Bundesliga: Kaiserslautern 0 Bayer Leverkusen 2

Michael Ballack and Sidney Sam scored as Bayer Leverkusen opened week 13 of the Bundesliga with a 2-0 win at Kaiserslautern.

The match started at a frantic pace, with Dorge Kouemaha spurning a great chance for the hosts after three minutes, before Ballack unleashed a fierce shot that Kevin Trapp gathered at the second attempt.

Seconds later, Castro’s pull back found the former Chelsea midfielder on the edge of the box, but the veteran’s strike was blocked en route to Trapp’s net.

Kouemaha squandered his second chance to cap a frenzied opening 10 minutes as he muscled his way through Leverkusen’s defence, but the 28-year-old’s left-footed finish trickled wide.

The pace of the game dropped over the next 35 minutes as both teams looked to sure up their leaky defences, leaving the tie goalless at half-time.

The match needed a spark, and Lars Bender almost provided one shortly after the break, as he forced a spectacular save from Trapp from 30 metres.

The visitors were ahead minutes later when Ballack collected Sam’s ball, before shooting directly at Trapp, who could only parry into his own net.

The goal brought life into the game as Bender unleashed another ferocious strike which Trapp palmed into Castro’s path, but the 24-year-old prodded the ball wide when he should have doubled his side’s lead.

But Robin Dutt’s men killed off any chance of a revival 20 minutes from the end of the game when Lars Bender picked up the ball and fed Sam, who was able to poke past Trapp.