Bundesliga Roundup, Aug. 11
Associated Press, Updated 1 hour ago STORY TOOLS:
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BERLIN (AP) - Miroslav Klose scored two goals and set up the third for a rebuilt Bayern Munich to start its Bundesliga season Saturday with a convincing 3-0 win against Hansa Rostock.
Bayern, the title favorite, started at a furious pace in steady rain and was rewarded in the 14th minute when Luca Toni scored from close range after a pass from Klose.
Klose scored in the 66th after a mistake by Rostock goalkeeper Stefan Waechter, and he also got the third goal with a powerful header in the 85th after outjumping three Rostock defenders. It was his 99th goal in Germany's top division.
Bayern lined up five new players after a Bundesliga record spending spree of €70 million (US$96.7 million) on new players.
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"I'm relieved at the win, the expectations are huge," Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said of his team. "We weren't really challenged. That will happen next week against (Werder) Bremen. There will be some hate in that game."
Bremen lost a bitter fight to keep Klose, the World Cup's top scorer. The Germany forward was one of Bayern's most expensive new players behind Toni and France's World Cup star Franck Ribery.
Newly promoted Rostock has a season budget equal to the €25 million (US$34 million) transfer fee spent on Toni and the lack of money led the club to scout Germany's third division to sign low-cost players.
"Toni really stirs things up in the area. That gives Klose more room to show his skills," Hitzfeld said.
Bremen, another title hopeful, gave up two goals in less than two minutes against VfL Bochum to settle for a 2-2 draw in a fast crowd-pleasing match.
Bremen scored after Diego converted a penalty kick in the 39th and newcomer Boubacar Sanogo, chosen to try and fill the void left by Klose, also scored in the 45th. Bochum leveled with goals by Stanislav Sestak in the 47th and Tommy Bechmann two minutes later.
Bremen has nine injured players heading into Wednesday's Champions League qualification match against Dynamo Zagreb and Saturday at home against Bayern.
"We will have to see who we will have on the field," Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said. "Against Bayern, we have to win at home. They have a very good team."
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Arminia Bielefeld spoiled former Bayern coach Felix Magath's debut for VfL Wolfsburg with a 3-1 win.
Magath demanded a free hand to rebuild the club and reshuffled the roster with a lot of young German talent, but the club looked confused on the pitch.
"Bielefeld was more confident from the start and we were nervous and never got over it," Magath said. "I think it's because there has been so much upheaval in the team, with so many new players and the preparation time is so short."
Artur Wichniarek scored in the 38th for Bielefeld, Christian Eigler in the 51st and Oliver Kirch in the 80th. Wolfsburg's Sergiu Radus scored a consolation goal four minutes later.
In other games, it was: Leverkusen 0, Cottbus 0; Hannover 96 0, Hamburg 1; and Frankfurt 1, Hertha Berlin 0.
On Friday, defending champion Stuttgart drew 2-2 against Schalke.