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.
