BERLIN, Oct 29 (Reuters) – Franck Ribery struck again to give Bayern Munich a 2-1 comeback win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday while Hoffenheim returned to the top of the Bundesliga with a 3-1 victory at VfL Bochum.

Bayern started casually and fell behind early in the second half through a Martin Demichelis own goal.

Miroslav Klose equalised and Ribery, who scored his first goal of an injury-hit season to lead another rallying 4-2 win over VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday, sealed Bayern’s victory with 20 minutes to go when he netted from the edge of the area.

Hoffenheim’s comeback was even better, digging themselves out of trouble with three goals in a seven-minute burst in the second half.

Bochum took the lead in the third minute and it was hard going for the Bundesliga newcomers before Demba Ba put them level just past the hour.

Vedad Ibisevic converted a penalty to take his goal tally for the season to 11 and Brazilian midfielder Carlos Eduardo made certain of the win with a deft finish a minute later.

Hoffenheim lead on 22 points from 10 games followed by Bayer Leverkusen on 21 after a 2-0 win at Werder Bremen on Tuesday.…

The president of the German Football Association has questioned the motives behind Michael Ballack’s apology to national coach Joachim Low.

The Chelsea midfielder released a statement on Saturday in which he admitted criticising Low’s treatment of Torsten Frings and Kevin Kuranyi in a recent interview had been a mistake.

The Chelsea man also signalled his intention to say sorry to Low in person when he had recovered from a foot operation and was fit to travel to Germany.

But DFB chief Theo Zwanziger fears Ballack’s actions could be just a ploy to avoid being stripped of the captaincy.

“The apology has taken the edge off the conflict. And at least it has now been clarified that the mistake clearly lay with our captain,” Zwanziger told the online version of Die Welt newspaper.

“Now we certainly have to face the question: How reasonable is Michael Ballack? Is the apology only tactics or is it really meant honestly?”

Low last week summoned Ballack for one-to-one talks after being “disappointed” at comments the made in a newspaper interview.

Ballack had suggested to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Low had been disrespectful in his recent treatment of Frings and Kuranyi.

Low was incensed his …

BERLIN, Oct 28 (Reuters) – Bayer Leverkusen struck twice in the last 20 minutes to beat struggling Werder Bremen 2-0 on Tuesday and move back on top of the Bundesliga, at least for 24 hours.

Leverkusen always looked the likelier team to break the deadlock at the Weserstadion and they managed it when Arturo Vidal pounced on a weak punch from the keeper. Defender Manuel Friedrich then scored another scrappy goal to make certain.

With 10 games played, Leverkusen lead the standings with 21 points. Hoffenheim drop to second on 19 but will regain first place if they win away to Bochum on Wednesday.

Schalke 04 climbed to third with 17 points when they enjoyed a leisurely 3-0 win away to Karlsruhe.

Bayern Munich, who are seventh on 15 points, visit Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.

Werder, runners-up to Bayern, last season, have now gone four league games without a win and lie in 10th place with 13 points from 10 games.

They lacked spark in attack once again on Tuesday, with Brazilian playmaker Diego and Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro both missing through injury.

They were at least defending comfortably enough, however, until a mistake from reserve keeper Christian Vander, playing …

Germany coach Joachim Löw has reiterated his desire to speak to Chelsea’s Michael Ballack, but insists he will not be flying to London to meet him.

Löw summoned the Germany captain for a one-to-one talk after being criticised by the Blues midfielder in a newspaper interview last week.

Ballack’s club blocked him from flying to Germany as a precautionary measure after the former Bayern Munich man underwent foot surgery recently, but Löw feels it was the player’s duty and not that of his club to rule out a meeting.

“I told him quite clearly that I would have expected him to tell me that personally,” Löw told Monday’s Bild newspaper.

Instead, he learned that Ballack would not be coming to see him when a fax arrived at the German Football Association headquarters last Friday.

Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari had earlier invited Löw to London to speak with his player, but Löw would not consider that.

“Even if other people see things differently, I would never have flown to London,” added Löw.

“That has always been my stance from the beginning and I am sticking by it.”

Löw will now wait for Ballack to be given the all-clear to fly …

BERLIN, Oct 27 (Reuters) – The results have yet to come, but Werder Bremen believe their form is returning just in time for Tuesday’s clash with second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, the first of three home games that could define their season.

Bayern Munich’s poor start to the season overshadowed Werder’s own problems this term but now Juergen Klinsmann’s side are finally getting their act together last season’s runners-up are in danger of getting left behind.

Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Hanover 96 left Werder in 10th place with just 13 points from nine games, and without a Bundesliga victory in a month.

After taking on Leverkusen on Tuesday they host sixth-placed Hertha Berlin on Saturday followed by a Champions League game against Panathinaikos.

Win all three and they will be back in the title race and with a good chance of qualifying for the knockout phase of the Champions League.

“We couldn’t beat Hanover but it was a step forward all the same,” coach Thomas Schaaf told reporters. “The performance was fine. We were certainly a lot more secure than we have been of late.”

Defence has been Werder’s problem this term, with the team having conceded 20 goals already.

That statistic …

BERLIN, Oct 26 (Reuters) – Hoffenheim maintained their glorious start to life in the Bundesliga when they reclaimed top spot with a ruthless 3-0 win at home to Hamburg SV on Sunday.

Nigerian striker Chinedu Obasi scored twice and Bosnian Vedad Ibisevic took his tally for the season to 10 as the village team with deep pockets secured probably the best win of their debut season in the top flight.

After nine games, Hoffenheim lead the standings with 19 points, one ahead of Bayer Leverkusen after they won 2-0 at home to Cologne on Friday.

Hamburg slip to third on 17 points, one ahead of VfB Stuttgart after two late goals from Mario Gomez gave them a 2-0 win at home to Bochum on Sunday.

Bayern Munich are in fifth place on 15 points after Juergen Klinsmann’s side continued their recovery by coming from two goals down to win 4-2 at home to VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday.

Hoffenheim enjoy the backing of multi-millionaire software pioneer Dietmar Hopp and they have clearly used the money wisely during their steady rise to fame.

Coach Ralf Rangnick, formerly of Schalke 04, has encouraged his team to play in a fearless style and their …

BERLIN, Oct 26 (Reuters) – Germany captain Michael Ballack plans to apologise to coach Joachim Löw in person in a move that should help to cool their public row.

“I will sit down with Joachim Löw, as soon as my injury permits, and apologise for my behaviour to him,” Ballack was quoted as saying in a statement released by the German Football Association (DFB) on Sunday.

Ballack’s position as captain came under threat when Löw reacted furiously to a newspaper interview in which the Chelsea midfielder suggested senior players were not being treated with enough respect.

Plans for a meeting between the two men were scuppered on Friday when Chelsea said he could not travel because of his foot injury but the DFB said on Sunday that Ballack had telephoned Löw again on Saturday evening.

“I told Jogi Löw that it was never my intention to criticise the work he is doing as national team coach,” Ballack was quoted as saying. “I just wanted to show support for my fellow players.

“I admire Jogi Löw as a player and a professional very much.”

Löw told the DFB he would wait for the meeting to take place before making any comment.…

BERLIN, Oct 23 (Reuters) – Bayern Munich’s recovery is unlikely to survive the visit of a familiar foe on Saturday unless they heed the words of captain Mark van Bommel.

Juergen Klinsmann’s side are back within five points of the leaders as they prepare to face a VfL Wolfsburg side coached by former Bayern boss Felix Magath (kickoff 1330 GMT).

It is the sort of match they should be relishing after 3-0 win at home to Fiorentina in the Champions League but Van Bommel knows Tuesday’s scoreline masked an uncomfortable truth.

While the Bavarians had arguably their best game of the season in attacking terms, they left huge gaps in defence and better finishing from Fiorentina, who had a total of 23 shots, could have made it a different story.

“We were very lucky not to concede at least one goal against Fiorentina,” Van Bommel told reporters after the match.

“There’s a lot we have to improve on.”

Bayern will be hit by the absence of defender Philipp Lahm, after he suffered an ankle injury against the Italians. Christian Lell is likely to step in.

Otherwise the injury situation is looking good and coach Juergen Klinsmann believes the club are …