Wolves see off Gladbach after frantic finish

Defending champions Wolfsburg moved up to fifth in the Bundesliga table on Sunday after a last-minute goal frenzy ended in a 2-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.

The game was heading to a 1-0 win after defender Alexander Madlung’s first-half header, but Gentner scored for the Wolves deep in injury-time and almost immediately Michael Bradley scored a consolation goal for Borussia.

Both sides had had first-half efforts ruled offside, but the Wolves finally got the break just before half-time when play-maker Zvjezdan Misimovic swung in a cross which Madlung powered home before the frantic finish.

The result leaves Moenchengladbach in the bottom three, but there was concern for Wolves goalkeeper Diego Benaglio who took a heavy knock to the throat in the last few minutes, but he recovered to finish the game.

On Saturday, Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen were held 0-0 at second-placed Hamburg to stay top while Bayern Munich moved up to sixth as hot-shot midfielder Thomas Mueller helped seal a 2-1 win at Freiburg.

The stalemate at Hamburg’s HSH Nordbank Arena left the top two locked on 21 points with Bayer top by virtue of goal difference.

Earlier, Mueller, who has made a name for himself with six goals in all competitions this season, was set up by Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni to put Bayern on the path to victory after 42 minutes.

Bayern were without their main strike-force of striker Ivica Olic, plus wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, but Munich made sure of the three points when Freiburg’s South Korean defender Du-Ri Cha scored an own goal.

Under pressure from Mueller, Cha attempted to pass back to his goalkeeper, but could only watch as the ball rolled into his own net on 68 minutes.

Freiburg hit a consolation goal in injury time when striker Stefan Reisinger met a cross from striker Mohamadou Idrissou.

Schalke are third after they sealed a 2-1 win over Stuttgart as ex-Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi hit the second-half winner.

Werder Bremen are fourth after they sealed a 2-0 win over Hoffenheim with goalkeeper Tim Wiese saving a first-half penalty from Carlos Eduardo after only 14 minutes.

Both goals came just moments later in the first half as Peru striker Claudio Pizarro put his side ahead with a header on 18 minutes before Germany defender Per Mertesacker added a second on 22 minutes.

Cologne picked up three more valuable points to pull further away from the bottom three and up to 14th after their 1-0 win at home to Mainz while Eintracht Frankfurt beat Hanover 2-1.

Hertha Berlin remain rooted to the bottom, and are now five points from safety, as they were well-beaten 3-0 at fellow relegation candidates Nuremberg.