Belated Bundesliga update

Not as many talking points this week i'm afraid - no racist banners, post-match red cards etc so i'll try to keep it brief.

The biggest game on paper took place at the BayArena on Saturday, where league leaders Leverkusen took on fifth-placed Schalke 04. First-half goals from strikers Stefan Kießling and the in-form Patrick Helmes (included in the squad to face England in Berlin) were enough to give the home side the points despite a red card to German under-21 international Gonzalo Castro and a late consolation from Kevin Kuranyi (not included in the squad for the visit of the English).

Traditionally, the weekend's most important fixture by far would have been the match played at Borussia-Park, home to Borussia Mönchengladbach, as Bayern Munich were the visitors on an eventful afternoon. Luca Toni instinctively prodded home in the 21st minute after excellent work in the inside left channel by Phillipe Lahm set-up his fifth of a so-far forgettable campaign for the Italian, and Bayern looked to be coasting. They were then, outrageously, denied a nailed-on penalty when Lahm's boot was actually mauled in a challenge from behind as the left back was about to pull the trigger, but the referee deemed there to have been no contact.

Early in the second period Bayern did get their penalty for a similarly crude challenge on Franck Ribery, the Frenchman picking himself up to coolly dispatch the spot-kick and thus mark his resurgence after a long-term absence through injury with a goal. That is how it stayed until eleven minutes from time, when Rob Friend diverted a set-piece into the far corner with a looping header. This instigated an onslaught upon the Munich goal, and following a first 45 in which he was repeatedly kicked, drawing fouls all over the pitch, young Marko Marin again stepped to the forefront for the hosts, as he enjoyed greater freedom amongst tired legs. His trickery began a move which resulted in the ball being cleverly floated to the back post, where Michael Bradley leapt to head home his first of the campaign with four minutes remaining to earn his side a highly unlikely point.

Hoffenheim kept pace with front-runners Leverkusen by holding off Felix Magath's Wolfsburg at the Rhein-Neckar-Stadion. They took the lead early on through this year's Torschützenkönig (king of the goal scorers) Vedad Ibisevic, who incredibly scored his 14th goal in 13 games to round off a flowing counter-attacking move. However, this strike was cancelled out by the Brazilian Grafite's ninth goal of an increasingly impressive season up until now and it was game on again. But when Carlos Eduardo scored a sumptuous free kick with seven minutes left of the first half, it seemed the hosts had weathered the storm. Not so, as Wolfsburg somehow managed to level before the break due to a real howler from the home keeper.

People have been sceptical of any title hopes Hoffenheim might have because of their apparent reliance upon their strikers, leading some to believe they lack the strength in depth required to mount a sustained challenge. However, trainer Ralf Rangnick alerts these cynics to the fact that, as his strikers have done so well up to this point, he hasn't had the chance to showcase some of his unknown talent. It was a substitute who changed this game, as the Bosnian Sejad Salihovic came on to release Chinedu Obasi, who neatly found the bottom corner for the winner. As in England, goal difference still separates the top two, with Bayern now trailing by three points.

In fourth place, unthinkably, are Hertha Berlin after they recorded successive home wins with a 2-1 victory over Hamburg at the Olympiastadion. They had to do it the hard way, as an exquisite bicycle kick from Mladen Petric gave Martin Jol's side the lead at the interval, but goals from Cicero and Valeri Domovchiyski at the start of the second half proved enough to take the Berliners up to their highest league position of the season.

Elsewhere, not even a Jens Lehmann nightmare was enough to bring a goal at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, where Stuttgart drew 0-0 with Arminia Bielefeld to stay in the bottom half of the table. Werder went into ninth position after they were comfortable winners at the Weser Stadion over a disappointing Köln side, a truly stunning strike from Hugo Almeida the highlight of a dour game that the hosts went on to win 3-1. Borussia Dortmund eased to an emphatic 4-0 scoreline over Eintracht Frankfurt at Signal Iduna Park, with two goals from centre back Neven Subotic making the game safe as houses and rendering the second half almost meaningless. They overtake Schalke in the standings, who drop to seventh.

The battle at the bottom this week was between Energie Cottbus and Karlsruhe at the Stadion der Freundschaft (Yes, that actually means the stadium of friendship) and a surprisingly energetic encounter eventually came to perhaps an even more surprisingly conclusion as Cottbus grabbed a late winner. Both sides were desperate for the win but despite their prayers being answered the home side remain stranded at the foot of the division on 9 points with Karlsuhe in 16th place, a solitary point above Cottbus.
Hannover were also held 1-1 by Vfl Bochum at the AWD-Arena on Friday night.