Robert Lewandowski scored twice and Arjen Robben was sent off as Bayern Munich’s winless streak came to an end with a 3-1 Bundesliga victory over Wolfsburg at the Volkswagen Arena.
Lewandowski opened the scoring on the half-hour mark with a slotted finish before doubling Bayern’s lead three minutes after the break, taking advantage of a mistake by William.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 57th minute when Robben was shown a second yellow card, and six minutes later Wolfsburg pulled a goal back through Wout Weghorst.
Bayern nerves then eased in the 72nd minute as James Rodgriguez, set up by Lewandowski, struck home.
The champions went into the match having failed to win any of their previous four games in all competitions, and lying seventh in the table.
Boss Niko Kovac and his players had come under heavy criticism in the German media.
And that had led to senior officials Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Uli Hoeness and Hasan Salihamidzic condemning the media for their coverage of the club in a press conference on the eve of the contest.
The opening stages of the game saw Bayern applying pressure, with Wolfsburg goalkeeper Koen Casteels thwarting Serge Gnabry, claiming a header from Lewandowski, beating away a James free-kick and dealing with Joshua Kimmich’s shot.
Casteels then produced a fine double save in the 25th minute as he parried firm Robben shot and kept out the looping follow-up effort by Lewandowski.
He would soon be beaten, though, with Lewandowski latching on to a through-ball from Mats Hummels that Thiago Alcantara let run through his legs and sending a shot under the goalkeeper and in.
Casteels saved a James effort moments later, before Robben collected his first yellow card in the 44th minute, having been deemed guilty of simulation.
Lewandowski got on the scoresheet again early in the second half as he made the most of a misjudged header in the Wolfsburg box by William, knocking the ball past Casteels and stroking it into the net.
Robben was subsequently dismissed after catching Elvis Rexhbecaj on the ankle, and things got more worrying for Bayern soon after as Weghorst fired in from close range having been teed up by substitute Admir Mehmedi’s cross.
A two-goal advantage was then regained when Lewandowski fed James, who cracked the ball past Casteels.
Lewandowski was denied a hat-trick by another Casteels save, before Yannick Gerhardt and Weghorst made unsuccessful attempts on the Manuel Neuer’s goal.
