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Schalke 04's lead cut to four points after loss to Bayer

Bundesliga leaders Schalke 04 slumped to their fourth league defeat of the season on Sunday when they were beaten 1-0 by Bayer Leverkusen.

The result meant their lead at the top was cut to four points with Stuttgart, who drew 0-0 with Hertha Berlin on Friday, remaining in second place while Werder Bremen stay third, but seven points behind, after drawing 2-2 with rock-bottom Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday.

Leverkusen, who booked their place in the UEFA Cup last 16 in midweek by knocking out Blackburn Rovers, secured the three points at Schalke thanks to a goal three minutes from time by striker Stefan Kiessling.

Werder had been on course for all three points against relegation-haunted Moenchengladbach but Nando Rafael leveled in the fourth minute of injury time.

Cameroon international Patrick Wome put Werder ahead in the 11th minute but Michael Delura leveled six minutes later. Croatian import Jurica Vranjes restored Werder's lead in the 84th minute before Nando's late equalizer for the Bundesliga's bottom club.

Bayern Munich shrugged off their midweek Champions League defeat at Real Madrid to beat Wolfsburg 2-1 on Saturday to hand coach Ottmar Hitzfeld a morale-boosting win.

German international striker Lukas Podolski scored from a 26th-minute penalty, his second goal of the season, after a foul by Alexander Madlung on Claudio Pizarro who had been picked ahead of Roy Maakay.

Mark van Bommel added the second nine minutes into the second half with a 18m drive. Cedric Makiadi scored a 79th-minute consolation for Wolsfburg.

The win left Bayern in fourth spot, nine points behind leaders Schalke, and on course to grab a place in the Champions League next season should they fail to overturn a 3-2 deficit to Real in the second leg of their last 16 clash.

"The most important thing was the three points to keep us in contention," Hitzfeld said. "We were a little bit uncertain in defense at the start but after that we worked well. We deserved this win."
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