation zone in 17th place with 20 points.

Last-place Hertha Berlin moved closer to relegation by losing 2-1 against Nuremberg, it's 12th Bundesliga home game in a row without a win.

Berlin wasted a number of scoring opportunities and a first-half lead and is now nine points from moving out of the relegation zone.

"I still believe in miracles," Berlin midfielder Pal Dardai said. "We cannot give up and have to continue to work and believe that there are miracles. We played a really good first half but could not keep it up in the second."

Berlin started the game on the attack, and twice hit the goalframe before Theo Gekas gave the hosts the lead in the 36th. But Nuremberg equalized in the 61st through Albert Bunjaku, and Angelos Charisteas gave the visitors the win by scoring a minute into stoppage time.

Hannover secured its second straight win by beating nine-man Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1, but remained in the relegation zone in 16th place with 23 points from 26 games.

Berlin has just 15 points in last place in the 18-team league.

Leon Andreasen gave Hannover the lead after 14 minutes and Halil Altintop equalized in first-half stoppage time. Frankfurt went a man down in the 54th minute when Selim Teber was sent off with his second yellow card.

Sergio Pinto then put Hannover back in front by scoring three minutes later, and Frankfurt was reduced to nine men in stoppage time when Maik Franz received his second booking.

Borussia Dortmund climbed to fourth with a comfortable 4-1 home victory against local rival Bochum, who played the final 57 minutes with 10 men.

Bochum's Marcel Maltritz scored an own goal after 18 minutes and Mohamed Zidan made it 2-0 for Dortmund in the 27th.

Bochum then went a man down in the 33rd as Milos Maric was given a red card, but Lewis Holtby pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 53rd.

Lucas Barrios then scored two goals within three minutes to seal the win for Dortmund.

Defending champion Wolfsburg earned its fourth straight win by easing past Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-1, getting two goals from Edin Dzeko. Zvjezdan Misimovic and Christian Gentner struck also scored for Wolfsburg.

Ten-man Mainz beat Cologne 1-0 thanks to Andre Schuerrle's goal in the 57th, despite Aristide Bance already having been sent off.