Freiburg join Bayern on top with 1-0 home win over Bochum

BERLIN : Freiburg edged visitors VfL Bochum 1-0 in an entertaining encounter on Saturday, with both teams hitting the woodwork twice and the hosts missing a penalty, to provisionally join Bayern Munich on nine points at the top of the Bundesliga.

Bochum are bottom having lost all four games. Bayern host Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday.

Freiburg bagged the winner in the 48th minute with Vincenzo Grifo needing three attempts to score.

Bochum goalkeeper Manuel Riemann saved his penalty, then palmed Grifo's rebound header straight into the path of the Italy international who then tapped in from close range.

The visitors were on the back foot for much of the first half but almost equalised when Gerrit Holtmann cut into the box and curled a left-foot shot against the post in the 65th.

Freiburg will also wonder how they failed to score again in the 72nd, missing another double chance with Michael Gregoritsch seeing his diving header from close range saved by Riemann and his rebound shot bouncing off the post.

In a topsy-turvy second half both keepers were kept busy but Riemann was well beaten when substitute Nils Petersen shot from the edge of the box but again Bochum were saved by the woodwork.

The visitors responded with a chance of their own, hitting the bar with Holtmann's deflected effort in the 85th.