There were six UEFA Champions League hopefuls in domestic action on Friday with the four playing catch-up in their leagues faring better than the two leaders.

FC Bayern München were the lowest scorers in the Bundesliga with eight goals from nine matches ahead of their game at home to SC Freiburg but they rediscovered their clinical edge in a 4-2 success. Martín Demichelis (39) and Mario Gómez (61) gave the hosts a two-goal cushion and they then responded to Stefan Reisinger's reply with further efforts from Anatoliy Tymoshchuk and Toni Kroos. Bayern, who travel to CFR 1907 Cluj on Wednesday, rise to seventh in the table but are still nine points off the pace.

The other chasers are in better shape with SL Benfica four points behind leaders FC Porto after beating FC Paços de Ferreira 2-0, Pablo Aimar and Alan Kardec on target. Second-placed FC Rubin Kazan are now three points adrift in Russia after extending their unbeaten run to 11 matches thanks to Sergei Kornilenko's first goals for the club in the 2-0 victory at PFC Krylya Sovetov Samara. Benfica host Olympique Lyonnais and Rubin face Panathinaikos FC on Tuesday. Sulley Muntari struck in first-half stoppage time for FC Internazioanle Milano - who visit Tottenham Hotspur FC on Tuesday - in a 1-0 win at Genoa CFC that closes them within a point of leaders S.S. Lazio.

The pacesetters in Slovakia and Turkey could not take the maximum haul, however. MŠK Žilina twice led against Dukla Banská Bystrica but had to settle for a 3-3 draw and seven-point buffer while Bursaspor's lead in Turkey is four points after they were held 1-1 by Fenerbahçe SK. Žilina and Bursaspor are eyeing their first group-stage points when they meet Olympique de Marseille and Manchester United FC respectively next week.