Bremen's drubbing boosts Bayern title bid

MUNICH, Germany -- Bayern Munich extended their Bundesliga lead to seven points on Saturday after closest rivals Werder Bremen suffered a crushing 6-3 defeat away to defending champions Stuttgart.

Bayern cruised to a 2-0 win at home to sixth-placed surprise package Karlsruhe with goals in each half from Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni and France star Franck Ribery.

Striker Toni netted the opener four minutes before half-time, and Ribery also scored for the second time in two games on 65 with a fine solo effort as Bayern coasted on the back of the 5-0 midweek UEFA Cup crushing of Anderlecht.

"He was everywhere, he's impressive, a player like that can make the difference all by himself," Karlsruhe captain Maik Franz said of Ribery, who claimed his sixth goal this season.

Germany international forward Mario Gomez netted a hat-trick as Stuttgart climbed to seventh place and completed a miserable week for Bremen, who were without suspended midfielder Diego.

The visitors, beaten 2-0 by Scottish side Rangers in the UEFA Cup, went ahead in the eighth minute through Hugo Almeida but Gomez struck on 20 and 43 to put his side ahead at the break.

Sebastian Boenisch leveled after an hour but two goals inside a minute from Gomez and Cacau gave Stuttgart a cushion before Markus Rosenberg gave the visitors a lifeline on 76.

But Boenisch put through his own net eight minutes later and Cacau grabbed his second on 88 to complete the rout.

Schalke, on a high after qualifying for the Champions League quarter-finals this week, ended a run of three straight league defeats with a 2-0 win at Arminia Bielefeld to go fifth, 12 points adrift of the top.

In Saturday's other games, Eintracht Frankfurt were held 1-1 at home by Bochum, Hansa Rostock drew by the same scoreline away to third-bottom Duisberg and Wolfsburg crushed rock-bottom Energie Cottbus 3-0.

On Sunday, Hamburg can claim second place with victory away to second-bottom Nuremberg, while fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen are at home to mid-table Hanover. E-mail to a friend

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