Stumbles at the Top
February 7, 2009
Bundesliga leaders Hoffenheim left it late to snatch a 1-1 draw at bottom club Borussia Moenchengladbach while Hamburg were stunned by a stoppage-time goal as they went down 3-2 at lowly Karlsruhe on Saturday.
With Hertha Berlin also failing to get a win in their match on Friday, the results could benefit champions Bayern Munich who will go second if they beat Borussia Dortmund at home on Sunday.
A 44th-minute long-range effort by Alexander Baumjohann gave Moenchengladbach the lead over Hoffenheim who had to wait until the 89th minute before Brazilian striker Wellington headed an equalizer.
Hoffenheim stay top on 39 points, two ahead of Hertha Berlin, who drew 1-1 at Arminia Bielefeld on Friday, and three ahead of Hamburg, who threw away a two-goal lead as they went down at Karlsruhe.
Schalke give Werder the blues
Schalke 04 added to Werder Bremen's woes with a 1-0 win after Benedikt Hoewedes rose in the 48th minute to head home a free-kick.
"At last I saw a team that fought for a win," Schalke coach Fred Rutten said after beating Bremen. "We were a team on the pitch. Everyone did their job."
Schalke stay in ninth place but now have a four-point advantage over 10th-placed Bremen.
Karlsruhe shock Hamburg
Two goals from Mario Gomez meanwhile helped visiting VfB Stuttgart to a 4-2 win at fifth-placed Bayer Leverkusen.
Hamburg looked like following up their 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich with three points at Karlsruhe after Jose Paulo Guerrero opened the account in the seventh minute and Collin Benjamin scored shortly after the break.
However the home side scored two quick goals through Sebastian Freis, who benefited from a mistake by central defender Michael Gravgaard on his debut, and Giovanni Frederico before grabbing victory when Freis headed the winner two minutes into stoppage time.
Both sides were down to 10 men after Hamburg striker Mladen Petric was sent off for a push on Marco Engelhardt in the 77th minute, and Engelhardt was dismissed for a second booking five minutes later.
"We defeated ourselves -- three mistakes, three goals," Hamburg coach Martin Jol said. "It's got nothing to do with character, it's just mistakes. These things happen sometimes when you have new players."
Other matches
Stuttgart were full value for their 4-2 win at Leverkusen. Mario Gomez scored the third and Thomas Hitzlsperger belted in a free-kick shortly after half-time before Stefan Kiessling pulled one back for Leverkusen in the 67th.
All hopes of a comeback by the home side, who were down to 10 men after the dismissal of Arturo Vidal shortly after the break for a second booking, were dashed when Gomez struck again in the 75th.
In a late flurry Leverkusen's Lukas Sinkiewicz put into his own goal and Angelos Charisteas scored a consolation for the home side in stoppage time.
In other matches, Eintracht Frankfurt were held 2-2 by Cologne, who twice came from behind to equalize through Milovoje Novakociv, the second from the penalty spot, while Edin Dzeko scored both goals as Wolfsburg ran out 2-0 winners over Bochum.
Second-to-bottom Energie Cottbus entertain Hanover in Sunday's other game.