Hot-shot striker Andrei Voronin scored his eighth goal in six games to keep Hertha Berlin four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
The 29-year-old is on loan from side Liverpool, but Hertha will be in no hurry to give him back after he followed up last week’s hat-trick against Energie Cottbus with the goal which claimed three points.
PHOTO: AP
His goal after 50 minutes contained some good fortune after Leverkusen’s Germany goalkeeper Rene Adler went to kick the ball away, only for it to rebound off Voronin’s chest into the net to claim his 11th goal in 20 games.
Hertha’s recent run has boosted attendance at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium and a crowd of 58,753 saw the win over Leverkusen.
After their Champions League heroics in midweek, when they sealed a 12-1 aggregate win over Sporting Lisbon, Bayern Munich are second as they had few problems beating Bochum 3-0 away.
“From our point of view, it is very pleasing that we travel home with this result,” said Bayern coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who is waiting on the fitness of striker Miroslav Klose who limped off with an ankle injury.
After an excellent first-half strike by Ze Roberto after 34 minutes, things got worse for Bochum when Marc Pfertzel was shown a red card for hauling down Bayern striker Jose Ernesto Sosa when he was clean through on goal.
Lukas Podolski missed the resulting penalty on 48 minutes.
But Bayern extended their lead through a Philipp Lahm goal on 60 minutes and Martin Demichelis scored the third on 90 minutes.
Hoffenheim were held to a 1-1 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt.
A goal by Carlos Eduardo after ten minutes was cancelled out by a header from Frankfurt’s Michael Fink to leave Hoffenheim six points off leaders Hertha.
At Hanover the home side drew 4-4 with Borussia Dortmund while Borussia Moechengladbach eased their relegation worries with a 4-2 win at Cologne.
Karlsruhe are now three points off the pace at the foot of the table after they were beaten 1-0 at home by Arminia Bielefeld.
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