Makaay scored twice in Bayern victory

Dutch striker Roy Makaay scored the league's first goal of 2006 for Bayern Munich. His team got a 3-1 win over Monchengladbach.

Roy's double helped the club to achieve the 18th victory, and increases the point total to 47 for a nine point lead over Hamburg. Friday's game is the first one of the Bundesliga schedule since returning from the month-long winter break.

However, the Wesley Sonck gave the home fans a glimmer of hope less than 60 seconds after they went two behind. That's when Makaay's second strike of the night ensured Bayern resume their league campaign precisely the way they ended before the winter break.

Roy Makaay has been very criticised in the Germany recently as he struggles through his most barren spell since joining Bayern from Deportivo La Coruna in 2003.

Actually, his place in the starting team was under threat from Paolo Guerrero, but Bayern coach Felix Magath decided to give the Dutchman one more chance to get back to his form, and he did.

In the 13th minute, Makaay picked up Willy Sagnol's cross on the edge of the area and his first touch beyond Gladbach defender Jeff Strasser set up his second touch to stroke the ball past goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

Bayern seemed to be carefully going through the motions, but still Borussia could not get near them.

Marcel Jansen had the home side's best chance of the first half, but his deflected effort was on its way wide even if Oliver Kahn made sure it did not go inside his post with a finger-tip save.

The visitor squad moved up a gear in the second half and Ballack dispatched a 55th-minute free-kick from the edge of the area as Gladbach looked beaten.

But straight from the restart, the home side launched their most threatening attack of the game which culminated in Sonck's strike from close range to reduce the arrears a minute later.

But that goal was nothing more than a false alarm and Bayern were unshaken as substitute Hasan Salihamidzic and Roy Makaay combined for the goal of the night after 69 minutes.

Makaay violently volleyed Salihamidzic's cross past Keller from 18 yards with his weaker left foot to confirm yet another Bayern win.