Late Schweinsteiger goal sees Bayern slay Wolves

Bayern Munich’s Bastian Schweinsteiger scored an injury-time winner on Friday night as the German champions beat Wolfsburg 2-1 in the opening match of the new Bundesliga season.

Ex-England manager Steve McClaren and his Wolves side were denied a point as Germany’s vice-captain latched onto Franck Ribery’s cross for the winner with seconds remaining.

Bayern made the perfect start as Germany’s Thomas Mueller — the top-scorer at last month’s World Cup — scored the opening goal after just nine minutes, only for Edin Dzeko to equalise after the break.

With winger Arjen Robben and striker Ivica Olic out with injuries, Bayern coach Louis van Gaal opted to start with Miroslav Klose as the lone striker with Mueller, Toni Kroos and Ribery completing a potent attacking quartet.

The defending champions took the lead when Mueller received a lobbed return pass from Germany team-mate Kroos, flicked the ball past a defender and volleyed into the bottom-right corner.

It was 1-0 at the break, but Wolfsburg had their fair share of chances in the second half as Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic beat Munich goalkeeper Hans-Joerg Butt but could only hit the post on 47 minutes.

Dzeko went close with several chances, as did Wolves play-maker Zvjezdan Misimovic, who came on at the half-time break.

With Wolfsburg pounding the Munich defence, last season’s top-scorer Dzeko finally opened his Bundesliga account for the campaign as the Bayern defence left him unmarked and he headed home from a Misimovic corner on 55 minutes.

Bayern responded by laying siege to the Wolfsburg goal, but Wolfsburg also had their chances to win the game as Misimovic went close at the end.

With time almost up, Schweinsteiger scored a trademark goal when he was left unmarked at the far post and stabbed the ball around Wolves goalkeeper Diego Benaglio to claim the three points.

Last year’s runners-up Schalke travel to Hamburg on Saturday, with Bayer Leverkusen at Borussia Dortmund on Sunday as the Bundesliga gets underway.

There was trouble in the Bayern camp before kick-off on Friday night when Argentinian centre-back Martin Demichelis refused to attend the Allianz Arena game after failing to make the starting line-up.

Bayern coach Louis van Gaal opted to select Daniel van Buyten and youngster Holger Badstuber in the heart of Munich’s defence and Demichelis boycotted the match in protest.

“He asked the coach not appear to put his name on the team sheet,” said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

“I do not think that means he wants to leave the club, but are very disappointed.”

The 29-year-old played in the World Cup and was in the Argentina side that lost 4-0 to Germany in the quarter-finals.

“I made my decision and the player must accept it. He won the title last season, but now has been replaced and he must accept that, it’s not easy,” added van Gaal.

With Badstuber and van Buyten as centre-backs, van Gaal opted to play Diego Contento, 20, at left back.

Demichelis has been at Bayern since 2003, but Rummenigge ruled out releasing him before the summer transfer window closes on August 31.