Robben scores in Bundesliga comeback
Arjen Robben picked up the ball on the right flank, cut inside and curled a left-foot shot into the upper corner of the far post.
It was a trademark goal from Robben that sealed Bayern Munich’s 3-0 win over Hertha Berlin and left Carlo Ancelotti’s team with a perfect record and a two-point lead after four matches in the Bundesliga.
“This is the most beautiful moment for me, I’d worked hard for this,” Robben said.
It was the Dutchman’s first goal for six months after a groin injury.
“That was a huge feeling. I had goosebumps,” admitted Robben after his goal.
Robben had been sidelined since March, following adductor and hamstring injuries, but he needed only seven minutes to find the net after coming on.
The Dutchman’s return means his powerful wing pairing with Franck Ribery is back in business.
Ribery opened the scoring, Thiago Alcantara added the second and Robben came off the substitutes’ bench to score in the 72nd minute, to the delight of the home fans in Munich.
Hertha came into the match as the only team with a perfect 3-0 record, alongside Bayern, but it was outclassed, and never threatened to score.
Asked during the break what was the best moment from his team’s point of view, Hertha’s director Michael Preetz replied, “the halftime whistle.”
Hertha was fortunate to concede only one goal in the first half. Ribery toyed with two defenders to slot home from close range in the 16th, rolling a left-footed shot inside the far post. But Thomas Mueller, Robert Lewandowski and Javi Martinez wasted early opportunities.
Ribery was all over the muddy pitch but Bayern could not score again in the first half.
Robben came on in the 65th to loud cheers and only three minutes later Bayern was two goals up. Thiago stole the ball from the careless Allan on the edge of the area and scored easily.
Then Robben struck, curling a left-foot shot into the upper corner at the far post to receive a standing ovation.
The victory saw Bayern regain top spot from Borussia Dortmund, who temporarily claimed first place after its 5-1 drubbing of Wolfsburg on Tuesday, but dropped to third.
Cologne is a surprise second after its 3-1 win at Schalke 04, who remains second from bottom after four straight defeats to increase the pressure on new coach Markus Weinzierl.
Second-half goals by Anthony Modeste and Simon Zoller for the visitors sealed Cologne’s victory after Japan’s Yuya Osaka’s first half strike had canceled out Klaas-Jan Huntelaar’s early goal for Schalke.
“We lost a game which we shouldn’t have lost and you could see the side was under pressure,” admitted Weinzierl.