By Barry Whelan, dpa
Berlin (dpa) – Champions Bayern Munich regained top spot in the German football Bundesliga Saturday with a 3-1 win over Ingolstadt as promoted RB Leipzig moved second with a 4-0 win at SV Hamburg.
Borussia Dortmund trounced Darmstadt 6-0 while Werder Bremen slid to a 4-1 defeat at Borussia Moenchengladbach to increase the pressure on beleaguered coach Viktor Skripnik.
Bayer Leverkusen missed a late penalty in a 2-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt, and Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg finished goalless.
Bayern, missing several key players due to illness and injury, conceded their first goal in a competitive match under coach Carlo Ancelotti but recovered to beat Ingolstadt in the Allianz Arena.
The visitors went in front in the eighth minute in their first attack when Mathew Leckie found room down the left and fed Dario Lezcano who finished past Manuel Neuer in goal.
Bayern levelled five minutes later when Franck Ribery released Robert Lewandowski, who chipped keeper Orjan Nyland for his fifth league goal of the season.
Ribery teed up Xabi Alonso, who struck from 25 metres with a low drive for the second five minutes into the second half.
And French winger Ribery was again the provider when Rafinha drilled a shot in from the edge of the area for the third six minutes from time – a move begun after a challenge won by Jerome Boateng, who had just come on as a substitute for his first appearance following injury at Euro 2016.
«It was a tough match,» Ancelotti said.
«I had to come up with another back four with so many players sidelined. They pressed high up the pitch and played many long balls to use their aerial prowess.
«It was very difficult for us. Sometimes it’s impossible to play beautifully. You have to display other qualities then. The team did just that.»
Bayern have a maximum nine points from three games, going above Leipzig and Cologne, who had moved top on seven points overnight with a 3-0 defeat of Freiburg.
Leipzig pulled level with Cologne on points and goal difference – but are second with more goals scored – thanks to four second-half goals in Hamburg, who languish on just one point near the bottom.
Emil Forsberg converted a 66th-minute penalty and Timo Werner struck twice before a stoppage time fourth from Davie Selkie.
Coach Ralph Hasenhuettl said: «We could have gone behind just before half-time…Compliments to my team but we know it was a very close match.»
Dortmund, without the rested Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mario Goetze, climbed to fourth on six points with a rout of visiting Darmstadt, with two goals from Gonzalo Castro, and one each from Adrian Ramos, Christian Pulisic, Sebastian Rode and Emre Mor.
Darmstadt were down to 10 men after a 57th-minute second yellow card for Peter Niemeyer as Dortmund made it 12 goals in two games after their 6-0 win Wednesday at Legia Warsaw in the Champions League.
Alex Meier and Marco Fabian were on target for Eintracht Frankfurt against Leverkusen. The visitors pulled level through Javier Hernandez, who missed the opportunity for a second equalizer when he struck the post from the penalty spot in the 87th minute.
Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Thorgan Hazard and Raffael scored two each before the break against Bremen.
The visitors improved in the second half and had the consolation of a thunderous volley from new-signing Serge Gnabry in the 73rd minute before a straight red card 10 minutes from time for Aron Johannsson, apparently for dissent.
Bremen midfielder Zlatko Junuzovic told Sky television: «The first half was simply a catastrophe. It was embarrassing. We can be pleased it was only four goals.»
Skripnik said despite the poor start he had no intention of resigning. «We have to look at the positive side of how we reacted in the second half,» he told Sky.
Bremen stay bottom after three successive defeats and now 10 goals conceded in two away games following their 6-0 thrashing by Bayern Munich on the season’s opening day.
Hertha Berlin could join Bayern on nine points if they beat visiting Schalke on Sunday after Augsburg meet Mainz.
