Berlin (dpa) – Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich strolled to a simple

3-1 win away to midtable Augsburg on Saturday but pursuers RB Leipzig kept pace with a 2-0 success at Darmstadt.

Bayern defeated Augsburg at home in the cup on Wednesday and the same score earned three league points in the rematch. Robert Lewandowski’s double and Arjen Robben’s strike put Bayern in front before Koo Ja Cheol’s consolation for the hosts.

Leipzig laboured in Darmstadt but substitute Marcel Sabitzer bagged a brace to keep them two points behind Bayern in the title race. They are now one match shy of matching Duisburg’s record of 10 games unbeaten following promotion to the top-flight.

Honours were even in the first Ruhr derby of the season as a resolute Schalke held on to claim a goalless draw at Borussia Dortmund in the late game.

Bayer Leverkusen struck late to win 2-1 at Wolfsburg, Freiburg won

3-1 at Werder Bremen and Mainz beat second-bottom Ingolstadt 2-0.

Augsburg coach Dirk Schuster said before the match his side had to avoid conceding sloppy goals to have a chance against Bayern but they failed to make life hard for the record champions.

Jonathan Schmid easily lost possession and a slick breakaway concluded with Robben setting up Lewandowski for the opener in 20 minutes.

And three minutes later Lewandowski turned provider as Augsburg captain Paul Verhaegh sent an attempted cross back into his path. The Polish striker made no mistake second time round and provided Robben with a tap-in.

«We started well, just like in the cup during the week,» Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti said. «The first half was very good.»

Just four minutes into the second period Robben intercepted Gojko Kacar’s poor pass to set up Lewandowski’s second.

«They have played very well,» Ancelotti said of the pair which produced the goals. «They have combined well together.»

Augsburg replied in the 67th minute when Koo, who missed a penalty in the cup tie, swept home but it did not spark a comeback.

«Bayern punish every mistake clinically,» Augsburg sport director Stefan Reuter said. «They are in a league of their own.»

Battling Darmstadt kept Leipzig at bay for the first half but fell behind to Sabitzer just before the hour. The substitute had only been on the pitch five minutes when he met Timo Werner’s low cross with a cool finish.

Another cross from the right, this time from Oliver Burke, provided Sabitzer with his second.

«We’re very, very happy today with this hard-fought victory,» said Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuettl. «Fortunately we found the right solution and scored two good goals.»

Leipzig’s victory opens up a four-point gap to the pack below them which is led by Hertha Berlin. The capital city side travel to fourth-placed Hoffenheim Sunday before sixth-placed Cologne welcome bottom club SV Hamburg.

Dortmund skipped Cologne into fifth but will feel frustrated not to have beaten Schalke to end a four-game winless streak in the league having dominated in the second half.

After a dismal opening, the match burst into life in the second period when Schalke’s Sead Kolasinac had a shot saved by Roman Buerki.

From then on Dortmund were in complete control but Ousmane Dembele somehow hit the bar when he should have scored from Christian Pulisic’s flick.

Keeper Ralf Faehrmann denied Mario Goetze from point-blank range and, with Faehrmann beaten, a last-ditch tackle by Kolasinac prevented Pulisic turning into an empty net.

«In the first half we made a lot of simple mistakes,» Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel said. «In the second half we have done very well from my point of view.»

Schalke lost their first five matches of the season but have since stabilized and move up to 12th, unbeaten in seven in all competitions.

«The result was important – that we could defend our [unbeaten] run,»

said Schalke coach Markus Weinzierl.

Maximilian Philipp’s solo goal and Vincenzo Grifo’s penalty put Freiburg in front in Bremen before Santiago Garcia pulled one back.

Amir Abrashi, with a deflection, ensured Freiburg the points which took them to an impressive seventh. Bremen remain one above the relegation play-off and have a five-point advantage over Ingolstadt in the automatic drop-zone.

Ingolstadt’s resistance was broken by Yunus Malli from the spot and Levin Oeztunali added a second for Mainz, who go ninth. Max Christiansen was sent off for Ingolstadt late on.

Leverkusen were without coach Roger Schmidt as he completed a two-game touchline ban in Wolfsburg but eased the pressure on their boss with a dramatic win to go 10th.

Admir Mehmedi’s equalizer and Tin Jedvaj’s winner in the final 11 minutes cancelled Maximilian Arnold’s opener. Wolfsburg, under interim coach Valerien Ismael, are 16th.