Story highlights
French international Franck Ribery scores twice as Bayern Munich defeat Schalke 2-0
Robert Lewandowski also hits a double as Borussia Dortmund beat Hanover 3-1
The results mean Dortmund remain four points clear of Bayern at top of Bundesliga
Inter defeat puts pressure on Claudio Ranieri in Italy
French international Franck Ribery scored both goals for Bayern Munich in their 2-0 win over Schalke, on Sunday, but the Bavarian giants remain four points behind Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund, who defeated Hanover 3-1.
Ribery, who was angry to be substituted in Bayern’s Champions League defeat by Basel in midweek, opened the scoring with a superb 36th-minute individual goal, deftly flicking the ball away from keeper Timo Hildebrand before rolling the ball into an empty net.
And he sealed the points for the home side 10 minutes after the break, slotting the ball home after a one-two with Bayern teammate Thomas Muller.
But, despite the victory, champions Dortmund are still the side in pole position in the German title race after they saw off Hanover in front of a remarkable crowd of over 80,000 supporters.
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski was their match-winner, with a double strike of his own to give Dortmund a seventh straight win and sixth in the Bundesliga.
The 23-year-old opened the scoring in the 27th minute and doubled his tally early in the second half from close range after being set up by compatriot Jakub Blaszczykowski.
A superb long-range strike from Ivory Coast striker Didier Ya Konan, who spotted Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller well off his line, gave the visitors some hope.
But subsitute Ivan Perisic secured the points for Dortmund with a decisive third goal in injury time.
Meanwhile, in Italy’s Serie A, in-form Napoli beat Inter Milan 1-0 to pile the pressure on Nerazzurri coach Claudio Ranieri after a seventh defeat in eight matches.
Ezequiel Lavezzi’s second-half strike settled the match at the San Paolo to lift Napoli to 40 points and fifth place while Inter remain in seventh on 36 points.
Napoli, who beat Chelsea in midweek in the Champions League, could even play the last 12 minutes with 10 men after Salvatore Aronica’s sending off.
Ranieri told Italian television after the defeat that his future was in doubt.
“I don’t know what the president (Massimo Moratti) will do now. This is a question for him. I would say Ranieri should continue. I still believe in these players,” he said.
