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Ukraine international midfielder ANATOLI TYMOSHCHUK of Bayern Munich and Vfl Wolfsburg’s Brazil international DIEGO (28), the former Werder Bremen midfielder who was a summer purchase of 15.0 million Euros from Italian Serie A side FC Juventus of Turin, follow the ball after an aerial duel at the Volkswagen Arena in Lower Saxony, Germany. (Christian Charisius/Reuters)
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BUNDESLIGA
Spieltag # 18
1/15/2010
1 – Vfl Wolfsburg —————– Riether 86′
1 – Bayern Munich ————— Mueller 7′
Both teams shared frustration from the penalty spot while splitting a pair of goals on either side of the halftime whistle as visiting BAYERN MUNICH and VFL WOLFSBURG battled to a 1-1 deadlock in the re-start to the 2010-11 Bundesliga season.
Germany international striker MARIO GOMEZ, who leads Bayern Munich with a dozen strikes in the Bundesliga and 20 goals in all competitions so far this season, struck the underside of the crossbar in just the fifth minute of play. The luck of the Bavarians, however, would change very shortly thereafter. The Bundesliga debutant goalkeeper, THOMAS KRAFT, launched a goal kick down the middle which Germany World Cup winger THOMAS MUELLER galloped after.
Out of the box came Vfl Wolfsburg goalkeeper DIEGO BENAGLIO, who actually reached the ball ahead of the on-rushing Mueller. Unfortunately for the Switzerland World Cup goalkeeper, however, his attempted clearance smashed straight into the 21-year-old winger. In the wake of the riccochet, the ball rolled all the back into the unguarded net for a 1-0 Bayern Munich result.
The Bavarians had a golden opportunity to double their advantage in the 22nd minute, but Germany World Cup defender PHILIPP LAHM smacked his penalty kick off the goalpost to waste the chance.
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A pair of Brazilians for each side, Vfl Wolfsburg international striker GRAFITE (23) and Bayern Munich defender BRENO (2), observe as 22-year-old Bundesliga debutant THOMAS KRAFT adequately deals with a high ball in front the Bavarians’ goal at the Volkswagen Arena. (Michael Sohn/AP)
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Vfl Wolfsburg also had a glorious opportunity from the penalty spot during time added at the end of the first half. In the wake of the recent sale of Bosnia / Herzegovina international striker EDIN DZEKO — the Bundesliga’s top scorer with 22 goals last season — to Manchester City for 27.0 million English pounds, Vfl Wolfsburg selected Brazil international striker GRAFITE to take the kick. With seven goals in the German top flight this season and 57 goals in 93 career Bundesliga games heading into the match, the 31-year-old striker still posed a formidable threat.
But the 22-year-old rookie Kraft, who had only ever appeared with the first team of Bayern Munich twice before in his entire career, was not cowed and turned aside the penalty convincingly.
Later in the match, the young shot-stopper produced a sharp save when turning the header of Vfl Wolfsburg’s Croatia international striker MARIO MANDZUKIC over the crossbar. On his Bundesliga debut, Kraft did not benefit from a high-powered offense in front of him. The Bavarians, despite enough chances, never did add a second goal and would pay dearly for this glaring inability with a further loss of points in the Bundesliga standings.
Four minutes from full time, Bayern Munich’s Germany World Cup midfielder BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER was stripped of the ball on the edge of his own area by Vfl Wolfsburg defender MARCEL SCHAEFER; the rearguard who has earned seven caps for Germany in his career quickly sent a low cross into the box that attacking fullback SASCHA RIETHER was able to stab home from three yards out.
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Germany World Cup midfielder BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER, who scored a dramatic injury-time winner against Vfl Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena to start the 2010-11 season for Bayern Munich, wrestles with Vfl Wolfsburg’s Germany international defender MARCEL SCHAEFER, who began his senior professional career in Bavaria with TSV 1860 Munich before transferring to the Lower Saxon side in 2007, at the Volkswagen Arena. (Christian Charisius/Reuters)
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VFL WOLFSBURG : Benaglio – Riether, Kjaer, Friedrich, Schaefer – Josue (Pekarik 69′), Cicero (Cigerci 46′) – Dejagah, Diego (Kahlenberg 88′), Mandzukic – Grafite
BAYERN MUNICH : Kraft – Lahm, Breno, Badstuber, Pranjic (Ottl 82′) – van Bommel, Tymoshchuk (Luiz Gustavo 69′) – Mueller, Schweinsteiger, Ribery (Robben 25′) – Gomez
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(Nigel Treblin/DAPD)
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(Christian Charisius/Reuters)
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(Christian Charisius/Reuters)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
