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Bayern on the brink of glory as Ribery dazzles

in Bundesliga 27 Apr 2008

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Only a mathematical miracle can stop Bayern Munich being crowned German champions after super sub Franck Ribery scored twice in two minutes against Stuttgart to fire his side 12-points clear at the top of the table.

The 25-year-old French star wasted no time after coming off the bench in the 57th minute in Sunday's game.

He immediately picked up a yellow card, then curled in a dream goal from 35 metres on 75 minutes and followed that up a minute later with a powerful strike to seal a 4-1 win over Stuttgart.

With four games left, a goal difference of 20 and a 12-point gap over nearest rivals Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen, only a disaster will now prevent Bayern winning the Bundesliga having led from the opening weekend.

Bayern took an early lead when the league's top-scorer Luca Toni scored his 21st league goal of the season after a mistake in the Stuttgart defence allowed the Italian World Cup winner to hit the back of the net on eight minutes.

But Stuttgart levelled when midfielder Antonio da Silva scored with a direct free-kick on 19 minutes.

Despite Dutch hardman Mark Van Bommel breaking his nose in Bayern's German Cup final win last weekend, he curled his 55th minute free-kick around VfB Stuttgart's defensive wall to put Bayern 2-1 ahead before Ribery made his entrance.

Bayern are now set to be crowned champions at VfL Wolfsburg next weekend.

The result knocks Stuttgart out of the top five – and a potential place in Europe next season – after Bayer Leverkusen drew 2-2 with VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday to go fourth in the table.

Bayer will be without Germany midfielder Bernd Schneider for the rest of the season after he had surgery last week to repair a slipped disc.

On Saturday, a goal by Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi secured a 1-0 win at Hamburg to put Schalke 04 level on 54 points alongside Werder Bremen – 12 adrift of Bayern.

Bremen shared a 3-3 draw at Karlsruhe after Werder striker Boubacar Sanogo scored a late equaliser to seal the points.

In the mid-table battle Hanover drew 2-2 with Hertha Berlin, while at the foot of the table Nuremberg stay in the bottom three despite their 2-2 draw with fellow relegation contenders Arminia Bielefeld

Energie Cottbus pulled themselves further from the relegation battle with a 2-1 win over Hansa Rostock who drop into the relegation zone.

Duisburg have gone bottom of the table despite their 1-1 draw against VfL Bochum.

On Friday night mid-table sides Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund drew 1-1.

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