Ribery double helps Bayern close the gap
Franck Ribery scored twice as Bayern Munich ended 2018 by moving into second place in the Bundesliga with a 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
On Niko Kovac's return to his former club, Bayern took the lead midway through the first half when Ribery swept in at the culmination of a slick counter-attack.
Bayern could have been ahead earlier on, had Kevin Trapp not pulled off a superb double save to deny Javi Martinez and Thomas Muller, who later hit the woodwork.
Robert Lewandowski should have wrapped up the win early in the second half, but his blushes were spared when Ribery scuffed in a second, with Rafinha's fortuitous effort adding further gloss to a victory that takes Bayern back to within six points of leader Borussia Dortmund.
Danny da Costa and Luka Jovic both went close as Eintracht started well, but the hosts would have been behind had Trapp not followed up a fantastic save from Martinez's diving header by denying Muller on the rebound.
Trapp was beaten in the 35th minute, though. Muller played in Lewandowski, who squared a wonderful reverse pass into the centre of the box, with Ribery on hand to tuck home.
Lewandowski almost turned provider again on the stroke of half-time, but Muller could only direct his header onto the bar.
Ribery should have had an assist when he teed up Lewandowski, though the striker's first touch let him down, and that profligacy might have proved costly had Jovic connected with Da Costa's cross.
But any lingering hopes of a Frankfurt comeback were ended when Ribery's mishit clipped in off the woodwork, with Rafinha's cross-shot then getting the better of Trapp as Bayern cruised to a fifth successive Bundesliga win.
