Werder Bremen thumped Bayer Leverkusen 5-2 on Saturday to move level on points with tiring leaders Bayern Munich at the halfway stage of the season.

Bayern did just enough to hold on to top spot, and claim the honorary title of 'winter champions', with a goalless draw away to Hertha Berlin.

They now lead Werder only by goal difference, though, after Thomas Schaaf's side recovered from their Champions League exit in midweek by clinching a great comeback win.

The highlights for the crowd were two goals from Ivan Klasnic, the Croatian striker who recently returned after two kidney transplant operations this year.

The results put both Bayern and Werder on 36 points from 17 matches, four ahead of third-placed Hamburg SV, after they needed a last-gasp equaliser from Ivica Olic to grab a 1-1 draw away to Karlsruhe.

Leverkusen stay fourth on 30 points, with Schalke 04 up to fifth a point further back after they won 2-1 at home to Nuremberg.

After Sunday's remaining two matches, the Bundesliga takes a break until Feb. 1, by which time Bayern will hope to have recovered their sharpness.

BAYERN HELD

This was their second successive goalless draw and once again they looked short of ideas.

Luca Toni was missing through injury but Ottmar Hitzfeld could still call on Germany strikers Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose and French playmaker Franck Ribery and the coach will be concerned at how poorly his side looked going forward.

Werder had no such problems up front, although they did take a while to get going.

Bayer Leverkusen had arrived at the Weserstadion on a five-match winning run in the Bundesliga and they looked likely to extend their record as Tranquillo Barnetta gave them the lead in the sixth minute.

Klasnic, making only his third appearance since recovering from his two operations, struck the equaliser after half an hour and Diego put Werder ahead at the start of the second half.

That opened the floodgates and the home side surged 5-1 clear before Stefan Kiessling got a consolation 14 minutes from time.

Werder Bremen jumped to the top of the Bundesliga table ahead of Bayern Munich on Saturday with a 2-1 home victory over Hamburg SV, capping a fine week after their 3-2 win against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Ivory Coast striker Boubacar Sanogo put Werder in front in the 15th minute on a soggy pitch, taking a through ball from Croatia midfielder Jurica Vranjes on the left and beating Hamburg goalkeeper Frank Rost with a crisp shot to the far post.

Hamburg got the equaliser against the run of play just past the hour when Rafael van der Vaart capitalised on a blunder from keeper Christian Vander. His attempt to clear went straight to the Dutch midfielder, who lobbed a shot back over Vander's head.

Werder got back in front three minutes later through a Rost error.

Finland defender Petri Pasanen had tried to send in a cross from the right but Hamburg defender Vincent Kompany got a leg to it, deflecting it high before it tucked into the near corner.

Werder now lead for the first time this season with 33 points. Bayern, who play on Sunday at Arminia Bielefeld, are second on 31 points and Hamburg third on 30.

'We wanted the win and we're obviously very pleased,' said Werder coach Thomas Schaaf. 'It was a difficult week and a difficult match. But we did it. We didn't let up at all today, even after conceding the equaliser. It was a great performance.'

Both Werder and Hamburg were unbeaten in their last nine league matches with seven wins and two draws for 23 points. It was also the 87th north German derby. Werder now have 28 wins to Hamburg's 27 with 32 draws.

'I don't know if they were the better team, but they were certainly fresher,' said Hamburg coach Huub Stevens, who said he was not happy his team had to play two days after their 3-0 UEFA Cup win on Thursday over Stade Rennes.

Werder had an extra day of rest after their victory over Real Madrid.

'It's unfortunate that such a match that could be so decisive for the championship had to be played under such conditions. You obviously aren't going to get as much out of your body just 42 hours after the last match.'

Van der Vaart, who now has nine goals and pulled even with Bayern Munich strikers Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni at the top of the goal scoring table, said there could be no excuses.

'They were better in the first half and that's when they won it,' he said. 'We played on Thursday but that's no excuse. There's no shame in losing in Bremen. We'll bounce back.'

Bulgaria defender Stanislav Angelov scored two late goals to lead Energie Cottbus to only their second win in 15 matches against Karlsruhe, and off the bottom of the table in front of MSV Duisburg, at least until Sunday.

Bayer Leverkusen won their fourth in a row to move up to fourth place, beating Hertha Berlin. Carsten Ramelow scored from long-range, Tranquillo Barnetta tapped in a deflected free kick and Sergej Ramelow scored for the visitors.

Germany midfielder Bernd Schneider, who was out for 10 weeks with injury, made his comeback for Leverkusen, playing the final 20 minutes. It was Hertha's third loss in the last four matches.

SCHALKE 04 1 VFL BOCHUM 0 Schalke captain Marcelo Bordon headed in a corner from Ivan Rakitic in the 32nd minute for their third successive win, earning Schalke revenge in the derby after Bochum beat them 2-1 on April 27 costing Schalke the championship last season.

But Schalke faced jeers from the home crowd after the final whistle for the modest effort that followed a 0-0 Champions League draw against 10-man Valencia on Wednesday.

Vfb Stuttgart's four-match league winning streak ended. The win also ended a six-match winless string for Borussia Dortmund and should help coach Thomas Doll keep his job for now.

Croatia's Mladen Petric scored the winner 11 minutes from time, his seventh goal of the season. Nelson Valdez had put Dortmund in front in the 11th minute before Portugal's Fernando Meira headed in the equaliser in the 35th minute.

Vfl Wolfsburg led twice on goals from Christian Gentner and Edin Dzeko against Eintracht Frankfurt but extended their winless run to four matches.

Chris got the first equaliser on a Simon Jentzsch blunder, prompting coach Felix Magath to replace his goalkeeper at halftime with Andre Lenz. Michael Fink got the second equaliser four minutes after Wolfsburg went in front.

France midfielder Franck Ribery set up one goal and scored the other to lead Bayern Munich to a 2-1 home win over VfL Wolfsburg and their former Bayern coach Felix Magath in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Ribery's dazzling performance helped Bayern recover from their first loss of the season in all competitions, a 3-1 defeat at VfB Stuttgart last time out and maintain their one-point lead over Werder Bremen, who won 2-0 at Energie Cottbus.

Germany striker Miroslav Klose got his ninth league goal of the season before a sell-out crowd of 69,000 at the Allianz Arena steering home a Ribery cross in the 35th minute.

Ribery had beaten three Wolfsburg defenders before lofting the ball over to Klose, who pulled level with team mate Luca Toni as the Bundesliga's leading scorer.

Ribery, the key to Bayern's strong start this season, then scored his third goal since moving to Munich in the close season in the 50th minute, beating keeper Simon Jentzsch at the end of a break he had engineered with Hamit Altintop.

Wolfsburg, whose coach Magath was sacked by Bayern in January despite winning four titles in 2-1/2 years, got one back 19 minutes from time. Ashkan Dejagah fired a superb Christian Gentner cross into the top right corner.

'I'm pleased with the fine performance even though we had a bit of the jitters at the end,' Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld told German radio. 'We played well for 80 minutes.

'It was a hard fought win, which in my view is better than winning easily. It's helped us out of our mini-crisis.' Bayern had two draws and a loss in their last three league matches.

'I'm content with the way things went on my return to Munich,' said Magath.

'It was an experience for me to stand on the sideline. I was relishing it for the first half hour because I had the feeling we weren't getting into trouble. But we made a mistake and gave them the lead. We didn't find our way until we were down 2-0.'

Bayern were in control until just before Dejagah's goal. They looked like the Bayern of the first third of the season when they dominated the league with Ribery leading the charge.

But Wolfburg's Brazilian playmaker Marcelinho first shook up the Bayern defence, sorely missing suspended Brazil defender Lucio, with two long-range shots that Bayern keeper Oliver Kahn struggled to stop.

Bayern seemed to lose their way after giving up the goal and were lucky to come away with the win.

'We showed nerves after Wolfsburg's goal,' said Hitzfeld.

Hitzfeld complained about the many squandered chances. Italy striker Toni's header 19 seconds into the match just missed before Klose, Ribery and Mark van Bommel also wasted their chances in the first half hour.

'We were wasteful and should have been further ahead,' he said. 'But I think we gave the spectators a good show.'

Third placed Hamburg SV play on Sunday against Hansa Rostock. Schalke 04, in sixth, won a 3-2 thriller at Hanover 96 while champions VfB Stuttgart, in seventh, won their fifth successive league match, a 4-1 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Beyer Leverkusen beat MSV Duisburg 4-1 at home, while VfL Bochum won 3-0 against Arminia Bielefeld.

Germany and Wales played out a goalless draw in their final Euro 2008 qualifier on Wednesday. Germany, long since assured of qualifying for the finals along with Group D winners Czech Republic, created a handful of good chances in the first half but the match petered out after the break.

Wales, with nothing riding on the game, competed well enough but rarely threatened Jens Lehmann's goal. The closest they came was in the 35th minute when Carl Fletcher flashed a shot wide from outside the area. Germany had already wasted the game's best opportunities by that stage.

Lukas Podolski cracked over a shot from a good position in the 10th minute, Tim Borowski hit a post soon afterwards and Mario Gomez planted a header wide from close range after Philipp Lahm had picked him out with a cross from the left.

Champions VfB Stuttgart handed Bayern Munich their first defeat of the season on Saturday, beating the Bundesliga leaders 3-1.

Germany striker Mario Gomez scored in the 10th and 42nd minutes and Turkey midfielder Yildiray Basturk grabbed his first goal for the club in the 30th as Stuttgart raced 3-0 up at halftime.

Bayern, playing less than 48 hours after their 2-2 UEFA Cup draw with Bolton Wanderers, had conceded only four goals in their 12 previous league matches.

Italy striker Luca Toni pulled one back for the visitors with four minutes to go, tapping in his ninth league goal of the season.

Stuttgart's second win in a row lifted them from 11th to eighth in the table.

To add to Bayern's woes, Brazil defender Lucio was sent off with 20 minutes to go for elbowing Swiss Ludovic Magnin.

Bayern, who had been unbeaten in all competitions this season, are still top of the table on 28 points, one in front of Werder Bremen who crushed Karlsruhe 4-0 with two goals by Brazil midfielder Diego and one apiece from Hugo Almeida and Naldo.

Hamburg SV slipped to third, also on 27 points, after a 1-1 draw at Schalke 04.

Stuttgart also beat Bayern 2-0 in April on the way to securing the championship.

'We were poorly organised defensively,' said Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who took sharp criticism from club president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for his tactics in Thursday's draw.

'We got off to a poor start,' Hitzfeld told Premiere Television. 'It's difficult to win at Stuttgart when you play like that.

'We were asleep in the first quarter of an hour. I don't understand what happened.'

Stuttgart lost 4-2 to Olympique Lyon on Wednesday, leaving them without a point from four Champions League matches.

'We wanted to be aggressive from the start, otherwise you don't have a chance against Bayern,' said coach Armin Veh. 'We played well in the first half.

'I think we've stablised now. We've got enough quality but we need everyone to be fit.'

Germany coach Joachim Loew has called up newcomers Jermaine Jones and Serdar Tasci to his 24-man squad for their final two Euro 2008 qualifiers.

Germany, who have already qualified for next year's finals, host Cyprus in Hanover on Nov. 17 and Wales in Frankfurt on Nov. 21 in Group D.

Loew also recalled two key players returning from injury, Bayern Munich defender Philipp Lahm and Werder Bremen midfielder Tim Borowski.

Also back after long absences are striker Oliver Neuville of second division side Borussia Moenchengladbach and Hanover 96 striker Mike Hanke.

Loew will be without injured midfielders Torsten Frings, Bernd Schneider, Michael Ballack and David Odonkor as well as striker Kevin Kuranyi.

Germany and the Czech Republic have already secured the two qualifying spots from the group. Both have 23 points from 10 matches.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Robert Enke (Hanover 96), Timo Hildebrand (Valencia), Jens Lehmann (Arsenal)

Defenders: Gonzalo Castro (Bayer Leverkusen), Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Manuel Friedrich (Bayer Leverkusen), Marcell Jansen (Bayern Munich), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid), Serdar Tasci (VfB Stuttgart)

Midfielders: Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen), Clemens Fritz (Werder Bremen), Roberto Hilbert (VfB Stuttgart), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg SV)

Forwards: Mario Gomez (VfB Stuttgart), Mike Hanke (Hanover 96), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Oliver Neuville (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Lukas Podolski (Bayern Munich)

Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld has hit back at club president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for publicly questioning his decisions in Thursday's 2-2 home draw against Bolton Wanderers in the UEFA Cup.

Rummenigge had criticised Hitzfeld for replacing key players such as Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger for the final half hour with Bayern leading 2-1.

Hitzfeld explained on Friday that he wanted to rest the pair ahead of a Bundesliga match at VfB Stuttgart on Saturday.

'I hope I know the basic maths of football and I try to apply that,' said Hitzfeld, who studied mathematics at university.

'I'm really annoyed,' Rummenigge had told journalists after the draw.

'It would have been very easy to win this one and advance. The spectators have a right to see the best team play. Football is not mathematics. You can't calculate everything.'

Hitzfeld said he did not want to directly comment on Rummenigge's remarks.

'I believe that I found the right mixture so that we can win in Stuttgart,' he said, adding he wanted to rotate some of the players to prevent injuries.

'It was a reasonable decision. We need to get back on track at Stuttgart after two league draws.'

Hitzfeld also said he was not worried about Rummenigge's attack.

'I'm used to stormy weather,' he said. 'You shouldn't let yourself be influenced by such petty issues.'

Bolton turned back the clock with a marvellous display of grit and determination to rock the unbeaten Bundesliga leaders in the UEFA Cup.

Without the likes of Nicolas Anelka, El-Hadji Diouf and Ivan Campo, it was expected to be a walk in the park for Bayern. Instead Bolton under new manager Gary Megson claimed a point with the kind of work ethic which was the trademark of former boss Sam Allardyce. Kevin Davies secured a point with his first goal of the season with eight minutes remaining to stun the home crowd.

A brace from Lukas Podolski had put Bayern in the driving seat after Ricardo Gardner had made the breakthrough.

Former Leicester boss Megson will surely take a number of positives from this performance not least of all goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi's display. The Oman shot-stopper in only his second appearance for the club made a string of superb saves. Bolton also showed a never-say-die attitude after taking the lead in the eighth minute following a long throw from Kevin Nolan. Danny Guthrie chipped it forward and the ball eventually broke to Gardner. The Jamaican's effort went in off the bar after taking a deflection. Gardner last found the target in the victory against Newcastle on Boxing Day 2002.

Bayern, however, should have equalised in the 18th minute when Andreas Otti was in a good position in front of goal. However he spooned his effort over the bar. Davies should have extended Bolton's lead in the 29th minute. He latched on to a clever through ball from Gavin McCann then turned Lucio but sent his effort narrowly wide of the post.

Bayern drew level a minute later with a stunning goal. Podolski rifled a shot into the corner after Ribery had pulled the ball back. The concern for Bolton at this stage of the game was trying to keep Ribery quiet. The quick and clever Frenchman tested Al Habsi in the 37th minute with a low drive and the goalkeeper reacted quickly. Al Habsi then did well to block a shot from Mark van Bommell after it took a deflection in the 42nd minute. Bolton's goalkeeper was being forced to work overtime and a minute later made a superb block from Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Nolan cut inside after 48 minutes only to see his effort go narrowly over the top but Bayern's response was instant and emphatic. They took the lead a minute later when Ribery cut the ball back and Podolski scored his second goal of the game from close range. It was another clinical finish and Bolton were being stretched at the back such was the pace of the Bayern attack.

Al Habsi produced a stunning save in the 60th minute by turning over Ribery's close range effort. Al Habsi then needed treatment after turning a shot from Schweinsteiger over the bar with Bayern running the show at this stage.

Bolton drew level and claimed a point through Davies after great work from Kevin Nolan. The club captain hooked the ball over Lucio and Christian Lell to find Davies at the back post and he drilled a shot past Kahn. It was no more than Bolton deserved for the spirit they showed and the players got a standing ovation from their 4,000 fans when they came out for their warmdown.

Gary Megson praised his 'exceptional' Bolton side after a famous draw against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup. Stripped of key players like Nicolas Anelka, El-Hadji Diouf and Ivan Campo, they secured a point thanks to Kevin Davies' first goal of the season eight minutes from time.Bolton were also grateful to goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi who made a string of superb saves in only his second appearance for the club.

They have have two points on the board following the draw against Braga with games against Aris Salonika and Red Star Belgrade to come. Former Leicester boss Megson said: 'We kept going. The attitude and application of the players was exceptional. 'When you come to a place like this teams can be beaten before they start. But we began brightly and got that goal from Ricardo, which was just what we wanted. It was a big night for us. The talent and quality of this Bayern team was there for all to see. Slowly but surely they came into the came into the game and (Franck) Ribery is as good a player as I have every seen. He is a fantastic talent. We were without 12 players so those who came in deserve every credit. We had one or two were playing out of position but we will take a lot of confidence from this result.'

Megson added: 'It was a great finish but you have to give Nolan credit for the work he put in to make the chance happen. He has been magnificent for me from day one and is a top class professional.'

Bayern Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge could not work out how his side had thrown away the chance to maintain their 100% Group F record. 'I am furious,' said Rummenigge. This is a game which was there to be won. Had we won, we would have qualified for the next round - and I have to ask why we did not. There were 66,000 fans here who have the right to see the best team playing. But we have taken two world-class players off - and I am not happy.'

Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld defended his decision to rest Podolski, who was enjoying his best performance of the season. I took him off because he will be playing against Stuttgart (in the Bundesliga this weekend),' he said. 'It looked like we were in control - but then we were careless and lacked concentration, conceding an unnecessary goal from a throw-in. We have unnecessarily lost two points, but I remain confident that we can finish top of the group.'

Wasteful Bayern Munich had their Bundesliga lead cut to two points on Saturday when they were held to a goalless draw at home to Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburg SV beat Hertha Berlin 2-1.

Bayern created 38 chances according to stats from Premiere TV but strikers Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni had a rare off-day and when they did hit the target they found goalkeeper Oka Nikolov in inspired form.

Hamburg made them pay as they stretched their unbeaten run to seven league matches with a scrappy win at home to Hertha.

Paolo Guerrero put them ahead in the fourth minute but Patrick Ebert equalised and Hamburg looked like being frustrated before Bastian Reinhardt sealed victory with a late header.

With 12 games played, unbeaten Bayern lead the standings with 28 points.

Hamburg are second on 26, while Werder Bremen are third on 24 after a 1-0 win at home to Hansa Rostock.

Schalke 04, surprisingly beaten 1-0 by bottom club Energie Cottbus on Friday, slip to seventh place with 18 points.

Bayern will wonder how they let Frankfurt off the hook in a ludicrously one-sided game at the Allianz Arena.

Oliver Kahn, back from an elbow injury, did not have a shot to save, while his opposite number Nikolov was rarely out of the action.

Luca Toni forced the keeper to tip the ball over with an early header and the Italian continued to miss chances at an incredible rate.

As Toni and Klose struggled, midfielders Ze Roberto, Mark van Bommel and Franck Ribery started coming forward more often but the result was always the same, with shots either going a fraction wide or bringing fine saves from Nikolov.

It was a second successive goalless draw for Bayern, who had led by six points before last weekend's matches.

'It's always the way when you don't take your first chance - the opposition get more confident,' Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld told reporters.

'We played very well but we just could not take advantage.'

Second division Carl Zeiss Jena knocked holders Nuremberg out of the German Cup on penalties in the second round on Wednesday.

Nuremberg, who are struggling this season in the Bundesliga, led in normal time and again during extra-time but could not finish off a Jena team that eventually came through 5-4 in the shoot-out.

Favourites Bayern Munich came safely through with a 3-1 win at home to second division leaders Borussia Moenchengladbach, thanks to two goals from Italian striker Luca Toni and one from Miroslav Klose.

The 13-times Cup winners were joined in the last 16 by Hamburg SV, who won 3-1 against Freiburg, and league champions VfB Stuttgart, who came through 3-2 in extra-time against second division SC Paderborn thanks to a late goal from Mario Gomez.

Werder Bremen hammered Duisburg 4-0 with goals from Tim Borowski, Hugo Almeida, Markus Rosenberg and Colombian teenager John Jairo Mosquera, all in the second half.

Borussia Dortmund came through another all-Bundesliga clash 2-1 against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bayern took time to get going against awkward Moenchengladbach, who look set for a return to the Bundesliga following the relegation at the end of last season.

Gladbach had the better chances in the first half only for the Bavarians to sneak into a lead just after the break when Toni took advantage of a mistake from the keeper to head into an empty net at the far post.

Toni added his second with a great shot from outside the area in the 57th minute.

Marcel Ndjeng cracked a shot past Michael Rensing to give Gladbach hope with 20 minutes to go before Klose put the result beyond doubt seven minutes from time.

Bayern Munich had to settle for a goalless draw away to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, leaving the door open for Hamburg SV to cut their lead to four points with a 1-0 win away to Duisburg.

Bayern struck the bar twice in the first half but were well below their best and had to be content with extending the last remaining unbeaten record in the league.

Hamburg SV took advantage as a Vincent Kompany goal eight minutes before the end of the first half proved enough to give them victory over Duisburg.

With 11 games played, Bayern lead the standings with 27 points, with Hamburg moving up to second on 23.

Werder Bremen, who drew 1-1 away to Schalke 04 on Saturday, are third on 21, with Karlsruhe fourth on 20 and Schalke fifth on 18.

The German Football Association (DFB) has extended the contracts of national coach Joachim Löw. Löw signed a contract dated until the end of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The German football association will also continue to work with Löw’s assistant Hans-Dieter Flick, goalkeeper coach Andreas Köpcke and the Suisse-born head of scouts, Urs Siegenthaler.

The decisions was made public during the DFB Congress in Mainz, where Löw, who has led the team to a successfull qualification run for the Euro 2008, signed the new contract.

DFB president Dr. Theo Zwanziger is delighted to have tied up the contract so quickly: "I am very happy that we managed to extend contracts with Joachim Löw. I am looking forward to continue working with such qualified and successful coaches and their teams.

The extension of Löw’s contract is a clear signal that we are facing the challenge of both EURO 2008 and World Cup 2010 trusting completely in his philosophy. His work has had many positive impacts recently. I wish him luck and success with our national team, that is a walking advertisement for German football. And I am sure that I speak on behalf of millions of fans."

The Czech Republic made a mockery of Germany's unbeaten record in Euro 2008 qualifiers with a thumping 3-0 away win at Munich's Allianz Arena to seal their qualification.

Having already qualified for Euro 2008 thanks to last Saturday's 0-0 draw with the Republic of Ireland, Germany lost their place at the top of Group D to the Czechs, who needed a win to book their place at next summer's tournament.

The Czechs blitzed Germany's defence with all three goals coming from their midfield as coach Karel Brueckner's tactic of playing a 4-2-3-1 formation paid off. It made a mockery of double World Cup winner Franz Beckenbauer's pre-match assertion that the current German team were the best and most consistent in the whole of Europe as they suffered their first defeat in 10 qualification games.

Germany have the best team in Europe and have improved considerably since the World Cup while Italy, France and England have fallen behind, former coach and captain Franz Beckenbauer said on Monday.

In an interview on the German Football Federation's website, Beckenbauer said coach Joachim Loew had done a great job since taking over from Juergen Klinsmann 15 months ago and said that they were among the favourites to win Euro 2008.

Unbeaten in their Euro 2008 qualifiers, Germany were the first team to earn a spot in the finals with a 0-0 draw against Ireland on Saturday.

'Germany are the best and most consistent team in Europe right now,' said the 62-year-old Beckenbauer ahead of Wednesday's match up against the Czech Republic in Munich. In the past, he was often among the team's most vocal critics, having previously called for Klinsmann's resignation prior to the 2006 World Cup.

'They've kept a high level since the World Cup and have even improved upon it. Other top teams like Italy, France or England have let up and are having a lot of problems even qualifying,' he said, adding he believed they would nevertheless qualify.

Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup as West Germany captain in 1974 and coach in 1990, said he hoped Loew would extend his two-year contract soon.

Germany have won 12 of 15 matches under Loew with two draws and one defeat - in a friendly against Denmark.

'The team have taken a big step forward and they're ready to win the championship,' said Beckenbauer. 'It'd be good if he stays longer. At the moment there isn't anyone better than him with his system and his assistants.'

Germany became the first team to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals thanks to a 0-0 draw in their Group D match against Ireland at Croke Park on Saturday.

The point was enough to secure the visitors their place with three games to spare.

Ireland's point will do little to improve their chances of qualifying, however. They are still five points behind the Czech Republic and eight short of table-toppers Germany who both have games in hand.

Germany had the edge in terms of possession but failed to capitalise against an Irish side that went into the second half fighting, chalking up several several shots on goal that often looked more threatening than those of their opponents.

Yellow cards for Lee Carsley and Richard Dunne mean they will both miss Wednesday's qualifier against Cyprus in Dublin while German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann will also miss his side's next qualifier.

Coach Joachim Loew told Germany's ARD television: 'We're all delighted. We've completed the circle now. We beat Ireland in the first qualification match a year ago and now we've qualified for the Euro finals. Hats off to the team.'

He added: 'We've played well so far (in qualifying) but I don't think we're still among the very best in Europe. We've got to work hard to reach our goals at Euro 2008.

Captain Torsten Frings said: 'It was hard work but I think we can be proud that we've qualified so early, earlier than ever before.'

Defender Per Mertesacker said: 'We proved that we can close ranks when we're missing some key people. The way we fought for that point and kept them from scoring was a sight to behold.'

Bayern Munich striker Miroslav Klose is likely to miss Germany's Euro 2008 qualifiers against Czech Republic and Ireland later this month because of a knee injury.

Bayern said on Tuesday that Klose would miss Thursday's UEFA Cup match against Belenenses and would probably need three weeks to recover completely.

'He's definitely out for Portugal and he'll almost certainly miss the Germany games too,' coach Ottmar Hitzfeld told the club's website.

Klose was the leading scorer in the World Cup in Germany 2006 and has a total of 35 goals in 70 internationals.

He is also the leading scorer in the Bundesliga so far this season with eight goals.

Germany are top of Group D with 22 points form eight games. The Czechs are second on 20 points from nine games, with Ireland a distant third on 14, also from nine.

Joachim Loew's side have the chance to secure a place at Euro 2008 when they face Ireland in Dublin on Oct. 13. They then host Czech Republic in Munich four days later.

Germany manager Oliver Bierhoff has accused Chelsea of denying Michael Ballack permission to participate in an adidas promotional campaign.

Chelsea denied the suggestion tonight but by then Bierhoff had already gone public in his condemnation of the London club.

'That is not how you treat a Germany player and in particular our captain,' said Bierhoff.

'He is regarded highly throughout Europe and I am astonished by the way Chelsea have acted.'

Bierhoff was puzzled by Chelsea's stance given the club also have a sponsorship deal with adidas.

'It is absolutely not right that they act like this with us and adidas, who are also their partners, but it seems they have different methods at their club,' added Bierhoff.

'We will certainly be going back to them to follow this up.

'Having direct contact and sharing our views is important and we will certainly be giving them our opinion.'

The Germany captain is currently recovering from ankle surgery, an injury which prompted Chelsea to leave him off their 23-man squad list for the group stage of the Champions League.

Chelsea insist they took the decision because they could not guarantee Ballack would be fit for the majority of their six group matches, suggesting he will not return until the end of October at the earliest.

Miroslav Klose celebrated his 70th cap and debut as captain in the starting line-up with two goals as Germany took a step closer to Euro 2008 qualification with a convincing 2-0 win over Wales.

Klose needed just five minutes in Cardiff to celebrate his milestone when Germany's attack sliced through the Welsh defence and Kevin Kuranyi slid a pass to his skipper for the 28-year-old to put his side ahead. And when Wales defender Gareth Bale was robbed by midfielder Roberto Hilbert just before the hour mark, his cross was met by Klose's bullet header as the Bayern Munich striker scored his 35th international goal.

With midfielders Michael Ballack and Torsten Frings out with injury, as well as Bernd Schneider serving a one-match suspension, the role of chief playmaker went to Bastian Schweinsteiger. The Bayern Munich player earned his man-of-the-match award and out-shone his captain with a superb performance to boss the midfield as Germany underlined their status as run-away Group D leaders.

An inexperienced Wales side had little to offer with Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Freddy Eastwood, who had been full of talk of embarrassing German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, being given precious little space by the compact German defence.

Wigan midfielder Jason Koumas and replacement striker Robert Earnshaw each had a chance either side of half-time, but Germany were always in control and Klose went close to completing his hat-trick on several occasions. Joachim Loew's side could have increased their lead still further when Bastian Schweinsteiger clipped the bar late on.

Germany defender Philipp Lahm will miss Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Wales in Cardiff after suffering a knee injury in training on Thursday.

The German Football Association (DFB) said the Bayern Munich player was heading straight back home after straining ligaments in his left knee.

Lahm had been due to play either at right back or in midfield against Wales on Saturday.

His absence means a further headache for coach Joachim Loew, who is already without senior midfielders Michael Ballack, Torsten Frings, Bernd Schneider and Tim Borowski.

Lahm will also miss Germany's friendly international against Romania in Cologne on Wednesday, the DFB said in a statement.

Germany lead qualifying Group D with 19 points from seven matches, five points ahead of the Czech Republic in second place. Wales are down in fifth place with seven points from six games.

Michael Ballack's Chelsea future is set to come under further scrutiny after Germany head coach Joachim Low claimed the player was mystified by the club's decision to omit him from their Champions League squad.

Ballack was left out of Chelsea's squad for the group stages after the club insisted that an ankle injury would prevent him from being fit.

Ballack has not played since undergoing ankle surgery and the Chelsea medical department maintained that the Germany captain would not be back in time to play any part in the group qualifiers.

Privately, Chelsea insist the midfielder is going nowhere but there are signs of growing impatience on Ballack's behalf after Low revealed the player was at a loss to explain the club's decision.

Chelsea had to name their Champions League squad for their Group B games last Friday but Ballack is hopeful of making a return at the beginning of November.

Now Low has inflamed the situation further by claiming the midfielder cannot fathom Chelsea's reasoning.

Low, preparing Germany for their Group D, Euro 2008 qualifier against Wales, said: 'I discussed it with Michael and he could not fully explain Chelsea's decision to me.

'Chelsea's doctors estimate he will not be able to play for two to three more months, but Michael is much more optimistic and expects to play sooner. For us, Chelsea's decision isn't justifiable.'

Chelsea and Germany have a history of feuding over Ballack. The Barclays Premier League side were more than unhappy with Ballack's decision to fly home for ankle surgery last May on the advice of German doctors.

The operation ruled him out of Chelsea's crucial UEFA Champions League semi-final against Liverpool and the FA Cup final.

Meanwhile Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho says it is important that the Blues get off to a good start in the Champions League.

Although Ballack will not be involved, Chelsea still have to overcome Valencia, Schalke and Rosenborg to reach the knockout stage.

Carvalho, a winner of Europe's top competition with Porto, said: 'They are not easy teams to play against, we know more or less Valencia because we played last year, and Schalke are a good team and had a good season. Rosenborg I don't know so much, but the first game is at home so that is good.

'I've been to the semi final twice with Chelsea and had good experiences. Of course I won with Porto, that's my best football moment so far. It's a competition some players can't get, and its difficult to get it, it's a pleasure to have that medal.

'Last season, we didn't have the luck with us because we missed penalties, so let's see. When we start we are thinking about winning the Champions League because it's important for us, but you must have a little bit of luck.

'After 90 minutes in the group stage, if you don't play well you can't go out so you have a little bit of room, you need that.

'It's important in this competition to start winning, at home you have to win and try your best away. The sooner you get the points the better.'

Bayern Munich spent over 70 million euros ($94.36 million) to build their squad back up over the close season but injuries mean even their resources will be tested when they host Hanover 96 on Saturday.


Bayern played so well in beating Hansa Rostock 3-0 and Werder Bremen 4-0 in the opening two games that their only two threats would appear to be complacency or an injury crisis.

The personnel situation cannot yet be called a crisis but coach Ottmar Hitzfeld will be concerned that he has only one striker for Saturday's game.

Luca Toni, the new Italian signing who has scored twice already, will have to lead the line alone after Miroslav Klose joined Jan Schlaudraff and Lukas Podolski on the casualty list.

Bastian Schweinsteiger and Marcell Jansen are also big doubts after they were forced to miss Germany's friendly against England at Wembley on Wednesday.

Centre-back Lucio has a calf injury but could be fit for the visit of Hanover, who got their first win of the season when they came from a goal down to beat Karlsruhe last Friday.

Despite the concerns, Bayern will be overwhelming favourites to make it three wins out of three on Saturday, and Hitzfeld is already having to field suggestions that his side can go through the entire season without giving up top spot.

'There's a long way to go yet this season and a lot can still happen,' Hitzfeld told reporters. 'You can be very unlucky with injuries. There are still plenty of question marks.'

Bayern could in fact lose top spot, at least for one night, when Hamburg SV play away at Bochum on Friday.

Hamburg are the only other side apart from Bayern with maximum points from two matches.

They should be boosted by Rafael van der Vaart's apparent acceptance that he will be staying put, with Valencia now having given up their pursuit of the Dutch playmaker.

Champions VfB Stuttgart have just a point from their opening two games. They go in search of a first win of the season at home to Duisburg on Saturday. The good news for coach Armin Veh is that Mexican international Ricardo Osorio is fit again.

Werder, who also have just a point to their name, are the other obvious under-performers after the first two rounds.

Coach Thomas Schaaf has had no such positive news in the build up to Saturday's game away to Cup winners Nuremberg, as he copes with a genuine injury crisis depriving him of players like Torsten Frings, Tim Borowski and Carlos Alberto.

Last season's runners-up Schalke 04, who have four points, are in action away to VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday.

Germany crashed the opening party at London's new Wembley Stadium with a 2-1 friendly win on Wednesday. By doing so, Germany ensured they were the last full international team to win at the old Wembley and the first to win at the newly rebuilt stadium.

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard put England ahead in the ninth minute but a bad mistake by England goalkeeper Paul Robinson in saving a cross from Bernd Schneider gifted Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi an equaliser in the 26th minute. Schalke left-back Christian Pander, making his Germany debut, scored the winner in the 40th minute, blasting past Robinson from distance after a skilful build-up.

Jens Lehmann wants England to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals claiming a tournament without them would 'not be as interesting'. The Germany goalkeeper will play in the friendly against England tonight at Wembley, days after claiming the visitors are mentally superior and that England are not blessed with many world-class players.

The 37-year-old hopes England do make it the finals of the tournament next summer in Austria and Switzerland despite only sitting fourth in Group E and facing critical qualification matches against Israel, Russia and Estonia over the next two months.

Lehmann said: 'I hope England qualify for the Euro 2008 finals. A big tournament without them will not be that interesting and I think they will be there. 'Teams go through different periods but at the end of the day their quality and togetherness will help them to qualify. England have some outstanding players in their side and when you see them playing in the Premier League or Champions League, you can see that there is a lot of quality. For some reason they do not deliver in big tournaments but I don't know why this is. I just hope they will not deliver against us at Wembley.'

Meanwhile, the under-fire Arsenal keeper insists he can handle the pressure against England. Lehmann has already made two costly howlers during Arsenal's start to the new Premier League campaign. His shocking attempted clearance against Fulham on the opening weekend presented striker David Healy with the simplest of goals and he allowed a shot from David Dunn to slip through his grasp in the 1-1 draw with Blackburn on Sunday.

But the 37-year-old remains number one in the eyes of Germany coach Joachim Low and the Arsenal stopper is ready to meet the challenge of tonight's showpiece friendly and ignore the critics. Lehmann said: 'I have done two mistakes in three plays, this is right. The comments do not matter to me. I must judge my achievement myself. 'The mistakes were so simple, unique, that I now have no reason to have to think about my fundamental skill as a goalkeeper. Apart from these mistakes I have played substantially well. The first mistake occurred in the first ball contact of the season when I had two thoughts all at once. This game is nothing special for me, I can handle it.'

Low is under no illusions that Lehmann has the mental toughness to overcome tonight's test at the new Wembley. The Germany coach commented: 'Jens knows such situations, he can stand such pressure well. He has proved this in the approach to the World Cup with his duel with Oliver Kahn.'

Low's preparation for their clash with England has been wrecked by numerous injuries to some of his key players as he looks ahead to September's Euro 2008 qualifier against Wales. Low is without several long-term absentees, including captain Michael Ballack, Torsten Frings, Lukas Podolski and Tim Borowski, while first-team regulars Miroslav Klose, Marcell Jansen and Bastian Schweinsteiger have also been forced out in recent days.

Low added: 'There are 60 players injured in the Bundesliga, there has to be a reason. The tackling of some players leaves a lot to be desired. I am not saying anything bad about (Werder Bremen defender) Naldo (who injured Klose at the weekend), but that was typical of many Bundesliga fouls in that the player simply goes for the legs without any chance of winning the ball. Some players think they have won a tackle simply by hacking down their opponent, pulling their shirt or fouling to break up the play. A tackle should be an attempt to win the ball and start an attack or score, but today I see players who just want to stop their opponent.'

Germany will be without their captain Michael Ballack and striker Mario Gomez when they take on England in a friendly international at Wembley on August 22. Ballack has yet to recover from ankle surgery, while Gomez, the Player of the Year in the Bundesliga last season, is recovering from a thigh injury. Midfielders Torsten Frings and Tim Borowski as well as striker Lukas Podolski were also left out of a 20-man squad, named on Thursday, because of injury.

Coach Joachim Löw has called-upon two twenty-year old Bundesliga players to bolster-up the Mannschaft for the upcoming game against England in Wembley (Wednesday, August 22, 8 P.M. local time). Serdar Tasci and Sami Khedira from VfB Stuttgart, the reigning Bundesliga champions, will meet the rest of the team in Frankfurt on Sunday. Tasci and Khedira are the only two newcomers on a roster of 20 players.

Löw has nominated four players from the ranks of VfB Stuttgart: Tasci - a defender with overall 7 games in the juniors national teams of the DFB, Khedira - a midfielder with four international juniors' appearances, as well as the two more experienced midfielders Thomas Hitzlsperger and Roberto Hilpert.

'With Ballack and Frings out we're missing the heart of the team,' Loew said at a news conference today. 'We're obviously in a tight spot with all the injuries but we aren't complaining, even though we'd love to have our best team to play against England.'

Germany are five points clear at the top of Euro 2008 qualifying group D. Their next competitive match is away to Wales on September 8.

'The game against England will be a good gauge in terms of the European Championship,' Loew said. 'It's an honour for us to be playing at the new Wembley. It's a sporting classic, like Wimbledon tennis or Formula One at Monaco. The atmosphere and setting should inspire the whole team.'

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Timo Hildebrand (Valencia, Spain), Jens Lehmann (Arsenal, England)

Defenders: Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Clemens Fritz (Werder Bremen), Marcell Jansen (Bayern Munich), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid, Spain), Serdar Tasci (VfB Stuttgart)

Midfielders: Roberto Hilbert (VfB Stuttgart), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Sami Khedira (VfB Stuttgart), Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Bernd Schneider (Bayer Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg SV)

Forwards: Patrick Helmes (Cologne), Stefan Kiessling (Bayer Leverkusen), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Kevin Kuranyi (Schalke 04)

Miroslav Klose will have the perfect stage to try for his 100th Bundesliga goal on Saturday when Bayern Munich travel to take on his former club Werder Bremen. Klose transferred from Werder to Bayern for €10 million in June at the end of a drawn-out transfer saga.

The winner of the Golden Boot at the 2006 World Cup showed Bayern's persistence had been worth it when he struck twice and set up a third for Luca Toni in the opening day's 3-0 win over Hansa Rostock. Those goals took his tally to 99 in 210 Bundesliga games and his return to the Weserstadion on Saturday could be the platform for a celebration.

Bayern's win over Rostock last weekend had fans and pundits purring approval at the club's new determination to play attacking football. But the first real test of the theory comes at Werder, who finished last season a place above Bayern in third.

'We got the start we wanted against Rostock but we won't assume we've won the title after one match,' Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the club's website. 'We know we have a good team but I'm warning everyone not to get big-headed or arrogant.'

Werder drew 2-2 with Bochum on the opening weekend and followed that up with a 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb in a tough Champions League qualifier on Wednesday. Tiredness is likely to be a factor, especially considering the club's injured list, which includes senior midfielders Tim Borowski and Torsten Frings.

VfB Stuttgart kicked off the defence of their title last weekend with a decent 2-2 draw at home to Schalke 04, the team they pipped to the championship last season. Next up is an away game against Hertha Berlin on Saturday and that should be a good opportunity for the champions to record their first win.

Hertha were far from impressive in last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt, although Stuttgart hopes could be hit by the absence of Mario Gomez, last season's Bundesliga Player of the Year, who is doubtful with a thigh strain.

Schalke will be seeking revenge as well as a first win of the season when they host local rivals Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. Schalke's surprise 2-0 defeat by their great rivals on the penultimate day of last season saw them overtaken by Stuttgart, effectively costing them a first league title in almost 50 years.

Germany striker Miroslav Klose scored twice and Italy's Luca Toni got another on their debuts for Bayern Munich in a one-sided 3-0 victory over Hansa Rostock at home on Saturday.

Bayern, championship favourites after their record 70 million euros ($96 million) spending spree in the off season, lived up to pre-season expectations with an entertaining attacking style not seen in Munich for years.

It took just 14 minutes for Italy striker Toni, a transfer from Fiorentina, to get his first Bundesliga goal with his very first shot.

Klose broke through to the left and unselfishly slotted the ball for Toni to tap in as Rostock keeper Stefan Waechter came out to challenge Klose, who joined from Werder Bremen.

Klose doubled the lead against newly promoted Rostock by pouncing on a loose ball in the 66th minute when Waechter mishandled a Philipp Lahm shot.

Klose then outjumped two Rostock defenders five minutes from time to head in a Lahm cross at the far post.

'Three points and three goals -- it's a good start,' said Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who wants to win four titles this campaign after the team finished without any silverware last season.

'We showed discipline and kept pushing forward...The second half was very good. I'm glad the decision to play Toni worked out so well. He's a constant threat in front of the goal.'

Toni missed the last two weeks of the pre-season with a knee injury and only resumed training on Thursday.

France midfielder Franck Ribery, the most expensive transfer in Bundesliga history at 25 million euros, was also a constant threat for Bayern with fine passes and several shots that delighted the sell-out crowd of 69,000.

Bayern kept Waechter busy with 25 shots on goal. Despite his blunder against Klose, Waechter had several good saves and prevented an even more one-sided result. Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn did not have to make a single save.

'Bayern were clearly better,' said Rostock coach Frank Pagelsdorf. 'We weren't able to stop their crosses. We've got our work cut out for us.'

VfB Stuttgart will kick off their title defence on Friday against 2006/07 runners-up Schalke 04 but both are already looking over their shoulders at new-look Bayern Munich, the hot favourites.

Having spent a record 70 million euros ($96.38 million) on new talent in the close season, Bayern have set out to make amends for a humiliating fourth place last season that ended their 10-year-long annual passage to the Champions League.

Strengthened by France midfielder Franck Ribery, Germany's Miroslav Klose, defender Marcell Jansen and Italy's World Cup striker Luca Toni, Bayern have dazzled in the pre-season with their new attacking style.

They won the six-team, pre-season League Cup last month, beating Stuttgart, Schalke and Werder Bremen, who finished third in 2006/07.

But Stuttgart, who spent a modest eight million euros for Romania striker Ciprian Marica and paid out a 1.5 million euro loan fee for Ewerthon, are confident they can pick up where they left off last season - winning eight games in a row.

'We're going to do everything we can to keep improving,' said Stuttgart coach Armin Veh ahead of Friday's match that kicks off the Bundeliga's 45th season.

'Our initial goal is to continue playing attacking-style football and giving the crowds something to get excited about,' added Veh, who has already said Bayern are the early favourites to win a 21st Bundesliga championship.

Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld wants to win three more titles this season after the League Cup: the Bundesliga, the German Cup and the UEFA Cup.

The 70 million Bayern spent on transfer fees is almost half the 170 million total that all 18 teams invested. The amount broke the previous record of 147 million set in 2001/02.

'We've reacted to last season, invested quite a bit and got a lot more quality,' said Hitzfeld, whose team play at home against Hansa Rostock on Saturday.

'It's going to be a lot more fun to watch Bayern Munich this season,' he added.

Ribery, who came to Bayern from Olympique Marseille for a Bundesliga record transfer fee of 25 million euros, has personified the new-look Bayern in pre-season. He scored three goals in two League Cup games and created a string of chances.

Mario Gomez, who scored 14 goals to lead VfB Stuttgart to last season's Bundesliga title, was voted Germany's footballer of the year ahead of Werder Bremen playmaker Diego and Bernd Schneider of Bayer Leverkusen.

Stuttgart coach Armin Veh was overwhelmingly voted coach of 2006-07 in the annual poll by German sports writers announced on Wednesday, picking up 449 votes to finish well in front of Nuremberg's Hans Meyer with 228.

Gomez, 22, is the youngest player to win the award since it was launched by Kicker magazine in 1960. He was also the first VfB Stuttgart player to win the award in 19 years - since Juergen Klinsmann took the honour.

Gomez, a German international who also has Spanish citizenship, got 196 votes, Diego 175, and Schneider had 156.

Klinsmann finished 11th in the voting for coach of the year even though he stepped down just before the season began after leading Germany to third place at the World Cup.

Second division St. Pauli beat Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 on Saturday to knock the Bundesliga side out in the first round of the German Cup.

Fabian Boll scored in the 87th minute for St. Pauli, regular giantkillers who reached the semi-finals two years ago. For Leverkusen, who finished fifth last season in the Bundesliga and qualified for the UEFA Cup, it was their first Cup exit in the first round in 11 years in a match played in front of a crowd of 15,000 in Hamburg.

Werder Bremen avoided embarrassment against third division side Eintracht Braunschweig with a Boubacar Sanogo in the 90th minute giving them a 1-0 win.

On the first weekend of competition in the new season after a three-month break, three other Bundesliga clubs advanced to the next round with victories over opponents from lower divisions.

Borussia Dortmund beat FC Magdeburg 4-1, Hanover 96 defeated Rot-Weiss Ahlen 3-1, and Hertha Berlin came safely through 3-0 against SpVgg Unterhaching.

As the news has been coming in slow recently, here are some highlights from Germany's past few Euro 2008 qualifying matches.

France midfielder Franck Ribery has joined Bayern Munich on a four-year deal, Olympique Marseille chairman Pape Diouf said on Thursday.

'We have helped Franck to get where he is today and we are not really happy to let him go,' Diouf told the club's website.

Bayern will have to pay a 26.0 million euro ($35.09 million) transfer fee and then an additional 4.0 million if the German club qualify for the Champions League at the end of next season, sources close to the matter said.

'It's a good financial operation for the club, which proves Marseille can adapt to a market that is not easy,' Diouf said.

Ribery, 24, had joined Marseille in 2005. One of the revelations of last year's World Cup, he has played 18 matches for France, scoring two goals.

Other leading European clubs, including Arsenal and Real Madrid, had also expressed an interest in him.

The player was expected to pass a medical on Thursday in Munich and to hold a news conference there later in the day.

Ribery is the latest piece in a significant rebuilding process at Bayern after they finished the Bundesliga season in fourth place, missing out on a place in the Champions League.

The club have already signed Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni, who was presented as a Bayern player on Thursday, Turkish midfielder Hamit Altontop, Germany internationals Marcell Jansen and Jan Schlaudraff, and Argentine midfielder Jose Ernesto Sosa.

Bayern also want to bring in Miroslav Klose before the new season, although they may have to wait until 2008, when his contract is up, if they cannot agree a fee for the Germany striker with his current club, Werder Bremen.

The signing of Ribery has been financed by the sale of England midfielder Owen Hargreaves to Manchester United for a reported fee of 25 million euros.

Claudio Pizarro has left to join Chelsea on a free transfer, Hasan Salihamidzic is joining Juventus and Ali Karimi has been told he can leave.

Germany striker Miroslav Klose has confirmed he will join Bayern Munich.

The 28-year-old, who has been linked to a string of Premier League clubs, revealed his decision after Germany's 2-1 win over Slovakia last night.

The only uncertainty, however, remains when he will actually make the switch, since he still has a year left on his contract with Werder Bremen.

'The fact is I have decided to play for FC Bayern in 2008,' he said.

'I would prefer for it to happen as quickly as possible and to have everything clear, but if I have to stay one more year in Bremen, then I will still give everything to Werder.

'I would be delighted if I were able to play for Bayern this year.'

Thomas Hitzlsperger was delighted to fire Germany five points clear at the top of their Euro 2008 qualifying group as his first-half goal sealed a 2-1 win over Slovakia on Wednesday. The VfB Stuttgart midfielder's well-taken header two minutes from the break was his first goal since he netted in Germany's 13-0 win at San Marino last September.

The win at Hamburg's World Cup Arena takes Germany to 19 points at the top of group D, five points clear of the Czech Republic in second, to leave Joachim Loew's side in pole position to qualify for next June's European Championships in Austria and Switzerland.

Germany took the lead after 10 minutes. After German defender Marcell Jansen slid his pass through the visitors' defence, Klose looked to have put his side 1-0 up but replays showed it was Slovakian defender Jan Durica who stabbed the ball home. Slovakia pulled level less than ten minutes later when Germany's Christoph Metzelder tried to clear the danger after a superb run from Matej Krajcik, but only suceeded in putting the ball past his own goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. Hitzlsperger then gave Germany back the lead just two minutes before the break with a header which turned out to be the game winner.

Germany scored six times in a brutal 22-minute spell either side of the interval to destroy San Marino 6-0 and move clear at the top of Euro 2008 qualifying Group D on Saturday.

San Marino, still smarting from a 13-0 defeat by Germany at home in September, put up stiff resistance before succumbing to a Kevin Kuranyi header in the final minute of the first half.

Marcell Jansen made it 2-0 early in the second and the sending-off of Davide Simoncini when he gave away a penalty opened the floodgates.

Torsten Frings converted from the spot, Mario Gomez scored two in quick succession and Clemens Fritz rounded off the scoring in the 67th minute.

Victory gave Germany 16 points from six games and took them two clear of Czech Republic, who drew 0-0 in Wales earlier on Saturday.

Joachim Loew's side play Slovakia in Hamburg on Wednesday when another victory would take them a long way towards their goal of reaching the finals in Austria and Switzerland next year.

'Really they were a sparring partner for us,' Loew told reporters. 'It was important for us to get in rhythm ahead of the Slovakia game.'

After September's demolition job, the talk before the return match was about the chances of a record victory to beat Germany's 16-0 win over Russia in 1912.

Germany's appalling finishing in the first half made a mockery of such predictions.

SIMPLE CHANCES

After Kuranyi, Miroslav Klose and Thomas Hitzlsperger wasted simple chances, San Marino nearly caused a shock in the 42nd minute.

Jens Lehmann was far too casual as he came out to clear near his right touchline. He gave the ball straight to Manuel Marani and the Arsenal keeper looked fortunate to get away with handling outside the area as he dived to keep out a shot that flashed across goal.

A couple of minutes later Germany settled their nerves when Kuranyi's header looped over keeper Aldo Simoncini.

Germany came out with a new spring in their step in the second half and the second goal from Jansen was a poke from the far post after Simoncini pushed out a corner.

Frings stroked in his penalty two minutes later before substitutes Gomez and Fritz wrapped things up.

Gomez got his first on the rebound in the 63rd minute before the VfB Stuttgart striker netted the pick of the goals two minutes later with a deft flick from Jansen's cross.

The sixth from Fritz was also nicely taken after a one-two with Frings.

Nurnberg won the DFB-Pokal for the first time in 45 years after edging an entertaining affair against the 10 men of Bundesliga champions Stuttgart.

The Bavarians needed extra-time to finally claim the advantage in one of the most exciting cup finals in recent years.

Cacau had put Stuttgart ahead in the 20th minute, but Marek Mintal soon replied before Cacau was given his marching orders on the half-hour mark.

It was advantage Nurnberg when Marco Engelhardt headed home two minutes after the break, but just as Hans Meyer's side were beginning to celebrate, Stuttgart were awarded a penalty which Pavel Pardo swept in to force extra-time.

A Jan Kristiansen strike just after the first period of extra-time then sealed the win for Nurnberg, earning them their first piece of silverware since 1968.

Having won the Bundesliga title seven days ago, Stuttgart were hoping to complete the double by breaking their seasonal jinx against Nurnberg.

The Bavarians were the only side to twice beat the Swabians in the Bundesliga this year.

It looked like that was about to change, though, when former Nurnberg striker Cacau beat the onrushing Rafael Schafer to put Armin Veh's side in front.

The lead lasted seven minutes before Mintal brought Nurnberg level, starting and finishing a move which involved Bastian Reinhardt sending in a cross from the wing for the Slovakian to divert in.

The turning point of the game came minutes later when Cacau was shown a red card for aiming a punch at Andreas Wolf.

With just 10 men, Stuttgart found it more difficult to create any chances.

Early in the second half, Engelhardt finally put Nurnberg ahead, heading Javier Pinola's cross past Timo Hildebrand.

The Nurnberg fans were beginning to celebrate when referee Felix Brych gave Stuttgart the chance to get back on terms from the spot.

Mario Gomez fell under the challenge of Schafer and, although the ball was running harmlessly out for a goal kick, the intervention was judged worthy of a spot-kick, and Pardo swept it in in the 80th minute.

Extra time it was, then, and once again it was Nurnberg who made their one-man advantage count, particularly as Stuttgart began to tire.

Four minutes into the second period, Kristiansen stole the morning headlines with a wonder-strike from almost 30 yards.

It was a goal worthy of winning any match and as it cannoned in off the underside of the bar, the Nurnberg fans began to celebrate, this time with the result not challenged.

Germany captain Michael Ballack has pulled out of two Euro 2008 qualifiers next month because he has not yet fully recovered from an operation on his ankle, the German Football Association (DFB) said on Thursday.

'Ballack informed coach Joachim Loew on Thursday that he will not be able to play,' DFB spokesman Harald Stenger said in a statement. 'He is continuing rehabilitation work in London after an operation on his left ankle.'

Germany host San Marino on June 2 and Slovakia four days later in qualifying Group D.

Earlier this month, the DFB had to defend team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt's decision to operate on Ballack, saying the player risked serious injury without immediate treatment.

British media had criticised the timing of the operation which deprived Chelsea of Ballack in the run-in to the end of the season. Some journalists suggested Ballack chose to have the surgery without consulting Chelsea officials.

Ballack injured his ankle against Newcastle United in a Premier League game on April 22.

He said he flew to Munich to see Mueller-Wohlfahrt -- the Germany team doctor as well as his doctor at former club Bayern Munich -- for a second opinion after there was no improvement for four days. He then underwent surgery.

Ballack had dismissed the criticism and said media suggestions that the DFB doctor wanted to ensure he would be ready for the European Championship qualifiers in June were absurd.

Ballack said he would never give up the chance to play in the FA Cup final or the Champions League semi-final for a match against San Marino.

Germany head Group D on goal difference with 13 points from five matches, the same as the Czech Republic and Ireland. The Czechs have played six matches and the Irish seven.

Ballack will join the team as a spectator.

'Ballack also told Loew that he will join the team meeting on Tuesday in Herzogenaurach -- and continue his training there as well as receive treatment from the DFB medical team,' Stenger added.

VfB Stuttgart won the Bundesliga title on the final day of the season on Saturday when a 2-1 comeback win over Energie Cottbus kept them two points ahead of runners-up Schalke 04.

Stuttgart were trailing 1-0 to Cottbus after Sergiu Radu deflected a pass to beat Timo Hildebrand in the 19th minute but Thomas Hitzlsperger soon equalised and Sami Khedira scored the winner just past the hour to hand them their first Bundesliga title in 15 years.

Stuttgart won their final eight matches to erase a seven-point deficit, moving up from third to overtake Werder Bremen and Schalke in a stunning finish. It was their fifth championship and third since the Bundesliga was founded in 1963. 'It's a tremendous feeling,' said Stuttgart coach Armin Veh. 'I'm thrilled for the team. They played consistently well and with passion all season.'

The victory unleashed euphoric celebrations in Stuttgart -- at the Gottlieb Daimler stadium and in the centre of the southwestern German city where tens of thousands followed the match at a World Cup-style public viewing area.

Stuttgart players poured beer and champagne on each other and coaches under bright blue skies. They celebrated with fans for more than an hour, climbing up onto fences before collecting the Bundesliga's championship 'Schale' (dish). 'It's insane what's going on here,' said Veh, who for superstitious reasons had not had his suit cleaned since September when a 12-match unbeaten streak at home began. Stuttgart now stand on the brink of a domestic double, with the Cup final to come against Nuremberg on May 26.

'I've always dreamed about a day like this,' said Hitzlsperger, who equalised with a blazing long-range volley just before the half-hour that sent 56,000 fans into a frenzy. 'It's just fantastic, by far the greatest day in my life,' added Hitzlsperger, a Germany midfielder who played at Aston Villa until 2005. 'We've worked hard and got rewarded for it.'

In between champagne and beer showers on the pitch, Hildebrand told arena television that Stuttgart had only set their sights on the championship at the end of the season. 'It's just crazy that we ended up winning it,' he said. 'We believed in our title chances more and more late in the season and kept getting better.'

Schalke, who beat Arminia Bielefeld 2-1, finished second for the third time in seven years after again squandering the lead late in the season. They were also overtaken by Bayern Munich twice after stumbling in 2001 and 2005. Schalke led the table for 15 of the 34 weeks but lost two of their last four matches. They took 18 points from the last 11.

They topped the standings for about nine minutes on Saturday when they stormed into an early 2-0 lead over Bielefeld while Stuttgart fell behind to Cottbus in their match some 300 kms away in southern Germany. Schalke knew they could win the championship if they beat Bielefeld by four goals and Stuttgart only drew with Cottbus. Lincoln put Schalke ahead 1-0 in the 12th minute and Halil Altintop doubled the lead four minutes later. But Schalke were unable to add to their lead and gave up a stoppage-time goal to Radim Kucera.

'I'm happy that we were able to give our fans some hope in the first half and that we were first for about nine minutes but it was still not enough,' said Schalke coach Mirko Slomka. 'With eighth straight victories, congratulations to Stuttgart - they deserved to win it,' he added. 'It's bitter. It shows you can't afford to give up any points.'

Schalke 04 held on to their one-point lead with two games to play in the Bundesliga thanks to a 1-0 win at home to Nuremberg on Saturday, as VfB Stuttgart kept up the heat with a 2-0 win over Mainz.

Bayern Munich's hopes of playing in the Champions League were effectively ended when they were held to a 1-1 draw at relegated Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Schalke, chasing their first title in the Bundesliga era, finally broke down the Nuremberg defence in the 64th minute when Kevin Kuranyi headed in from a Hamit Altintop cross.

Their nervy win was enough to keep them ahead of Stuttgart, who completed a more comfortable victory at home to Mainz thanks to goals from Fernando Meira and Roberto Hilbert.

With 32 of 34 matches played, Schalke lead with 65 points, followed by Stuttgart on 64. Werder Bremen, third on 60, will need to win at Hertha Berlin on Saturday to stay in with a realistic chance of the title.

Bayern are fourth on 54 points but with Werder enjoying a vastly superior goal difference the Bavarians know already they will have to be content with playing in the UEFA Cup next season.

Ottmar Hitzfeld's Munich side took the lead with a fine finish from Roy Makaay in the 12th minute. Even that early goal could not give them the shot of confidence they so clearly needed, though, and Gladbach grabbed a point when Peer Kluge turned inside the box and beat Michael Rensing at the far post.

Schalke could be forgiven for going into their game in a delicate frame of mind after their defeat against VfL Bochum last weekend.

They looked tentative early on against Nuremberg -- who shared with Schalke the best defensive record in the league going into the game -- and there were few clear chances in the first half.

Schalke did go close seven minutes before halftime when Lincoln floated over a free kick and Marcelo Bordon headed just wide at the far post but otherwise there was little to excite the 61,000 full house at the Arena AufSchalke.

The second half continued with the same tension before Altintop powered into space on the right and crossed for Kuranyi to get in just ahead of his marker and head home his 15th league goal of the season.

Schalke last won a German championship in the pre-Bundesliga, amateur days of 1958 and their chances of taking the title 49 years on could now rest on next weekend's derby away to resurgent Borussia Dortmund.

Should they fail, Stuttgart look well able to pounce after they racked up their sixth successive league win against Mainz.

Werder Bremen completed a miserable week when they were beaten 3-2 by Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday, squandering their chance to go top of the Bundesliga three weeks from the end of the season.

Werder, beaten 3-0 by Spanish side Espanyol in the UEFA Cup semi-final, first leg on Thursday, had the chance to overtake slumping Schalke 04 but ended the weekend third on 60 points.

The Bundesliga championship tightened dramatically. Schalke, beaten 2-1 by VfL Bochum on Friday, cling to a one-point lead on 62 points with VfB Stuttgart second on 61 after a 1-0 defeat of Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Only Bayern Munich, in fourth, fell off the pace with their second straight defeat on Saturday, losing to Hamburg SV 2-1. The outgoing champions have 53 points and have all but been eliminated from next season's Champions League competition.

'It's going to remain tense all the way to the end of the season,' said Werder coach Thomas Schaaf after his team's three-match, league winning streak was ended by Bielefeld, whose second successive win lifted them out of the relegation zone.

'We had our chance to go to the top but we didn't take it. Both teams played a great match even if we made too many mistakes. I think a close race to the wire and matches like this are good for football.'

Bielefeld went ahead three times in a high-pace thriller with plenty of chances at both ends and Werder equalised twice. Christian Eigler scored Bielefeld's winner after 79 minutes.

Eigler collided in front of the Werder goal with keeper Andreas Reinke and Werder defender Naldo. Eigler was the first of the three to bounce back onto his feet, he spun around and tapped the ball into the open goal.

Bielefeld went ahead after 30 minutes when Heiko Westermann broke free of Bremen markers and headed in a Joerg Boehme free kick. Miroslav Klose equalised just before the hour, tapping in a rebound from close-range.

Jonas Kamper put the visitors 2-1 ahead two minutes later with a shot into the far corner from the right before Hugo Almeida came off the bench to head a long Klose cross into the Bielefeld goal in the 74th minute.

'It was incredible the way we fought to get the lead three times,' said Bielefeld coach Ernst Middendorf, whose team are three points clear of the relegation zone. 'But we still need more points. It was a small step but we're not safe yet.'

A heroic last-gasp brace from Daniel van Buyten earned resilient Bayern a deserved draw in a game of fluctuating fortunes in Milan on Tuesday.

A sell-out 77,700 crowd at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium saw Michael Rensing pull off two stunning reaction saves in the first half, although Oliver Kahn's young deputy was powerless to prevent Andrea Pirlo opening the scoring five minutes before the visitors could reach the haven of half-time.

Bayern doggedly held firm in the face of Milan's second half onslaught and slowly gained the upper hand in the closing phase, the reward for the Reds' persistence arriving with Van Buyten's close-range equaliser on 78 minutes.

A valuable draw looked the likely outcome, but Bayern had not reckoned with a dubious decision by Russian referee Baskakov just six minutes from time, the match official electing to award a peanlty after what looked like a perfectly fair Lucio challenge on Kaká.

The Brazil midfielder duly converted to restore his side's lead, but Bayern turned their dismay at the controversial penalty into a late, late equaliser when hero of the night Van Buyten bundled home at the far post with the last kick of the match to earn his team a historic draw.

Bayern showed two changes to the side which beat Schalke 2-0 at the weekend, Owen Hargreaves returning to midfield and Rensing making his second European start in goal.

The changes covered for the suspended Mark van Bommel and Oliver Kahn, although Hargreaves rates as first-choice in Bavaria nowadays and only missed Saturday's match with injury.

The authentic non-regular face in the line-up belonged to Bayern youth product Andreas Ottl, handed a start by coach Ottmar Hitzfeld after impressing against the Bundesliga leaders three days previously.

The German champions lined up in a 4-2-2-2 formation featuring Ottl and Hargreaves as a holding pair, against the home side's 4-4-1-1 with Brazil superstar Kaká behind lone striker Alberto Gilardino, Bayern's least-favourite Milan striker Pippo Inzaghi relegated to a start on the bench.

The match opened at a brisk pace with the Milanese pouring forward in search of an early goal, but the Italians were restricted to a half-chance from veteran midfielder Clarence Seedorf as the Bavarian defence, expertly marshalled by Lucio and Daniel van Buyten, weathered the early storm.

Bastian Schweinsteiger tried his luck from distance, but the bulk of the action was at the other end and Rensing's first moment of brilliance came with a breathtaking one-handed stop to deny Massimo Ambrosini's close-range header on the quarter-hour.

A couple of Ottl drives and a Salihamidzic effort from 25 yards ensured it was not all one-way traffic, but Rensing continued his heroics after 36 minutes with a stunning reflex block when the unmarked Gilardino headed goalwards from inside the six-yard box after Massimo Oddo had scampered clear down the right.

The Reds survived a decent Milan shout for a penalty on 40 minutes after Lucio's risky challenge on Kaká, but the respite lasted just seconds as Oddo returned a loose ball behind the defence for Pirlo, timing his run to perfection, to loop a header over the stranded Rensing and in at the far corner.

The home side continued to apply the pressure in the opening phase after the restart, but Mirko Jankulovski missed the target and Gilardino netted from an offside position on 53 minutes, the striker earning a booking from Russian referee Baskakov for continuing with play after the whistle, thus ruling himself out of the return in Munich.

The Italians' best chances fell to Kaká, unsettled by Rensing's looming presence as he shaped to tap home, and the lively Oddo on the volley, but after Hitzfeld replaced the subdued Lukas Podolski with Claudio Pizarro and the injured Willy Sagnol with Christian Lell twenty minutes from time, the Germans were suddenly a far more imposing

Bayern saw the lion's share of possession in the closing stages and were rewarded for their resilience when Pizarro beat Oddo to Lell's 78th minute cross, leaving van Buyten to turn the ball past Milan keeper Dida for the equaliser.

But there was a savage twist in the tail from a Bavarian point of view when the match official adjudged Lucio's challenge on Kaka as a foul, the midfielder himself stepping up to hand his side the lead from the spot.

However, big-hearted Belgian Van Buyten was not to be denied as he burst forward to net the dramatic equaliser three minutes into stoppage time and set his side up superbly for next week's second leg.

Roy Makaay scored his 100th goal for Bayern Munich as the champions roared back into the Bundesliga title race with a 2-0 win at home to leaders Schalke 04 on Saturday.

Makaay put Bayern ahead in the third minute when he took a Mark van Bommel pass and crashed in. The home side kept control and Hasan Salihamidzic squeezed in a shot 12 minutes from time to complete the victory.

Werder Bremen missed the chance to replace Schalke at the top as they were held to a goalless draw at Energie Cottbus.

With seven games to play, Schalke are top on 53 points, followed by Werder on 51. VfB Stuttgart are still in the running after they won 3-1 at home to Alemannia Aachen to remain third on 49 points. Bayern, who take on AC Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals next week, are in fourth on 47, back within six points of the leaders and still in with a chance to claim a third successive league title.

'We deserved the win because of all the chances we created,' Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld told reporters. 'We were also solid at the back and that will give us confidence for the next game.'

Bayern, struggling to keep up in the league after taking just one point from their two previous games, were given the perfect start with Makaay's 13th Bundesliga goal of the season. It was his 75th in the Bundesliga and his 100th in competitive matches since joining Bayern in 2003, the club said.

Bastian Schweinsteiger took the ball in from the left and found Van Bommel. He then teed up fellow Dutchman Makaay to run in and clatter a shot into the top corner.

The rest of the first half was largely free of chances, as Bayern kept possession well without really threatening a second.

There was much more urgency from both sides after the break.

Makaay should have made it 2-0 in the 48th minute when he was put through on goal but this time Manuel Neuer saved brilliantly.

Neuer did well again to keep out a Lukas Podolski effort in the 56th minute and Bayern kept pushing until eventually the second arrived, with Lucio's pass setting up Salihamidzic to smash in.

'We're disappointed, obviously,' said Schalke coach Mirko Slomka. 'We thought we could get a lot more from this game but we just didn't create enough chances.'

Birmingham City striker Nicklas Bendtner scored a goal less than 10 minutes from time as Denmark poached a 1-0 win over Germany in Wednesday night's friendly in Duisburg. Bendtner swept home a cross in the 81st minute as German coach Joachim Loew suffered his first defeat in nine games since succeeding Jurgen Klinsmann as Germany coach after last year's World Cup.

Loew's brave decision to blood six new caps - including Hanover's goalkeeper Robert Enke, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Simon Rolfes and VfB Stuttgart's Roberto Hilbert in the starting eleven - backfired. And with only three survivors from the 2-1 Euro 2008 qualifying win over the Czech Republic on Saturday, the experienced Denmark side finished stronger than their opponents and deserved the win.

With Thomas Hitzlsperger and Schalke 04 striker Kevin Kuranyi the only experienced campaigners in the side, Germany lacked the tactical control and sharp finishing that had seen them win in Prague. Having scored both goals in Prague, Kuranyi had several half chances to add to his 17 international strikes but his finishing was wide of the mark.

Denmark threatened when Jesper Groenkjaer clipped the bar with a bullet header after 70 minutes, just as Bayer Leverkusen defender Gonzalo Castro came on for his first cap. The winning goal came in the 81st minute when Birmingham City striker Nicklas Bendtner swept Groenkjaer's short pass from the right past Enke.

Cologne striker Patrick Helmes, who came on for his first cap to replace Schaludraff after 78 minutes, was denied two late chances to score, but it was not enough to stop the Danes.

Denmark coach Morten Olsen has criticised Germany's decision to field a severely weakened team for Wednesday's friendly international in Duisburg.

Germany coach Joachim Loew released eight players from international duty, including captain Michael Ballack, after the 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in Prague on Saturday.

'This is very disrespectful,' Olsen was quoted as saying by German media on Tuesday. 'We had a clear agreement to field our strongest teams. 'I wasn't told about it by the DFB (German Football Association). I read about it in the newspapers and you don't do that.'

As well as Chelsea midfielder Ballack, the other players released by Loew were Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, Bayern Munich trio Philipp Lahm, Lukas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger, Werder Bremen players Torsten Frings and Per Mertesacker and Bayer Leverkusen's Bernd Schneider.

Germany's coach Joachim Löw on Sunday rung the changes for Wednesday night's friendly against Denmark by announcing an inexperienced 16-man squad aimed at blooding some of his rising stars. Loew called up two uncapped players: striker Patrick Helmes of second division 1. FC Köln and midfielder Simon Rolfes of Bayer Leverkusen.

Having opened up a three-point gap at the top of their Euro 2008 qualifying group after a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in Prague on Saturday, Löw will rest his first-choice side for Wednesday's game in Duisburg.

Schalke 04 striker Kevin Kuranyi, whose headed goals either side of half-time gave Germany the valuable win in Prague, is the most experienced player in the squad with 37 caps.

Alongside captain and Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack, the Bayern Munich trio of Philipp Lahm, Lukas Podolski and BastianSchweinsteiger, as well as Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, the Werder Bremen players Torsten Frings and Per Mertesacker and Bayer Leverkusen's Bernd Schneider are amongst the group who have been sent home.

"It's all about giving other players their opportunity," said Löw. "Saturday's game was an important and hard fought win for us. The team played well as a unit and put together some intelligent phases of play, but we need to look at other options with a view to the future."

Having only come back into the national side in last month's 3-1 win over Switzerland, 25-year-old Kuranyi is staking a strong case for his place in the first-choice side and is hoping to build on a superb performance.

"Kuranyi has proved that he is in a good vein of form and is scoring some good goals", said Löw, "it's nice to have someoptions up front."

The friendly is a sensible time for Löw, who has an impressive record as coach of seven wins and a draw having succeeded Jürgen Klinsmann last year, to look to the future.

With no more Euro 2008 qualifying fixtures until the visit of minnows San Marino in June, Denmark, who lost 2-1 to Spain in Madrid at the weekend, will provide a good work out for his inexperienced side.

Striker Kevin Kuranyi ensured Germany stay top of their Euro 2008 qualifying group with two headed goals either side of half-time as his side poached a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic on Saturday.

Schalke 04 striker Kuranyi bagged his 16th and 17th international goals to give Germany a three-point lead at the top of Group D over second-placed joint rivals the Czech Republic and Ireland following the deserved win in Prague.

The 25-year-old struck on 42 minutes when a well-placed header beat Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech and he repeated the feat on 62 minutes when he headed midfielder Bernd Schneider's cross home. Czech striker Milan Baros managed a consolation goal on 76 minutes after he deflected a shot past Germany's Jens Lehmann which wrong-footed the Arsenal goalkeeper, but it was too little, too late.

"We deserved the win," said Kuranyi. "We kept them under a lot of pressure and the team played well as a unit."

Werder Bremen won 2-0 at home to Mainz to move back within three points of Bundesliga leaders Schalke 04 on Sunday.

Werder were frustrated for a long time against in-form Mainz but after a first half of few chances they took the lead when Jurica Vranjes smashed in with an hour gone and Diego made the game safe in added time.

Victory kept Werder in second spot on 50 points, back within striking distance of Schalke after their 1-0 win at home to VfB Stuttgart on Saturday.

Sunday's win means Werder, who have by far the best goal difference in the Bundesliga, will be ready to pounce next time out when they play Energie Cottbus and Schalke have to travel to face Bayern.

Thomas Schaaf's side were a long way from their fluent best against Mainz but the coach will be pleased to see how well his side scrapped against awkward opponents.

Mainz had the best chance early in the game, with former Werder striker Mohamed Zidan forcing a good save from Tim Wiese with his fierce shot in the 12th minute.

Werder did not go close until the very end of the first half, when Miroslav Klose got clear down the left and crossed for Vranjes. An opening goal looked certain but the Croatian striker failed to make any kind of contact when faced with an open goal.

Werder maintained that momentum going into the second half. Diego let fly from 30 metres and was not too far away before Vranjes atoned for his earlier miss by giving Werder the lead, taking a smart pass from Clemens Fritz and picking his spot from the edge of the area.

Mainz threw everyone forward for a last gasp corner, including the goalkeeper, and Werder took advantage when Diego was left to take the ball forward 50 metres before shooting into an empty net.

Schalke 04 beat title rivals VfB Stuttgart 1-0 on Saturday to stretch their Bundesliga lead to six points, but Bayern Munich lost ground with a 1-0 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Schalke, on top throughout, made the breakthrough when Stuttgart keeper Timo Hildebrand failed to clear a corner and allowed Mladen Krstajic to poke in a shot.

It was a first win in five games for Schalke, who are seeking their first German championship in 49 years.

The result gives them 53 points from 26 games, while Stuttgart stay third on 46 points.

Bayern are fourth on 44 points, outside the Champions League places, after a goal from Christoph Preuss 12 minutes from time consigned them to defeat in Frankfurt.

It was a brilliant, first time overhead flick from Preuss, his first Bundesliga goal of the season, and it means Bayern will need to win next weekend's home game against Schalke to get back in the running for a third successive league title.

'That was a very bitter defeat,' said Ottmar Hitzfeld, who this week agreed a new contract with Bayern, keeping him at the club for at least other year. 'We dominated but we didn't have the final pass.'

Schalke will go into that game at the Allianz Arena with renewed confidence after seeing off a defensive Stuttgart team.

Schalke were well on top at their Arena AufSchalke in terms of possession but with the Brazilian forward Lincoln missing through suspension they once again struggled to create clear chances.

After a dull opening half-hour they threatened a goal for the first time when Zlatan Bajramovic let fly from 20 metres, forcing a fine save from Hildebrand low at full stretch.

Hildebrand did well again three minutes later, keeping out a Kevin Kuranyi header that followed the best passing move of the match.

The Germany goalkeeper was at clear fault on the goal, though, with around a quarter of an hour to go. Mesu Oezil took the corner, Hildebrand reacted slowly when the ball dropped at his feet and Krstajic took full advantage.

'It wasn't our best game of the season,' said Schalke coach Mirko Slomka. 'We've played better before and lost.

'We'd do well now to concentrate on the game at Bayern. We can go there with a lot more confidence after this.'

German National coach Joachim Löw has called up a squad of 20 players for the EC-qualifier against the Czech Republic on March 24 (8.45 pm CET) in Prague on Friday. Three newcomers are included with defender Gonzalo Castro and striker Stefan Kießling of Bayer Leverkusen, as well as midfielder Roberto Hilbert of VfB Stuttgart. Third goalkeeper behind Jens Lehmann (FC Arsenal) and Timo Hildebrand (VfB Stuttgart) is Robert Enke of Hannover 96.

Fritz, Schulz, Madlung and Freier on squad against Denmark

For the international friendly against Denmark in Duisburg four days later (8.00 pm CEST) Löw additionally called up four more players: Defenders Christian Schulz and Clemens Fritz of Werder Bremen, as well as Alexander Madlung of VfL Wolfsburg and midfielder Paul Freier of Bayer Leverkusen.

Löw cannot count on numerous players as they are injured. Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen), Mario Gomez (VfB Stuttgart), Mike Hanke (VfL Wolfsburg), Oliver Neuville (Borussia Mönchengladbach) and Gerald Asamaoh (Schalke 04) as well as Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen) and Arne Friedrich (Hertha BSC Berlin) are injured.

Ottmar Hitzfeld will stay on as coach of Bayern Munich for at least another season, the Bundesliga club announced on Thursday.

Bayern said in a statement that Hitzfeld had reached agreement with the club on a new one-year deal at a meeting on Wednesday. 'We are delighted we could reach such a quick and easy agreement,' Bayern manager Uli Hoeness said. 'It was a mutual decision to make the new contract just for one year. In due course we'll review the situation and agree on whether to extend it into the middle or long term.'

Hitzfeld, who led Bayern to victory in the Champions League in 2001, returned for a second spell in place of Felix Magath at the start of February. Early results were not good, with Bayern losing their first match 3-0 away to Nuremberg and managing just one win in the first four games.

They have since won two and drawn one of the last three Bundesliga games to revive hopes of a third successive league title, with the gap behind leaders Schalke 04 now down to six points with nine games to play.

The team also made up a 3-2 deficit in the Champions League to beat Real Madrid and clinch a place in the quarter-finals, where they will face AC Milan.

Bundesliga leaders Schalke 04 need a win to steady their nerves when they host third-placed VfB Stuttgart on Saturday. Schalke have managed just two draws and two defeats from their last four matches, a run that has seen their lead cut from six points to three over second-placed Werder Bremen.

It has been almost 50 years since Schalke last won the championship and the team's recent poor form has had German media cruelly speculating about them blowing another chance.

Schalke coach Mirko Slomka must once again do without Brazilian forward Lincoln, who has another three matches of suspension to serve after he punched Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Bernd Schneider last month. The good news is that Christian Pander, Gerald Asamoah and Gustavo Varela could all return to the squad after taking part in training this week.

Fullback Pander, who has not played this year because of an ankle injury, hopes to get at least an hour on Saturday. Striker Asamoah is also nearing full fitness after breaking his leg more than five months ago, while midfielder Varela could make his first appearance since Feb. 10 if his recovery from a knee injury continues.

Stuttgart hopes of climbing to within a point of the leaders will be hit by the absence of striker Mario Gomez, who tore knee ligaments in last weekend's goalless draw against VfL Wolfsburg. Gomez is the Bundesliga's leading scorer with 13 goals and could be out for six weeks.

Bayern Munich blew a chance to get back to within four points of Schalke when they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Werder last Sunday. As it is, they remain six points behind Schalke in fourth and could be forced to play away at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday without goalkeeper and captain Oliver Kahn, who has a back injury.

'If he isn't back in training by Friday he won't play,' said Ottmar Hitzfeld, who returned as coach in February and is considering an offer to stay on next season after leading the side through to the Champions League quarter-finals. England midfielder Owen Hargreaves also missed out on training this week because of flu but Hitzfeld expects to have him fit for Saturday against relegation threatened Frankfurt.

Werder are not in action until Sunday after playing in the UEFA Cup in midweek, securing a place in the quarter-finals thanks to a 2-0 win over Celta Vigo. Werder face a tricky game at home to Mainz, who are the form team of the second half of the season with 19 points from eight games. Miroslav Klose missed the UEFA Cup win because of a back injury but the World Cup top scorer should be fit for Sunday.