Hoffenheim failed to make use of a two-man advantage in gaining just a draw at home against Schalke but will spend the winter break as Bundesliga leaders.

Gerald Asamoah gave Schalke the lead in the 40th minute but Hoffenheim responded in the 72nd minute with a goal by Selim Teber.

Schalke finished the game with just nine players as Jermaine Jones was given his second yellow card in the 57th minute and Orlando Engelaar was dismissed in the 81st.

Hoffenheim bounced back well from their loss at Bayern Munich last week to finish the first half of the Bundesliga campaign with 35 points - level on points but with superior goal difference to Bayern.

Ralf Rangnick's team are the first promoted side in Bundesliga history to finish the first half of the season top of the table.

In a showdown between the league's best attack in Hoffenheim against the best defence of Schalke, the visitors started the game on the front foot and had the first chance after just three minutes with Asamoah blasting well off-target from just six yards out.

Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was called on 10 minutes later, diving to his left to save Sejad Salihovic's curling free-kick from 18 yards.

Chinedu Obasi's ball into the area in the 36th minute landed at the feet of Demba Ba, who tried to loop the ball over Neuer but his effort went wide of the left post.
Ba was again just off-target from eight yards in the 38th after a pass from Vedad Ibisevic.

But it was Schalke who grabbed the lead two minutes later. Halil Altintop split two defenders with a pass to Asamoah, who slotted through Hoffenheim goalkeeper Daniel Haas' legs.

The match grew more and more intense after the break with five bookings within eight minutes, including a second for Jones in the 57th for a challenge from behind on Luiz Gustavo.

Schalke assistant Youri Mulder was sent to the stand in the 64th minute for complaining.

Hoffenheim equalised in the 72nd minute with Teber's free-kick from 20 yards curling over the wall and past Neuer at the left post.

Tobias Weis was just inches away from giving Hoffenheim the lead with 10 minutes left but his 20-yard blast went just over the crossbar.

Schalke were reduced to nine men in the 81st minute as Holland midfielder Engelaar was shown his second yellow card for fouling Teber.

Neuer saved two more chances before Schalke's other assistant Mike Buskens was also sent-off with two minutes left.

Bayern Munich have made captain Mark van Bommel an offer to extend his contract beyond the end of the season, the club have confirmed.

The Dutch midfielder is out of contract in the summer and has been strongly linked with a move away after Bayern recently held talks with Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Anatoli Tymaschuk.

But Bayern have now offered the new 31-year-old a new deal, although details of the contract have not been disclosed.

In a statement on their official website, the club added they are hoping Van Bommel will have made a decision on his future by the end of the winter break.

Bayern Munich have confirmed midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has agreed a new three-year contract with the club.

The Germany international put pen to paper on the deal over the weekend to end speculation linking him with a move abroad with his previous contract due to expire in the summer.

"We are happy we have been able to tie down in a positive manner a further important player in Bastian Schweinsteiger," said chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on the club's website.

The 24-year-old has come through the ranks with Bayern, whom he joined as a schoolboy in 1998.

He made his first-team debut in 2002 and has since made 168 Bundesliga appearances and been capped 62 times by Germany.

His performances for the national team at Euro 2008 and during the first half of the season have attracted a lot of interest from many of Europe's top clubs, including Juventus, but he has followed team-mate Philipp Lahm by committing to Bayern.

Schweinsteiger's new contract with Bayern will run until June 2012.

Ten-man Bayern Munich moved to the top of the Bundesliga for the first time this season despite picking up only a point from their trip to Stuttgart this afternoon.

A last-gasp equaliser from Sami Khedira ensured the game finished 2-2 to deny the defending champions, while also maintaining new Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel's unbeaten record.

Bayern, who had Massimo Oddo dismissed five minutes from time, had come from behind with second-half goals from Tim Borowski and Luca Toni after Khedira put the hosts ahead on the stroke of half-time.

The point was enough to take Jurgen Klinsmann's side above Hoffenheim at the top, but they could slip back down to second if the Bundesliga newcomers avoid defeat in their final game of 2008 against Schalke tomorrow.

Hertha Berlin ensured their best-ever start to a Bundesliga campaign as they climbed up to third place, two points behind Bayern, with a thumping 4-0 win against lowly Karlsruhe.

Maximilian Nicu opened the scoring after just eight minutes before all three of Hertha's substitutes - Valeri Domovchiyski, Fabian Lustenberger and Raffael - found the net in the second half.

Mladen Petric scored the only goal of the game as Hamburg also moved two points off the lead with a 1-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bayer Leverkusen missed their chance to close in at the top, however, as a stoppage-time equaliser from Energie Cottbus substitute Jiayi Shao condemned them to a 1-1 draw.

Simon Rolfes had put Leverkusen ahead 13 minutes from time, but Shao's late equaliser meant the hosts dropped to fifth.

Werder Bremen needed an own goal to collect their fourth straight victory as they came from behind to beat Wolfsburg 2-1.

Christian Gentner gave the Wolves the lead after just three minutes, but Per Mertesacker equalised in the 27th and Wolfsburg captain Josue handed Bremen the victory by putting through his own net just after the hour.

Artur Wichniarek's 10th goal of the season salvaged a point for Arminia Bielefeld as they drew 1-1 at Hannover.

Jiri Stajner had put the hosts ahead after 32 minutes with a close-range header before Wichniarek restored parity just before the hour.

Manasseh Ishiaku's late goal gave nine-man Cologne a vital 2-1 win at Bochum in a battle between two relegation-threatened teams.

Kevin McKenna put Cologne ahead in the 44th minute only for Christoph Dabrowski to level matters 13 minutes after the interval, but Ishiaku struck the winner with three minutes let to snap a four-game losing run.

The visitors finished the game two men down as Geromel was sent off for a second bookable offence seven minutes from time and Milivoje Novakovic went the same way in the final minute.

On Friday night, Borussia Dortmund ensured they would head into the winter break in the top half of the table with a 2-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Former national team goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand, until recently under contract with FC Valencia, has signed a deal to join Hoffenheim. The 29-year old terminated his contract with the Spanish team six days ago.

“That was the right move for Timo. His situation in Valencia was up in the air, while his new coach is counting on him. Which is always good to know for every player”, said Joachim Löw, coach of the German national team.

After a 17-month stay in Valencia, Hildebrand returns to the Bundesliga, which he left after winning the German championship with VfB Stuttgart in May 2007. He is expected to be given his debut for the league leaders after the upcoming Christmas break, in a game against Energie Cottbus on January 31, 2009. Hildebrand has 7 caps with the German national team.

Interestingly, current Hoffenheim coach Ralf Rangnick was the man who gave Hildebrand his professional debut for Stuttgart eight years ago.

Striker Mladen Petric scored twice in the first half to give Hamburg a 2-1 away win against Cologne on Sunday and catch fourth-placed Hertha Berlin on 30 points.

Hamburg are fifth on goal difference.

It was Hamburg's first Bundesliga away win in more than two months, coming days after Martin Jol's team qualified for the next stage of the UEFA Cup with an away win against Slavia Prague.

Petric's sixth goal of the season came after 15 minutes when Marcell Jansen sprinted past two defenders on the left and floated a deep cross for Petric to head in at the far post.

The Croatian scored his second of the match just after the half hour mark with a diving header from two metres after Jori Mathijsen headed on a Piotr Trochowski corner.

Milivoje Novakovic pulled one back for the hosts in the 83rd.

But it was not all good news for Hamburg, who saw defender Alex Silva hobble off after only two minutes following a tackle by Roda Antar.

In the only other match of the day Wolfsburg beat Hanover 2-1 to move up to sixth place.

Wolfsburg struck first with defender Cristian Zaccardo after a swift combination on the right between Christian Gentner and Zvjezdan Misimovic.

Jiri Stajner equalised for Hanover in the 59th with a nice volley but four minutes later scored an own goal heading a Misimovic free kick past keeper Florian Fromlowitz.

Fromlowitz was red carded for a foul inside the box in the 81st but central defender-turned keeper Frank Fahrenhorst did well to save the penalty taken by Edin Dzeko.

Surprise packages Hoffenheim still lead the table with 34 points from 16 games despite a 2-1 defeat at Bayern Munich on Friday.

Bayern are second on goal difference while Hertha's 1-0 defeat to Schalke on Saturday dropped them to fourth on 30 points.

Bayer Leverkusen have moved up to third on 31 points following their 3-1 victory at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Schalke 04 recovered from their midweek UEFA Cup defeat by Twente Enschede to overcome Hertha Berlin 1-0 to climb to sixth in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Surprise packages Hoffenheim still lead the table with 34 points from 16 games despite a 2-1 defeat at Bayern Munich on Friday.

Bayern have the same points but are second on goal difference while Hertha's defeat dropped them to fourth on 30 points.

Schalke were in desperate need of a win after losing five of their last six matches and with the management pledging changes during the winter break.

Gerald Asamoah struck the only goal in the 65th minute when he headed a deep Jefferson Farfan cross into an unguarded net after Hertha keeper Jaroslav Drobny failed to get his hands on the ball.

"There had to be a reaction from us after all the games without a point," Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones told the club's website (www.schalke04.de).

"It's a start. Next week we have to be courageous when we play Hoffenheim. We have to stick together."

Asamoah said: "This was an extremely important victory for us. We were well aware we had not played well the past few weeks."

Visiting Hertha, who also lost in the UEFA Cup to Galatasaray in midweek, never really threatened as Kevin Kuranyi and Halil Altintop wasted several chances to increase Schalke's advantage.

Bayer Leverkusen moved up to third on 31 points with a 3-1 triumph at Borussia Moenchengladbach, returning to winning ways after last week's defeat by Bayern.

Stefan Kiessling scored twice in the first half and set up Patrick Helmes for his 12th league goal of the season before bottom club Moenchengladbach pulled one back through Tony Jantschke in the 61st.

VfB Stuttgart won 3-0 at Energie Cottbus, with Roberto Hilbert on target after only four minutes.

Jan Simak and Sami Khedira added two more goals in the second half as Stuttgart chalked up their second consecutive win under new coach Markus Babbel.

Werder Bremen's rollercoaster season continued when they lost 1-0 at lowly Karlsruhe to slip to ninth. The away team also had striker Claudio Pizarro sent off in the last minute.

Eintracht Frankfurt crushed relegation-threatened VfL Bochum 4-0 after the visitors had Daniel Fernandes dismissed in the fifth minute.

Arminia Bielefeld and Borussia Dortmund shared a 0-0 draw.

On Sunday, Cologne host Hamburg SV and VfL Wolfsburg entertain Hanover 96 (both 1600 GMT).

German soccer's long winter break will be cut by more than two weeks next season, the German Football Federation (DFB) said on Thursday.

German soccer traditionally grinds to a halt for a month-and-a half during the winter, among the longest breaks in the sport.

The DFB said the changes, agreed with the German soccer league (DFL), would benefit the national team as they attempted to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa which kicks off on June 11, 2010.

"The solution found by the DFB und DFL is absolutely positive for the World Cup preparations of the national squad," DFB general secretary Wolfgang Niersbach said.

The 2009-2010 Bundesliga season will start on Aug. 7 and end on May 8, with a break from December 18 to January 15.

This season's break begins in mid-December and play resumes on January 30.

VfB Stuttgart beat Schalke 2-0 on Sunday to give Markus Babbel a great start to his new career as a Bundesliga coach.

Babbel assumed the Stuttgart job after Armin Veh's sacking last weekend and he was punching the air in delight when Jan Simak ran on to a hopeful long ball and lobbed it over the keeper and into the top right-hand corner for the 80th minute opener.

Mario Gomez finished off another swift break a few minutes from time to secure Stuttgart's first win in six league games.

Hamburg SV lost further ground in the race for Champions League places when they were lucky to get a 1-1 draw at Bochum, while Borussia Dortmund were held to a goalless draw at home to VfL Wolfsburg.

With 15 matches played, and two to go before the long mid-season break, Hoffenheim lead with 34 points after a 3-0 win at home to Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday.

Hoffenheim's next match is away to champions Bayern Munich, who climbed to second on 31 points with a 2-0 win away to Bayer Leverkusen. Hertha Berlin are third on 30 following their 2-1 win at home to Cologne on Friday.

Hamburg's failure to beat Bochum leaves them fifth on 27 points, while Dortmund are sixth on 25 and Schalke 04 are ninth with 23.

Stuttgart remain down in 10th place on 21 but they will look forward to the second half of the season with more optimism after gaining reward for a gritty display against Schalke.

"It was a very nervy win," win said Babbel, the former Germany defender who retired as a player after a career that took in Bayern Munich, Hamburg, Liverpool and Stuttgart.

"We were unsettled in the first half but we improved after the break and took our chances."

Schalke should have taken the lead in the first half when Kevin Kuranyi won a penalty but Jefferson Farfan's effort was well saved by Jens Lehmann, low to his left.

Stuttgart took control in the second half and Mario Gomez wasted three good chances before Simak's eye-catching strike set them on their way to a deserved win.

Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose struck to give Bayern Munich a 2-0 win away to Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, keeping the champions on the trail of sure-footed leaders Hoffenheim.

While Hoffenheim enjoyed an easy 3-0 win at home to Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern had to work a lot harder to dig out victory over one of their direct rivals with two second-half goals.

A seventh win in nine games was enough to take resurgent Bayern into second place and give them the perfect preparation for a home game against Hoffenheim next Friday.

Hoffenheim, the wealthy village team who are on an even better run with eight wins in nine games, lead with 34 points from 15 matches in their first season in the top flight, followed by Bayern on 31.

Hertha Berlin are third on 30 after their 2-1 win at home to Cologne on Friday, while Leverkusen slip to fourth on 28.

Hoffenheim had their home game against Bielefeld all wrapped up by the 11th minute.

Vedad Ibisevic volleyed in low for the opening goal -- his 17th of the season -- after Selim Teber's cross had picked him out in the fifth minute.

Carlos Eduardo made it 2-0 soon afterwards when he surged forward and sent a skimming shot inside the right-hand post and Francisco Copado converted a late penalty for the third.

Bayern were always going to have a tougher afternoon against Leverkusen, who have looked genuine title contenders under Bruno Labbadia this season.

CLOSE SHAVE

The home side almost took the lead when Henrique headed against the post from an early corner but Bayern, who secured qualification for the knockout phase of the Champions League in midweek, were soon in control in midfield.

Bastian Schweinsteiger twice went close to scoring from long distance before Ribery helped to set up the opening goal.

The Frenchman's pass found Ze Roberto running into space on the left and his perfectly judged cross gave Toni the chance to outjump the defence and head past Rene Adler.

Leverkusen's response to that classic centre forward's goal was strangely muted and when they did try to launch a quick break they paid the price for a stray pass, as the ball fell for Ribery to set up Klose for the second.

''We showed our class in the second half,'' Bayern coach Juergen Klinsmann told reporters. ''We made a bumpy start to the season but we've put it behind us now.''

Werder Bremen, whose hopes of Champions League progress were dashed when they could only draw with Anorthosis Famagusta this week, restored morale as a Claudio Pizarro hat-trick helped them to get a 5-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Cologne have confirmed for the first time that they are going to try and bring unsettled Bayern Munich striker Lukas Podolski back to the club this winter.

Cologne have made no secret of their desire to re-sign the Germany international, who made a name for himself before joining Bayern two years ago. And the player would like nothing more than to re-join the team from his home town.

However, he has been told by Bayern bosses that he must stay at the club and coach Jurgen Klinsmann confirmed last night that he needed four strikers for the second half of the season and that Podolski "will have to get used to the situation".

At the same time, Cologne president Wolfgang Overath was telling club members at their Annual General Meeting that they are preparing a bid to sign him.

"We will do everything and that means everything within our means to bring the lad back home," he revealed. "We have been doing our homework."

General manager Michael Meier confirmed that talks "have recently been held between Cologne and Bayern and Cologne and Podolski", setting the wheels in motion on a spectacular winter transfer.

"We are now waiting for a signal," he added.

Cologne have first refusal on Podolski and Bayern have promised to let them know as soon as the player becomes available. That seemed to be the case after they signed Landon Donovan last week, but his arrival will not necessarily open the door to Podolski's departure.

Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness recently ruled out any more transfer dealings this winter and said his side are concentrating solely on who to buy or sell next summer.

Klinsmann showed sympathy for Podolski, whose absence from the team sheet against Steaua Bucharest was officially put down to a bad back. "We all feel for him," he said. "I was a striker myself and I know exactly what he is thinking."

Werder Bremen came from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw with Cypriot newcomers Anorthosis Famagusta in Champions League Group B on Wednesday but it was not enough to prevent the Germans slipping out.

Werder's comeback at the end of a frantic second half only succeeded in denting the home side's hopes of clinching qualification for the last 16 at the first attempt, although they do still have a chance.

As it is, Inter Milan qualified with a game to spare despite losing 1-0 at home to Panathinaikos.

The second berth will be decided when Anorthosis travel to face Panathinaikos on the final evening of matches next month.

For the moment, Panathinaikos are second with seven points, while Anorthosis are third on six and Werder are bottom with four.

It was a cruel finish for Anorthosis, after they had taken control with the first moment of quality in a poor match.

It came in the 62nd minute when Nikos Nikolaou struck first time on the half-volley, low past Werder's stand-in keeper Christian Vander, as the ball drifted over from a corner.

Brazilian forward Savio added a second in the 68th minute, turning in from close range after a crossfield ball from the right.

Werder rarely threatened but they were given a lifeline when Diego lashed in from a penalty in the 72nd minute.

The Germans came pouring forward and got an equaliser they perhaps deserved when Hugo Almeida struck with a low volley.

Almeida was then handed a chance to revive Werder's season when he was put through on goal but the Portuguese shot straight at the keeper.

Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer has slammed Michael Ballack for reviving a recent row with Germany coach Joachim Low.

The Chelsea midfielder told Germany's Premiere television that he had "intentionally" gone public with his criticism of Low last month. Although he claims his comments were not meant as a criticism, and were "blown out of proportion" by the German media, he said he had considered his words in a bid to "shake a few people up."

Ballack was summoned for clear-the-air talks by a furious Low and his future as Germany captain was in doubt until the pair met in Frankfurt and resolved their differences. Beckenbauer believes Ballack is still skating on thin ice and cannot understand why he has decided to go public once again.

"I am speechless," he said. "I thought the whole issue had been dealt with. It would be terrible if this whole issue turned into a never-ending story."

That should not be the case, though, since Low has already warned Ballack that his international career will be over if he steps out of line once again. His latest comments have not been treated as criticism.

"Michael has the right to express his opinion," Low told today's Bild newspaper.

Meanwhile, Beckenbauer believes Ballack is on the brink of boiling over once again.

He told Premiere television: "I believe that Ballack is still very frustrated and that has carried over from Euro 2008 where he noticed a few shortcomings and complained.

"It is starting to weigh him down that he will probably always be the man who finished second. Therefore, he is perhaps still a bit angry."

Ballack has won one Bundesliga title with Kaiserslautern, but lost in Champions League and DFB-Pokal finals with Bayer Leverkusen as well as in the Euro 2008 final with Germany and the Champions League again with Chelsea last season.

The Blues also finished as runners-up to United in the Premier League last season.

Hamburg SV clinched a 2-1 win at home to Werder Bremen on Sunday thanks to a spectacular strike from Ivica Olic.

Croatia striker Olic let fly from 25 metres, scoring in off the far post to settle a breathless clash between two teams who have struggled for consistency this season.

Victory took Hamburg back up to fifth place with 26 points from 14 games. Werder Bremen, runners-up to Bayern Munich last season, remain down in ninth place with 20 points.

Hoffenheim lead the standings with 31 points after winning 3-1 at Cologne on Saturday. Second-placed Leverkusen, beaten 2-1 at Arminia Bielefeld, and Bayern, 4-1 winners over visiting Energie Cottbus, have 28 points apiece.

Hamburg, who have slipped out of the title race, were outplayed by Werder but never stopped running and nicked the win thanks to a piece of brilliance from Olic in the 74th minute.

"We showed passion and fight," Hamburg coach Martin Jol told reporters. "Werder were maybe the better team but they didn't create that many chances."

Hamburg took an early lead when Paolo Guerrero squeezed in a shot at the near post after Tim Wiese had blocked a Mladen Petric free kick.

Diego's sweetly struck free kick brought Werder level midway through the half and, while the visitors were the better side for the remainder of the game, Olic made the difference.

The only negative side to an absorbing match came immediately after Diego's equaliser when Werder captain Frank Baumann was hit by an object apparently thrown from the crowd.

The German FA is likely to investigate.

Hoffenheim surged three points clear with a 3-1 win at Cologne in the Bundesliga on Saturday, while Franck Ribery scored for the sixth league game in succession to help Bayern Munich beat Energie Cottbus 4-1.

Hoffenheim, the village team with multi-millionaire backing, went ahead through Demba Ba and clinched victory as Vedad Ibisevic struck his 15th and 16th goals of the season.

It was enough to take them back to the top ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, who suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat away to Arminia Bielefeld.

With 14 games of the Bundesliga season played, and three to go before the long break, Hoffenheim lead with 31 points, followed by Leverkusen on 28.

Bayern are third, also on 28, after French midfielder Ribery sparked a revival at home to Cottbus with a terrific free kick.

The other Bayern goals, on a snowy afternoon in Bavaria, came from Martin Demichelis, Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni.

Hoffenheim coach Ralf Rangnick has dismissed title talk in the club's first Bundesliga season but if they keep winning tricky matches like this there will be no reason for modesty.

They were short of their flowing best against Cologne, but won an entertaining scrap thanks to superior finishing.

The opening goal was a neat strike, in off the far post, after Ba's well timed run had beaten the offside trap.

Both sides had a player sent off before Hoffenheim doubled their lead via Ibisevic from close range. Portuguese midfielder Petit got one back before Ibisevic supplied the finishing touch.

They got full value for the win as Leverkusen's patchy form continued with defeat in Bielefeld.

Artur Wichniarek cracked in the first and Daniel Halfar struck on the rebound for the second. Patrick Helmes got one back and very nearly bagged an equaliser when his venomous low free kick brought a fine diving save from the keeper.

While Hoffenheim can be delighted with that result, they might get nervous at the manner of Bayern's win over Cottbus.

This was Bayern's most convincing display yet under Juergen Klinsmann, even if they fell behind to an Ervin Skela free kick.

The setback brought out the best in Bayern, as they rattled in four goals in 30 minutes either side of halftime to make up for last week's 2-2 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Ribery's exquisite free kick from 20 metres brought them level and Demichelis had them in front before the end of the first half with a flick header from a Massimo Oddo cross.

Ribery then set up Klose to head in the third and Toni volleyed in from a free kick to round off the scoring.

Bayern Munich are set to sign USA international Landon Donovan on a loan deal running from Jan 1 to at least the middle of March and possibly until the end of the season.

The U.S. star will play in the Bundesliga after impressing Juergen Klinsmann.
Donovan, 26, who has made over a century of caps for his country, has been training with Bayern for the last week and a half and has impressed Bayern coach Juergen Klinsmann, who was a technical advisor at the Galaxy before he took over as Bayern coach on July 1.

"I've had the pleasure to see him throughout the years living in Los Angeles and I've always said to friends of mine [that] he could make it in Europe," Klinsmann said in an interview with ESPN's Press Pass. "It's more a mental thing than it is a football thing.

"Now [Donovan] comes in as a mature player ... He's a far more confident player. He has the physical capabilities, he has the technical capabilities."

Having struggled to impress on his last sojourn to the Bundesliga when he had a brief spell at Bayer Leverkusen, Donovan said he is enjoying his time in Munich and is keen to stay.

"As a person and a player, I am completely different now to how I was then, I have matured. I am ready. I believe I can keep up with all the other players, even if I am not the best player here."

Having struggled to make the grade in Germany last time, Donovan admits he has learned from the experience. "I recognise Leverkusen wasn't the problem, I was," he said. "I just wasn't ready for it."

And Bayern manager Uli Hoeness has been impressed with what he has seen so far. "What he has shown so far is okay, he can certainly kick," said Hoeness.

Donovan top scored in Major League Soccer's regular season with 20 goals in 25 matches for LA Galaxy team.

His loan follows that of David Beckham to AC Milan, also for three months, though in contrast Galaxy and Milan have both said that deal will end in March.

England captain John Terry's header six minutes from time sealed a 2-1 win over Germany in Wednesday's friendly at Berlin's Olympic Stadium as Fabio Capello's weakened team beat the Euro 2008 runners-up.

A first-half goal by West Ham's Matthew Upson was cancelled out by Bayer Leverkusen Patrick Helmes' second-half equaliser following a mix-up in the England defence before Terry headed the winner in the closing stages.

It was England who scored first when they were rewarded for an early piece of pressure. Their second corner in quick succession was swung in and Germany goalkeeper Rene Adler looked to have been hindered by Jermain Defoe as he went to punch the ball clear. In the resulting scramble, Upson was the sharpest to react and stabbed the ball home on 23 minutes to put the visitors ahead as England controlled the first half with Germany's attack rarely threatening.

Both England and Germany made changes during half-time to their squad. The changes worked in Germany's favour as a horrible mix-up in the England defence between Terry and West Bromwich Albion shot-stopper Carson saw the ball bobble to Helmes who fired into an empty net on 63 minutes to equalise. But Terry rectified the situation with time running out when he rose higher than his marker Heiko Westermann to header past Wiese to give England the winner.

German coach Joachim Löw has nominated three newcomers to the line-up for Wednesday’s football classic against England. For the first time, defender Marvin Compper and midfielder Tobias Weis of 1899 Hoffenheim as well as Marcel Schäfer of VfL Wolfsburg received an invitation to the “Mannschaft”. Löw made his 20-player-roster for Wednesday’s game in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium public last week.

“This last game of the calendar year offers us an opportunity to try out some new things, to show some new wrinkles. All three novices earned their starts due to their recent performances in the Bundesliga”, said Löw.

Because of their injury status, several players usually indispensable components on the team were left off the list. Michael Ballack from FC Chelsea was not called-upon as well as Philipp Lahm (Bayern München), Clemens Fritz and Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Marcell Jansen (Hamburger Sport Verein) and Christian Pander (Schalke 04).

Nevertheless, Ballack, Frings and Lahm will travel to the German capital on Monday. As all three players represent the team counsel, they will participate in the scheduled negotiations with DFB President Dr. Theo Zwanziger and General Secretary Wolfgang Niersbach on the bonus payments for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying round.

The German coach has also announced that he intends to address the team about his expectations for the upcoming games on the road to South Africa.

Werder Bremen rediscovered their scoring touch on Sunday to beat Cologne 3-1 and get back into the race for European places.

Werder, surprisingly held to a goalless draw with Bochum last weekend, had no such problems in attack once Diego had put them ahead with a penalty in the 15th minute.

It was only Werder's fifth league win but it was enough to take them up to seventh place with 20 points from 13 games.

"It wasn't our best performance but it will give us a boost in confidence," goalkeeper Tim Wiese told Premiere TV.

Bayer Leverkusen lead the standings with 28 points after a 2-1 win over Schalke 04 on Saturday.

Hoffenheim trail them on goal difference following their 3-2 victory over VfL Wolfsburg, with Bayern Munich three points behind them in third after they were held 2-2 at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Werder were runners-up to Bayern last season but this term they have been too inconsistent to get near the leading three.

They played brilliantly in a 5-2 win away to Bayern back in September and followed it up with a 5-4 victory over Hoffenheim but then managed just two points from their next four matches.

Last weekend's failure against relegation candidates Bochum let them in the bottom half of the table but they played far more like title challengers on Sunday.

Frank Baumann's run into the box prompted a clumsy challenge from Pierre Wome and gave Diego the chance to put them ahead from the spot.

They were on top from then on and doubled the lead with a terrific barging header from Naldo from a corner just before the break.

Milivoje Novakovic pulled one back early in the second half with a nice run and shot but Hugo Almeida restored the two-goal cushion with a perfectly struck half-volley a few minutes later.

In their last match of the year 2008, Germany host England on Wednesday in Berlin in an international friendly. The match will be played in the Olympic stadium and starts at 8.45 p.m CET.

It will be the 31st match-up between the Mannschaft and the Three Lions. England is one of the few teams that Germany has lost to more often than it has won. The British team won 14 matches and Germany only ten. The other matches ended in draws.

Nevertheless, Germany won the last encounter in London 2-1, when both teams met to mark the inauguration of the new Wembley stadium on August, 22nd 2007. Then, Kevin Kuranyi and Christian Pander scored for Germany. Germany also won the last match at the old Wembley stadium 1-0 in October 2007, before the iconic stadium was closed for its rebuilding.

Here are highlights from that game:


However, who can forget the last time Germany played at home against England in Munich? In the 2002 World Cup qualifier, Germany were soundly beaten 5-1 at the Olympic Stadium.

In case you've forgotten, here's a painful reminder of what happened back in 2001:


The last time they played in Berlin was in a 1972 European Championship quarter-final second leg, which ended goalless with West Germany going through 3-1 on aggregate to the four-team tournament, which they won.

With the long standing rivalry between these two great footballing nations, this game will probably be anything but 'friendly'. It certainly is an interesting game to look forward to indeed! Stay tuned for all the latest news and results from the game right here at German Football Team blog!

Bayern Munich's revival faltered after a costly 2-2 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday while top two Bayer Leverkusen and Hoffenheim clinched narrow wins.

Bayern were on course for a sixth successive Bundesliga victory when they took a 2-0 lead with a Luca Toni tap-in and a Franck Ribery penalty, only for Gladbach to score twice in two second-half minutes to secure an unlikely point.

Leverkusen, who threw away a three-goal lead against Karlsruhe last weekend, showed more ruthlessness as they held on for a 2-1 win at home to Schalke 04.

Hoffenheim also won a tight game when they saw off VfL Wolfsburg 3-2.

Leverkusen lead the table with 28 points from 13 games, ahead of Hoffenheim on goal difference. Bayern are third on 25 after their defensive problems were exposed in the second half.

Bayern went ahead when Philipp Lahm took the ball forward down the left in the 21st minute, beat the covering defender and pulled the ball back to the near post for Toni.

The visitors made it 2-0 when Ribery won a marginal penalty decision midway through the second half and converted it himself.

Gladbach got one back in the 79th minute when Rob Friend was left unmarked to head home and on their next attack Roberto Colautti recovered from a clumsy Martin Demichelis challenge and crossed for Michael Bradley to nod in.

Leverkusen had shown similar frailties to Bayern against Karlsruhe but provided the perfect response at home to Schalke.

Stefan Kiessling struck with a low volley and Patrick Helmes poached the second four minutes before the break.

The home side looked comfortable even after Gonzalo Castro's second booking left them a man short in the 67th minute.

Kevin Kuranyi eventually got one back with a header five minutes from time but Schalke could not prevent a second successive defeat.

Hoffenheim also dropped points last weekend, when they were surprisingly beaten by Hertha Berlin, and had things far from easy in their scrap with Wolfsburg.

The visitors twice fought back from a goal down in the first half before Chinedu Obasi secured victory with a cool finish with 21 minutes to go.

Brazilian defender Lucio has cast doubt over his Bayern Munich future - by leaving his career beyond the end of this season in the hands of God.

The Brazilian defender came close to putting in an official transfer request last campaign, and has already suggested this could be his final season with Bayern.

"I don't have any particular plans because I want to concentrate on the season, but only dear God knows what happens afterwards," he said.

"I have a contract until 2010. But I don't know what will happen after the summer."

The 30-year-old - who has helped to win three Bundesliga titles, three DFB-Pokals and the League Cup twice - appears to be settled in the Munich area.

"Now my son is playing in the Bayern youth set-up and my family is happy here, I can imagine staying," he added.

"There is always an 'if' - and if I were to stay here, then I would still be happy."

Lucio is not the only Bayern player at the centre of transfer speculation.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, whose contract expires next summer, has already spoken of his desire to play abroad and Lukas Podolski has made clear several times he wants to leave.

Captain Mark van Bommel has been linked with a move to Schalke, where he would be reunited with his old boss Fred Rutten.

Youngster Toni Kroos' future is also unclear, after his father told the club he is not happy with the amount of football his son is playing.

General manager Uli Hoeness told Munich's Tz newspaper that Kroos would benefit if he stays.

"He has got to improve," he said.

"When I was 18 and came to Bayern, I had to compete with national team players. I knocked them to the side one by one and when I was 20, I was in the national team myself.

"Every training game with Bayern gives him more than a league game with an average team, where he may end up losing every week."

The 134 international matches played in the last few weeks, including 94 qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, have seen dramatic changes in the FIFA World Ranking.

Spain continue to lead the way by some distance, but among the chasing pack, Germany (2nd, up 1) and Italy (3rd, down 1), the Netherlands (4th, up 1) and Brazil (5th, down 1), Argentina (6th, up 1) and Croatia (7th, down 1), and Russia (8th, up 1) and the Czech Republic (9th, down 1) have all swapped places. England (10th, up 4) are back in the top ten, sharing tenth position with non-movers Portugal.

This month’s major movers among the top 50 are Switzerland (27th, up 18), Serbia (30th, up 10), Ecuador (31st, up 11) and Slovakia (45th, up 15). Also returning to the top 50 along with Slovakia are Mali (49th, up 4). There is no change to the top 50 in terms of regional representation, as Senegal (51st, down 2) and Norway (54th, down 15) have dropped out of this group.

Jamaica have made the biggest leap forward. Crucial 1-0 victories in FIFA World Cup qualifiers against better-ranked opponents from Mexico and Honduras, added to victory in a friendly, have catapulted the Reggae Boyz from 116th to 83rd place. Israel (15th, up 1), Montenegro (115th, up 2) and the Philippines (157th, up 8) also enjoyed a successful month and have attained their highest ranking to date.

A little piece of history has been made at the bottom of the table: Timor-Leste, who have only been affiliated to FIFA since 2005, achieved the first success of their short footballing existence by drawing 2-2 with Cambodia, thus climbing to 198th position.

The next FIFA World Ranking will be published on 17 December 2008.

Werder Bremen fans have been praised for the way they turned in a group of neo-Nazis after their 0-0 draw at Bochum on Saturday.

A handful of extreme right-wing activists unfurled a national socialist banner at the end of the Bundesliga draw, but they were promptly identified and turned over to the police by Bremen fans surrounding them.

President of the German Football Association (DFB) Dr Theo Zwanziger commended the ''civil courage'' of the Bremen fans.

''The Bundesliga writes many an extraordinary story and an excellent one is certainly what we experienced in Bochum on Saturday,'' he told the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper.

''That the police were able to arrest neo-Nazis after they were identified by Bremen fans when they unfurled a banner with extreme right-wing remarks is a perfect example of civil courage in the stadium.

''It encompasses the values of the DFB and the DFL (German Football League) that fans do not look away when idiots and outcasts want to abuse the football scene, but rather show solidarity to act quickly and decisively.''

Zwanziger continued to praise their actions, which can be used as an example to combat hooliganism and violence in and around stadia.

He said: ''This can be the basis for giving violence, xenophobia and discrimination no chance in football.''

Zwanziger now plans to meet with the Bremen fans along with his DFL counterpart Dr Reinhard Rauball to thank them in person.

Good ol' Lehmann is at it again. This time, he's threatening to quit the Bundesliga because the refereeing in the Bundesliga is so bad.

The 39-year-old former Arsenal player, who returned to Germany this season after five years in the Premier League, was booked by referee Babak Rafati in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Rafati allowed two controversial goals - one for either side - to stand, leaving Lehmann wondering if there are no better officials in Germany.

''We all have reason to be not too happy with the performance of the referee,'' he told Premiere television after the match.

''I kept asking myself what on earth he was blowing for. These are referees for us and not for the two people in the stands who are writing a report about him.What that man did was unbelievable.''

Lehmann was furious at the yellow card he received, his third of the season for dissent.

''There was a situation in which a Frankfurt player feigned an injury so we could not launch a counter-attack,'' he added.''The referee said he had to stop play for the injury and then the man stands up and doesn't even leave the field to be treated.

''I told the referee, 'Look! There he goes!' and he shows me a yellow card - incredible. That was so bad that I may as well not bother playing in future. I did not even say anything nasty to the referee.

''Surely there are better ones. I am sorry, but things cannot go on like this. This is sad for the whole of the Bundesliga.''

Maybe this is the chance to get Lehmann to retire. I'd say the Bundesliga should hire more bad refrees!

Bayern Munich closed to within a point of new leaders Bayer Leverkusen when Luca Toni and Franck Ribery gave them a 2-1 win at Schalke 04 on Sunday, while Hoffenheim lost 1-0 away to Hertha Berlin.

Toni, back after a rib injury, supplied a cool finish to give Bayern an early lead at one of their least favourite grounds.

Schalke were level almost immediately through Jefferson Farfan but Ribery, a different class to everyone else, scored his fourth goal in four league games to earn the champions a fifth successive league win.

Hoffenheim have surprised everyone this season and the wealthy village team defied predictions again on Sunday as their own five-match winning run came to an end at the Olympiastadion.

The much-vaunted trio of forwards Vedad Ibisevic, Demba Ba and Chinedu Obasi had a collective off-day and Hertha nicked a win when Andriy Voronin beat the offside trap and scored with 20 minutes to go.

Defeat proved costly for Hoffenheim, as it meant Leverkusen moved above them on goal difference following their 3-3 draw away to Karlsruhe on Saturday.

Leverkusen and Hoffenheim each have 25 points from 12 matches, with Bayern third on 24.

It is no coincidence that Bayern's revival, after a dreadful start under Juergen Klinsmann, has coincided with the return from injury of Ribery.

After the early exchange of goals, Schalke took control and it was only Ribery's ability to hold up the ball in midfield that gave the Bavarians any relief.

His goal was a work of art. The 25-year-old glided forward down the left and fooled two covering defenders by playing in Ze Roberto on the overlap.

Ze Roberto hesitated before pulling the ball back to the near post, from where the lurking Ribery stabbed first time into the roof of the net.

Bayern came under intense pressure as Schalke poured players forward and with Michael Rensing enduring anot

Bayer Leverkusen raised doubts about their ability to mount a serious title challenge when they let Karlsruhe come from three goals down to claim a memorable 3-3 draw on Saturday.

With Hoffenheim not in action until Sunday, Leverkusen had a chance to move back on top of the Bundesliga and they seemed certain to take it when Patrick Helmes scored after a few seconds and they improved that lead to 3-0 by the 24th minute.

A lucky deflection at a free kick gave Karlsruhe a lifeline, however, and Leverkusen seemed utterly lost as the home side got back to 3-3.

Hoffenheim, who play away to Hertha Berlin on Sunday, continue to lead the standings with 25 points from 11 games. Leverkusen are second, also with 25 points but having played 12.

Hamburg SV moved up to third on 23 as they held on for a 2-1 win at home to Borussia Dortmund in a bad tempered match.

Bayern Munich slip to fourth on 21 but have the chance to go back above Hamburg when they play at Schalke 04 on Sunday.

Werder Bremen, beaten 3-0 at home to Panathinaikos in the Champions League in midweek, could only draw 0-0 at Bochum and drop to 10th place on 17 points.

Leverkusen had racked up four successive 2-0 wins to move up to second and get people talking about them as dark horses for the title in their first season under Bruno Labbadia.

A return to the top of the table, at least for one night, looked odds on after Helmes strolled through the defence and shot through the keeper's legs with around 30 seconds gone.

Stefan Kiessling made it 2-0 with a header and Michal Kadlec cracked in a free kick and the game seemed to be up.

Leverkusen looked comfortable enough even after Kiessling deflected in a free kick from Antonio da Silva eight minutes before the break but the second half was a different story.

Leverkusen seemed to suffer a crisis of confidence in defence and attack, which became worse after Tim Sebastian converted from a free kick with an hour gone.

An equaliser began to look inevitable and it came when Aleksandr Iashvili headed in 14 minutes from time.

German coach Joachim Löw has informed Jens Lehman, that he will not nominate the 38-year old former goalkepper of the German national team for a farewell-appearance in the game against England on November 19.

Following the personal talk with Lehmann, Löw said: “Our group of young keepers needs the experience of these international matches. Obviously, a final appearance in the England game would have been a nice gesture towards Jens.

"Even more so, because Jens spend five years in Arsenal, and every fan remembers his heroic deeds in the Berlin Olympiastadion during the 2006 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina. All this considered, our team goals had to be given priority.”

Löw also praised Lehmann’s achievements wearing the Germany jersey. Lehmann played his final international in the EURO final against Spain in Vienna on June 29, 2008. He has been capped 61 times for Germany.

“Jens has done much for German football. During our four years working together, he has always been an important sounding board. I have been impressed by his leadership and his professionalism throughout.

"He was able to focus to the point, whether during practice sessions or in the games. I have met few players, who were able to contribute in such a positive and effective way."

FLORENCE, Italy, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Tim Borowski scored a late goal to earn Bayern Munich a 1-1 draw at Fiorentina on Wednesday and put the Germans on the brink of the Champions League last 16.

The unmarked midfielder controlled a deflected Franck Ribery ball from the left and slotted in 12 minutes from time to give the visitors a barely deserved share of the spoils.

Romania striker Adrian Mutu had volleyed the home side in front in the 11th minute after Alberto Gilardino glanced on Luciano Zauri's cross from deep.

Bayern have eight points from four games and share the lead of Group F with Olympique Lyon, who beat Steaua Bucharest 2-0, while Fiorentina are five points behind in third with slender hope of going though.

"It was important to salvage a point at the end of the match," Borowski told Sky television.

"Now we're sure of keeping Fiorentina behind us."

The Italians, who lost 3-0 in Bavaria two weeks ago, enjoyed a good spell of pressure after going in front and Bayern keeper Michael Rensing produced two diving saves to repel Gilardino headers.

The visitors, without injured former Fiorentina striker Luca Toni, had more possession in the latter part of the first half, but failed to do much with it. Bastian Schweinsteiger blasted their best chance wide shortly before the break.

The Serie A side made a bright start to the second half, when Italy forward Gilardino overhit an attempted lob and had a powerful strike blocked by Rensing while Mutu headed over the bar from close range.

Borowski made them pay for their wastefulness and Miroslav Klose almost snatched it for the German champions shortly after the equaliser.

"We played well. We put a great team in trouble," Mutu said. "We were a bit naive. We should have wrapped up the game. We're paying for our inexperience in the Champions League."

Panathinaikos produced an away display to remember as they struck three times after half-time to clinch a Champions League Group B victory against Werder Bremen.

Henk ten Cate's side were irresistible after the break to breathe new life into their own campaign after they had managed just a single point before Tuesday night's match.
Vangelis Mantzios, who scored twice when the two teams drew 2-2 a fortnight ago, got the ball rolling with a goal after 58 minutes.

Pana captain Giorgos Karagounis then put the visitors two goals ahead after 70 minutes with a thunderous first-time strike from the edge of the area and Bremen's humiliation was complete seven minutes from time when Alexis Tziolis netted.

Pana now find themselves just a point behind second-place Anorthosis Famagusta, while Bremen, who are without a win in four games, are languishing at the foot of the table with three points.

The away side started the better with Karagounis at the heart of their best forward moves.

The free-kick expert quickly found his range from a dead-ball situation, forcing Tim Wiese into action with a save after three minutes.

At the other end Diego also gave warning of his threat with a quick turn a shot from the edge of the area that slid past the right-hand post.

From there the visitors settled the better with Karagounis pulling the strings from midfield.

The Greece midfielder almost gave his side the lead with an audacious 35-yard free-kick that hit the underside of the crossbar after catching Wiese too far off his line.

The Bremen goalkeeper was forced into a hasty retreat to try and get a hand to the lofted shot, but unable to do so he was relieved when the ball bounced down of the crossbar. The danger was not, however, completely over as the rebound fell to Mantzios, but his weak header allowed Wiese time to get to his feet and collect.

Bremen's best chance of the opening period also came from a free-kick when Claudio Pizarro's deflected header, from Diego's arrowed shot, produced a fine diving save from Mario Galinovic.

Pana had deserved to go into half-time on level terms and they upped their game further after the break with Karagounis shooting narrowly wide.

The away side got the goal they deserved after 58 minutes following a neat piece of skill from Mantzios.

The 25-year-old striker received a pass from Tziolis at the top of the area before some deft footwork enabled him to completely lose his marker and slide the ball in at the right-hand post.

Bremen showed little sign after going behind that they could find an equaliser and their hopes completely evaporated when Karagounis smashed in a stunning first-time shot from the edge of the area.

The veteran midfielder made space for himself from a throw before unleashing an unstoppable strike that flew across Wiese and into the far post.

Bremen now looked a deflated outfit and they suffered further misery with seven minutes remaining when Tziolis's shot from just inside the area was helped in with the aid of a defender.

Pana could have even had a fourth when Gilberto Silva rounded Wiese, but he took too long to shoot allowing Per Mertesacker time to clear.

BERLIN, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Franck Ribery came to Bayern Munich's rescue again in a 3-1 win at home to Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday, while leaders Hoffenheim turned on their customary style in a 4-1 win over Karlsruhe.

Bayern had thrown away a first-half lead and were getting frustrated in the second when Ribery tore through the middle to put Juergen Klinsmann's side back ahead with his third goal in as many games.

The French midfielder helped make the game safe when he won a late penalty for Lukas Podolski to convert.

Hoffenheim were also being held in the second half before Chinedu Obasi put them back in front in the 67th minute.

Vedad Ibisevic scored his second of the game, and his 13th of the season, to make it 3-1 and Obasi tapped in his second to round things off.

Hoffenheim, who are enjoying a remarkable debut season in the Bundesliga, lead the standings with 25 points from 11 matches.

Bayer Leverkusen are second on 24 following their 2-0 win at home to VfL Wolfsburg on Friday, while Bayern Munich's fourth successive league win took them up to third on 21 points.

Hamburg SV slipped out of the top three when they suffered a 3-0 defeat away to Hanover 96 but Werder Bremen returned to form with a 5-1 win at home to Hertha Berlin.

Klinsmann shuffled his team and his tactics for the visit of Bielefeld and for a long time the changes looked set to bring their wining run to an end.

They took a slightly fortunate lead midway through the first half when the ball dropped to Miroslav Klose on a second rebound and the Germany striker gratefully lashed in.

The visitors were gifted the equaliser when a woefully timed tackle from Martin Demichelis handed Artur Wichniarek a penalty.

Klinsmann reverted back to something like his usual formation in the second half, bringing on Podolski to play up front with Klose.

After a series of near misses they moved ahead again when Podolski slipped the ball through for Ribery to show great touch and timing with his deft shot past keeper Dennis Eilhoff.

Robert Tesche got himself sent off for a bad foul on Ribery and with a few minutes to go the Frenchman's final burst through into the box won the penalty for Podolski.

WARSAW, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Poland could stage Euro 2012 with Germany if co-hosts Ukraine have problems with preparations, new Polish FA president Grzegorz Lato said on Thursday.

Lato, elected head of the PZPN earlier in the day, added that Poland was also ready to host the tournament on its own.

''If Ukraine doesn't make it on time then we can organise the tournament together with Germany,'' he told the TVN news channel.

Former Poland forward Lato was appointed after an FA election called to avoid FIFA sanctions and the potential loss of the country's right to co-host Euro 2012 with Ukraine.

Earlier, Polish state news agency PAP quoted a Ukrainian official from the National Agency for Euro 2012 saying the country had stopped about 80 percent of its preparations for hosting the tournament due to an ongoing financial crisis.

After two visits by UEFA president Michel Platini, European soccer's governing body last month upheld the right of Ukraine to keep the tournament subject to strict monitoring.

German coach Joachim Löw and Michael Ballack have corrected their differences in a meeting at the DFB headquarters on Thursday. The conflict had orginated following an openly critical interview by the Chelsea player.

During the non-public meeting, Löw and his captain succeeded in establishing a new foundation for their continued team work and collaboration.

The currently injured German captain Michael Ballack (89 caps) was given permission by FC Chelsea to travel to Germany. He returned to London Thursday night.

On Friday, Ballack said: "I admit that it was not correct to seek the public and I regret, that some people got the impression that I had intended to criticize Joachim Löw in his position as the German coach. I have given Joachim Löw my apologies.

"He is the German coach. He will make all the decisions, and we have to accept them. Following our talk, I look forward to returning to the national team, where we will enjoy a positive atmosphere. I feel sure that we will reach our goals."

Joachim Löw stressed on Friday: "We had a frank and open talk, which was important. Michael Ballack continues to be my captain. But even a captain has to conform to certain rules. He knows perfectly well, that he’s free to address every issue internally. But the final decisions are made by our coaching staff, including issues regarding the playing personal. I have made that very clear to Michael.

"I feel very good about the outcome of our talks, as we have kept an outstanding player, who had a major role in our recent successes, on our team. Now we will work very hard to reach our goals on the road to the 2010 FIFA World Cup."

Both sides agreed not to reveal any more details of the Thursday meeting.

BERLIN, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Franck Ribery struck again to give Bayern Munich a 2-1 comeback win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday while Hoffenheim returned to the top of the Bundesliga with a 3-1 victory at VfL Bochum.

Bayern started casually and fell behind early in the second half through a Martin Demichelis own goal.

Miroslav Klose equalised and Ribery, who scored his first goal of an injury-hit season to lead another rallying 4-2 win over VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday, sealed Bayern's victory with 20 minutes to go when he netted from the edge of the area.

Hoffenheim's comeback was even better, digging themselves out of trouble with three goals in a seven-minute burst in the second half.

Bochum took the lead in the third minute and it was hard going for the Bundesliga newcomers before Demba Ba put them level just past the hour.

Vedad Ibisevic converted a penalty to take his goal tally for the season to 11 and Brazilian midfielder Carlos Eduardo made certain of the win with a deft finish a minute later.

Hoffenheim lead on 22 points from 10 games followed by Bayer Leverkusen on 21 after a 2-0 win at Werder Bremen on Tuesday.

Hamburg SV are third on 20 points thanks to a 2-0 triumph at home to VfB Stuttgart while Bayern are fourth on 18.

Bayern's third successive league win should have been more comfortable but they failed to make the most of their first-half dominance.

Frankfurt could hardly get the ball off them in that 45 minutes yet so casual were Bayern they created just one clear-cut chance, Ribery sliding a pass for Bastian Schweinsteiger who wasted the opportunity with a weak shot.

The game changed when Demichelis diverted a dangerous low cross from Markus Steinhoefer in at Michael Rensing's far post.

The goal probably worked in Bayern's favour as they suddenly started attacking with more urgency.

The equaliser came when Ribery burst through on the right and cut the ball back for Klose to convert and the French forward got the second when he leant back to guide in his shot at the far corner.

The president of the German Football Association has questioned the motives behind Michael Ballack's apology to national coach Joachim Low.

The Chelsea midfielder released a statement on Saturday in which he admitted criticising Low's treatment of Torsten Frings and Kevin Kuranyi in a recent interview had been a mistake.

The Chelsea man also signalled his intention to say sorry to Low in person when he had recovered from a foot operation and was fit to travel to Germany.

But DFB chief Theo Zwanziger fears Ballack's actions could be just a ploy to avoid being stripped of the captaincy.

"The apology has taken the edge off the conflict. And at least it has now been clarified that the mistake clearly lay with our captain,'' Zwanziger told the online version of Die Welt newspaper.

"Now we certainly have to face the question: How reasonable is Michael Ballack? Is the apology only tactics or is it really meant honestly?''

Low last week summoned Ballack for one-to-one talks after being "disappointed'' at comments the made in a newspaper interview.

Ballack had suggested to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Low had been disrespectful in his recent treatment of Frings and Kuranyi.

Low was incensed his skipper had used the media to criticise him and threatened to strip him of the national team captaincy.

Zwanziger has spoken with Low and Germany manager Oliver Bierhoff about Ballack over the past few days.

"We discussed what the explanation means and questioned whether with it everything is now sorted,'' he added. "Joachim Low does not see it like that and I also don't see it like that.

"We have to exactly scrutinise what intentions lie behind the statements, and at the end of the talk it has to be guaranteed that nothing like this will happen again.''

BERLIN, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Bayer Leverkusen struck twice in the last 20 minutes to beat struggling Werder Bremen 2-0 on Tuesday and move back on top of the Bundesliga, at least for 24 hours.

Leverkusen always looked the likelier team to break the deadlock at the Weserstadion and they managed it when Arturo Vidal pounced on a weak punch from the keeper. Defender Manuel Friedrich then scored another scrappy goal to make certain.

With 10 games played, Leverkusen lead the standings with 21 points. Hoffenheim drop to second on 19 but will regain first place if they win away to Bochum on Wednesday.

Schalke 04 climbed to third with 17 points when they enjoyed a leisurely 3-0 win away to Karlsruhe.

Bayern Munich, who are seventh on 15 points, visit Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.

Werder, runners-up to Bayern, last season, have now gone four league games without a win and lie in 10th place with 13 points from 10 games.

They lacked spark in attack once again on Tuesday, with Brazilian playmaker Diego and Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro both missing through injury.

They were at least defending comfortably enough, however, until a mistake from reserve keeper Christian Vander, playing in place of the injured Tim Wiese, tipped the match Leverkusen's way.

Vander opted to punch clear a header in the 71st minute rather than catch it and the ball landed straight at the feet of the grateful Vidal.

Leverkusen's excellent young keeper Rene Adler kept the visitors ahead when he saved a screaming shot from Markus Rosenberg before Friedrich tapped in the second.

"We're not imposing our own game and we're making the same mistakes every time," Werder coach Thomas Schaaf told reporters. "We just have to stay calm."

Germany coach Joachim Löw has reiterated his desire to speak to Chelsea's Michael Ballack, but insists he will not be flying to London to meet him.

Löw summoned the Germany captain for a one-to-one talk after being criticised by the Blues midfielder in a newspaper interview last week.

Ballack's club blocked him from flying to Germany as a precautionary measure after the former Bayern Munich man underwent foot surgery recently, but Löw feels it was the player's duty and not that of his club to rule out a meeting.

"I told him quite clearly that I would have expected him to tell me that personally," Löw told Monday's Bild newspaper.

Instead, he learned that Ballack would not be coming to see him when a fax arrived at the German Football Association headquarters last Friday.

Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari had earlier invited Löw to London to speak with his player, but Löw would not consider that.

"Even if other people see things differently, I would never have flown to London," added Löw.

"That has always been my stance from the beginning and I am sticking by it."

Löw will now wait for Ballack to be given the all-clear to fly to Germany before holding talks that should decide the 32-year-old's international career.

BERLIN, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The results have yet to come, but Werder Bremen believe their form is returning just in time for Tuesday's clash with second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, the first of three home games that could define their season.

Bayern Munich's poor start to the season overshadowed Werder's own problems this term but now Juergen Klinsmann's side are finally getting their act together last season's runners-up are in danger of getting left behind.

Saturday's 1-1 draw with Hanover 96 left Werder in 10th place with just 13 points from nine games, and without a Bundesliga victory in a month.

After taking on Leverkusen on Tuesday they host sixth-placed Hertha Berlin on Saturday followed by a Champions League game against Panathinaikos.

Win all three and they will be back in the title race and with a good chance of qualifying for the knockout phase of the Champions League.

"We couldn't beat Hanover but it was a step forward all the same," coach Thomas Schaaf told reporters. "The performance was fine. We were certainly a lot more secure than we have been of late."

Defence has been Werder's problem this term, with the team having conceded 20 goals already.

That statistic should have Bayer Leverkusen licking their lips. Leverkusen, who briefly led the standings after winning on Friday against Cologne, have scored 22 goals this season, eight of them by in-form Germany striker Patrick Helmes.

Hoffenheim are the new leaders after winning 3-0 at home to Hamburg and they should have little trouble staying at the top when they visit Bochum on Wednesday.

Bayern Munich, up to fifth after beating VfL Wolfsburg 4-2 on Saturday, bid for a third successive league win away to improving Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.

BERLIN, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Hoffenheim maintained their glorious start to life in the Bundesliga when they reclaimed top spot with a ruthless 3-0 win at home to Hamburg SV on Sunday.

Nigerian striker Chinedu Obasi scored twice and Bosnian Vedad Ibisevic took his tally for the season to 10 as the village team with deep pockets secured probably the best win of their debut season in the top flight.

After nine games, Hoffenheim lead the standings with 19 points, one ahead of Bayer Leverkusen after they won 2-0 at home to Cologne on Friday.

Hamburg slip to third on 17 points, one ahead of VfB Stuttgart after two late goals from Mario Gomez gave them a 2-0 win at home to Bochum on Sunday.

Bayern Munich are in fifth place on 15 points after Juergen Klinsmann's side continued their recovery by coming from two goals down to win 4-2 at home to VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday.

Hoffenheim enjoy the backing of multi-millionaire software pioneer Dietmar Hopp and they have clearly used the money wisely during their steady rise to fame.

Coach Ralf Rangnick, formerly of Schalke 04, has encouraged his team to play in a fearless style and their ability to break at speed was too much for a tired looking Hamburg side.

They made the breakthrough after seven minutes with a simple goal. Brazilian midfielder Carlos Eduardo played a swift ball in from the right to Obasi, who turned his marker just inside the area and beat the keeper at his near post.

The second came a few minutes later via a lightning break down the left. Obasi played the ball to Sejad Salihovic, who in turn fed Demba Ba. Frank Rost managed to block his shot but Ibisevic reacted quicker than anyone to turn in the rebound.

Hoffenheim extended their lead before the first half was up and again it was speed of thought and execution that did for Hamburg.

Ba elected to take a quick free kick from inside his own half while Hamburg were still getting organised. His pass found Salihovic, who set Obasi running clear through the middle to dummy the keeper and make the game safe.

BERLIN, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Germany captain Michael Ballack plans to apologise to coach Joachim Löw in person in a move that should help to cool their public row.

"I will sit down with Joachim Löw, as soon as my injury permits, and apologise for my behaviour to him," Ballack was quoted as saying in a statement released by the German Football Association (DFB) on Sunday.

Ballack's position as captain came under threat when Löw reacted furiously to a newspaper interview in which the Chelsea midfielder suggested senior players were not being treated with enough respect.

Plans for a meeting between the two men were scuppered on Friday when Chelsea said he could not travel because of his foot injury but the DFB said on Sunday that Ballack had telephoned Löw again on Saturday evening.

"I told Jogi Löw that it was never my intention to criticise the work he is doing as national team coach," Ballack was quoted as saying. "I just wanted to show support for my fellow players.

"I admire Jogi Löw as a player and a professional very much."

Löw told the DFB he would wait for the meeting to take place before making any comment.

"I've noted Ballack's explanation but much more important is our private discussion," Leow said.

The row over the treatment of senior players exploded after Löw left Kevin Kuranyi and Torsten Frings out of the starting line-up for Germany's World Cup qualifier against Russia this month.

Kuranyi walked out on the team while the match was still going on, bringing his international career to an end, while Frings, after being left out of the starters for the next match as well, said he would consider his future.

BERLIN, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich's recovery is unlikely to survive the visit of a familiar foe on Saturday unless they heed the words of captain Mark van Bommel.

Juergen Klinsmann's side are back within five points of the leaders as they prepare to face a VfL Wolfsburg side coached by former Bayern boss Felix Magath (kickoff 1330 GMT).

It is the sort of match they should be relishing after 3-0 win at home to Fiorentina in the Champions League but Van Bommel knows Tuesday's scoreline masked an uncomfortable truth.

While the Bavarians had arguably their best game of the season in attacking terms, they left huge gaps in defence and better finishing from Fiorentina, who had a total of 23 shots, could have made it a different story.

"We were very lucky not to concede at least one goal against Fiorentina," Van Bommel told reporters after the match.

"There's a lot we have to improve on."

Bayern will be hit by the absence of defender Philipp Lahm, after he suffered an ankle injury against the Italians. Christian Lell is likely to step in.

Otherwise the injury situation is looking good and coach Juergen Klinsmann believes the club are seeing the benefit of the tougher training regime he imposed on taking over before the start of the current season.

"Out physical condition is giving me a lot of confidence," Klinsmann told reporters after the Fiorentina victory.

"We're in good shape, and we're just starting to see the early results of our extremely demanding training over the last three months.

"The players aren't pulling up short any more, they have it in them to run 60 yards even as late as the 86th minute. We're also developing an element of consistency."

Victory over Fiorentina followed a 1-0 win away to Karlsruhe last weekend, a result that left them in the lower half of the table but within sight of leaders Hamburg.

Once again, Hamburg are not in action until Sunday, when they visit second-placed Hoffenheim, meaning Bayern have the chance to put further pressure on their title rivals with a Saturday victory.

The fixture list has presented Bayer Leverkusen with an even better opportunity, as victory at home to Cologne on Friday would take them up from third to first.

Germany coach Joachim Low is to summon captain Michael Ballack to Germany to discuss his future with the national team in the wake of damaging comments made in a newspaper interview.

Ballack accused Low of lacking respect for older players such as Torsten Frings in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Newspaper earlier this week.

The Chelsea midfielder is unhappy with the way Frings and Kevin Kuranyi have been sidelined by Low, suggesting they have been treated with a lack of respect and asking: Where are we going to end up?''

These remarks have left Low seething and he wants to speak to Ballack face to face.

He said today: I will telephone Michael Ballack and summon him for a talk in Germany.

(I will) tell him that I am hugely disappointed with the route he has chosen and that the remarks he has made are unacceptable.''

Ballack's future as Germany captain and his whole international career are riding on the discussion and Low has not ruled excluding Ballack in the same way as he ended Kuranyi's international career, at least temporarily, 10 days ago.

My decision depends on what happens in this discussion,'' revealed Low. We will just have to wait and see where we go.

We have often encouraged Michael Ballack to speak up about the things he, as captain, sees critically, but for him to use the media to criticise our work is completely wrong and cannot be accepted.''

Low did not play Frings in the recent World Cup qualifiers against Russia and Wales.

And Kuranyi was told he would not play for Germany again while Low is in charge after he left the Westfalenstadion at half-time of their World Cup qualifying victory over Russia because he was left out of the 18-man matchday squad.

Low said: No player, not even the captain, has the right to criticise the coach in reference to his team selection and choices or to even revolt against the coaching team publicly.

It seems that the term 'respect' goes hand in hand with an automatic place in the starting XI.

But there are other personal and tactical things that a coach must consider when he makes his decisions.

The coaching team will not accept anybody saying we lack respect.''

Among other things, Ballack said of Frings' omission: If you don't want anybody any longer, then you should just say so honestly. Respect and loyalty is the least a worthy national player can expect.''

He also expressed his disappointment at not having been contacted by Low since undergoing foot surgery.

Germany skipper Michael Ballack underwent surgery on his feet on Friday and could be out of action for around two weeks.

The 32-year-old Chelsea star needed the operation to cure an infection after complaining of pain in his feet in the World Cup qualifying win over Wales.

The surgery, carried out with the agreement of Chelsea, was successful and the midfielder should be back in training in two weeks' time.

Winger Piotr Trochowski unleashed a superb second-half strike to seal a 1-0 win over Wales on Wednesday and put Germany four points clear in their World Cup qualifying group.

Joachim Loew's side took a sizeable step towards claiming the single guaranteed place at South Africa 2010 from Group Four with three more points against a spirited Welsh side in their final qualifier of the year.

"We are really pleased to have finished the year with six points from the win over Russia (last Saturday) and Wales, it puts us in a good position for next year," said Loew. Their third win from four qualifying games means Germany are now on ten points with Russia - who beat Finland 3-0 in Moscow on Wednesday - and plucky Wales lagging behind on six each, but Germany wasted a string of chances.

"We failed to score an early goal and made life a bit hard for ourselves," said captain Michael Ballack after the win over Wales."In the first-half, we lacked the concentration and a bit of finishing, but things were better in the second-half."

The result was a bitter pillow to swallow for John Toshack's team who defended passionately, but the Germany attack finally unpicked the lock on the Welsh goal when Trochowski rifled his shot home on 72 minutes.

Watch highlights from the game here.>>

Germany coach Joachim Löw said on Sunday he would no longer select striker Kevin Kuranyi after he went absent without leave, disappearing from the stadium following Saturday's 2-1 win over Russia in a World Cup qualifier.

The Schalke 04 forward, who had not been selected for the 18-man match squad in the Group Four qualifier, watched from the grandstand as Lukas Podolski and Michael Ballack hit first-half goals to seal the win on Saturday.

Afterwards, the 26-year-old did not show up for the team bus on their journey from the stadium to their base in Düsseldorf and up until Sunday morning had no contact with the team.

Löw and team manager Oliver Bierhoff made several attempts in vain to reach the striker on his mobile phone.

Löw immediately reacted by discarding him. "I cannot accept a reaction such as that shown by Kevin, and therefore I will no longer select him in future for the national side," Löw said.

Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack and Bayern Munich striker Lukas Podolski fired first-half goals to give Germany a 2-1 win over hard-working Russia in Saturday's World Cup qualifier in Dortmund.

Germany remain a point clear at the top of Group Four on seven points with two wins and a draw after their win over Guus Hiddink's Russia team who are fourth in the table with three points from last month's 2-1 win over Wales.

Podolski and captain Ballack scored within the first half hour to give the home side a 2-0 lead at the break. But Russian play-maker Andrei Arshavin scored early in the second-half and the guests had Germany under pressure right up to the final whistle.

"We played well in the first-half and grabbed two nice goals," said Ballack, who missed Germany's last two games with injury. "But the Russians didn't allow us any peace and so nearly earned a goal right up until the end." Podolski finds it easier to get into the Germany team than the Bayern side having spent most of the season on the bench and the 23-year-old now has 31 goals in 58 internationals.

"The coach gave me the chance again and I paid the confidence back with a good game," said Podolski. "That was one of our best performances, but the Russians had us under intense pressure in the second-half."

Injuries meant striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, defender Denis Kolodin and midfielder Dmitry Torbinsky were all missing from Hiddink's selection. The only surprise in Joachim Löw's Germany team was the midfield inclusion of Stuttgart's Thomas Hitzlsperger for fit-again Torsten Frings, who along with Ballack, missed last month's 6-0 win in Liechtenstein and the 3-3 draw in Helsinki through injury.

A broken hand suffered by first-choice goalkeeper Robert Enke on Wednesday gave Bayer Leverkusen's 23-year-old Rene Adler his debut in goal for Germany. He was tested early on when Yuri Zhirkov got in behind the German defence and put in a cross which lone striker Pavel Pogrebnyak just failed to convert inside the first five minutes.

German defender Philipp Lahm and Ballack both went close moments later as the home side increased the pressure. Germany took the lead when striker Miroslav Klose slipped the ball through the defence and Podolski turned his marker before making sure he was the first to the ball in the penalty area to fire home on nine minutes.

And the home side went 2-0 ahead when Bastian Schweinsteiger's pass put his captain Ballack into the penalty area and the Chelsea star volleyed home from five metres out on 28 minutes. It was so nearly 3-0 when Podolski rifled his shot home on 33 minutes, but Akinfeev pushed the ball around the post to make it 2-0 at the break.

Russia's attack - which so impressed during Euro 2008 when they reached the semi-finals - finally made an impact on 51 minutes when Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Arshavin stabbed home his shot with Adler under intense pressure. Germany were soon back on the attack and ex-Aston Villa midfielder Hitzlsperger went close with a long-range volley approaching the hour mark and Hamburg winger Piotr Trochowski beat Akinfeev, but hit the bar moments later.

Russia should have equalised when a ball over the defence put Progrebnyak one-on-one with Adler, but the German keeper scrambled away the danger. Adler was repeatedly tested in the dying minutes, but Germany held their lead to take the three points.

In the next round of Group Four games, Germany face Wales at home in Mönchengladbach on Wednesday, the same night Russia play Finland in Moscow.

BERLIN, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich's Bundesliga woes continued on Saturday when they blew a two-goal lead in a 3-3 home draw with VfL Bochum while promoted Hoffenheim took over at the top.

Bayern were leading 3-1 with seven minutes to go through goals from Daniel van Buyten and Ze Roberto (2) only to allow Bochum to stage a comeback with two bad defensive lapses inside three minutes.

The draw follows two successive Bundesliga defeats and leaves Bayern 11th in the table with nine points from seven matches in Juergen Klinsmann's first season in charge.

The only consolation for Klinsmann is other title challengers also lost ground.

Werder Bremen were thumped 4-1 at VfB Stuttgart while Bayer Leverkusen lost 1-0 at home to Hertha Berlin.

Hoffenheim are the new leaders on 13 points following a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, with Stuttgart trailing on goal difference.

Hamburg SV, who also have 13 points and a game in hand, can go back to the top after Sunday's match at Energie Cottbus.

Klinsmann is not in serious danger of losing his job this early in the season but does need results to start going his way again soon.

Bayern took the lead with an opportunist strike from Van Buyten after 15 minutes before Sinan Kaloglu equalised by threading in a shot at the near post after a swift break down the left.

Ze Roberto, who scored against Olympique Lyon in the Champions League this week, restored Bayern's lead when he took a loose ball on his chest and stepped inside the area before shooting across goal and into the net just before halftime.

The Brazilian got his second with another calm finish midway through the second half and Bayern would have made the game completely safe if Luca Toni had not missed a stack of chances.

Instead, Bayern's defenders failed to pick up Christoph Dabrowski as he strolled trough the middle to tap in a cross from the right and repeated the mistake when Dennis Grote was left alone to head in the equaliser at the far post.

"It's frustrating and extremely annoying," Klinsmann told Premiere TV. "We had chances to make it 5-1, 6-1. We should have made the game certain."

Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann believes Tuesday night's 1-1 draw with Lyon was a case of a point gained rather than two lost.

Bayern remained on top of Group F in the Champions League after the second round of matches after equalising Lyon's early goal in the Allianz Arena.

A strike from Ze Roberto in the 52nd minute cancelled out a Martin Demichelis own goal to leave the Bavarians on top of the pile with four points and unbeaten ahead of their double-header with second-placed Fiorentina.

"Of course we would have preferred to win the game, but it was not to be," said Klinsmann, who has come under pressure after a sluggish start from his team in the Bundesliga, where they lie ninth after winning only two of their opening six games.

"Nevertheless, I am happy with the team, both technically and for their engagement," Klinsmann added.

"Now we move on to the Bundesliga where we will try and correct things on Saturday."

Lyon coach Claude Puel praised his side for picking up their second successive draw in Europe and claimed there could even have been more in the game for his side.

"To get a draw was a good result tonight," he said.

"We had chances, but were not able to get the win, but we have made Bayern suffer, we were courageous and played with great intensity.

"I have always said that this group is going to be very, very tight and now we go to Bucharest and we can get a good result there."

While the French champions travel to the Romanian capital on October 21, the 2008 Bundesliga winners head for Florence and the former club of their striker Luca Toni.

MILAN, October 1 (Champions League) - Claudio Pizarro came back to haunt his former boss as he helped his team to a share of the points in a thrilling Champions League Group B clash at the San Siro.

Maicon fired Internazionale into an early lead in the 13th minute as the Nerazzurri attack threatened to overrun Werder Bremen.

But the Germans slowly began to get a foothold in the game and the hosts were made to rue their sackful of missed opportunities when Pizarro, who Inter boss Jose Mourinho managed at Chelsea, netted a deserved equaliser just after the hour mark and almost bagged a winner right at the death.

Inter, eager to erase memories of the weekend's derby defeat to AC Milan, began the brighter and almost got off to the perfect start as with barely 25 seconds on the clock Zlatan Ibrahimovic played a great cross into the box which Adriano controlled well on his chest, but the Brazilian's bicycle kick flew narrowly over the bar.

Minutes later it was Adriano's turn to provide his strike partner as he put a brilliant 40-yard crossfield ball into Ibrahimovic, but the angle was just too tight for the Sweden forward.

However, Inter, in fine attacking form did not have to wait long for their opener as, with the ever dangerous Adriano pushing forward, Frank Baumann's attempted clearance rebounded off his team-mate and into the path of Maicon who raced into the box before lifting the ball over the onrushing Tim Wiese.

Bremen searched for an equaliser two minutes later with their first chance of the match as Diego managed to squeeze a shot between two Inter players but his 20-yard effort was too weak and Julio Cesar made an easy save.

The visitors were beginning to get into the game and were practically camped in the Inter half but their lack of creativity meant they could not find a way past the Nerazzurri defence.

Inter looked more likely to score and enjoyed a series of half chances before Dejan Stankovic missed a glorious opportunity to double his side's advantage in the 37th minute, leaving him beating the ground in frustration.

One on one with the goalkeeper, the Serbia midfielder should have controlled Mario Balotelli's long ball better, but it ran away from him and by the time he reached it the angle was too tight.

The hosts were almost made to rue that opportunity seconds later as Pizarro came agonisingly close to levelling the scores.

Sebastian Prodl put in a great cross from the right byline which fizzed past the Inter defence and Pizarro seemed certain to score but the Peruvian hit the post from very close range.

The second half started as calmly as the first had been frantic with neither team creating any real opportunities.

However, Bremen had scored 10 goals in their previous two games and it was no surprise when they eventually found the back of the net, as a great ball from Prodl found Pizarro waiting at the back post and the on-loan Chelsea striker scored for the fourth game in succession.

Ibrahimovic almost netted a deserved goal seven minutes later as he dribbled into the area and tried to force his way through the Bremen defence but there were simply too many white shirts and Wiese was able to collect the ball.

The Swede should have helped the Nerazzurri secure all three points five minutes from time with a great ball which Julio Cruz was inches away from getting a toe to and an almost certain goal.

The San Siro faithful were left shaking their heads in disbelief again just seconds later as a super strike from Maicon curled towards goal but hit the outside of the post.

And they almost finished the game empty handed as, in injury-time, Cesar spilled Naldo's free-kick into the path of Pizarro but the Peruvian volleyed into the side netting.

MUNICH, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich put a nervous first-half display behind them to claim a 1-1 draw at home to Olympique Lyon in Champions League Group F on Tuesday.

Bayern, facing trouble on the domestic front after two successive Bundesliga defeats, gifted Lyon the lead when Martin Demichelis headed a Juninho free kick back past his own goalkeeper in the 25th minute.

The German champions had Franck Ribery back from his ankle injury and the Frenchman caused plenty of problems.

After several near misses they got the equaliser they deserved when Ze Roberto arrived late in the penalty area to head home a Miroslav Klose cross shortly after the break.

Bayern remain top of the group with four points from two games, followed by Lyon and Fiorentina on two and Steaua Bucharest on one.

"We had enough chances to win the game," Bayern coach Juergen Klinsmann told reporters. "We would have loved three points instead of one but I think we're still well placed in Europe."

The return of Ribery for his first start of the campaign gave Bayern just the sort of unpredictable threat they have lacked in Klinsmann's first season as a club coach.

Ribery looked a constant danger as he buzzed around the Lyon penalty area but, sadly for Bayern, the forwards could not provide the finishing touch, with Luca Toni twice missing when through on goal after Lyon had taken the lead.

Ze Roberto finally provided the cool head they needed for a nicely worked equaliser but despite regular chances none of the forwards could match his poise.

Lyon were doing well just to hold on yet they very nearly snatched a winner, with Karim Benzema failing to get a shot on target after Philipp Lahm's mistake had given him a great chance five minutes before the end.

BERLIN, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The Bundesliga's last remaining unbeaten record fell on Sunday when VfL Wolfsburg suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat away to Karlsruhe.

A big win would have taken Wolfsburg up as high as second but they suffered a spectacular comedown from last weekend's 3-0 victory over Hamburg SV.

Karlsruhe took the lead with a Massimilian Porcello free kick at the start of the second half and Wolfsburg were further hit when Grafite was sent off for a second booking.

Sebastian Freis made it 2-0 when he knocked in a cross from Alexander Iashvili and although Wolfsburg gave themselves hope when Ricardo Costa headed down and in with around 10 minutes to go they could not complete the comeback.

With six games played, Hamburg are the new leaders with 13 points after they recovered from that mauling by Wolfsburg to win 1-0 at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday.

Bayer Leverkusen are second on 12 points, while Werder Bremen are third, a point further back, after their jaw-dropping 5-4 win over 1899 Hoffenheim.

Schalke 04, who went into the latest round of matches as the league leaders and the only other unbeaten team, have dropped to fourth on 11 points after they lost 1-0 at Cologne on Friday.

Champions Bayern Munich are down in ninth place with eight points after their season took another turn for the worse with a 1-0 defeat away to Hanover 96 on Saturday.