Bayer move seven clear

BAYER LEVERKUSEN stretched their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to seven points with a comfortable 2-0 win over bottom of the table Cologne at The BayArena on Saturday afternoon.

Goal scoring goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 13 minutes and Brazilian defender Lucio doubled the lead in the 25th minute to maintain their push for a first-ever Bundesliga title.

Bayern Munich's hope of retaining the title all but evaporated after a 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen at The Olympic Stadium.

Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro opened the scoring for the home side after 22 minutes, but the lead only lasted three minutes as Ailton drew the visitors level.

Paraguayan striker Roque Santa Cruz restored Bayern's lead in the 55th minute, but Mladen Krstajic earned Werder a point with a last-minute equaliser.

Schalke moved into third spot with a 2-0 win over Hamburg.

Belgian hit-man Emile Mpenza opened the scoring after just six minutes and his Danish strike partner Ebbe Sand made sure of the win with the second four minutes before half time.

Hertha Berlin kept pace with the leading pack with an impressive 3-1 win at Wolfsburg.

Michael Hartmann fired the visitors in front after 25 minutes and Michael Preetz doubled the lead three minutes later.

Argentine striker Diego Klimowicz pulled one back for Wolfsburg in the 36th minute, but Torben Marx restored the visitors two-goal lead just three minutes into the second half.

Kaiserslautern's European hopes suffered a blow after a 1-1 draw at struggling St Pauli.

The home side were reduced to ten men after just 21 minutes with Oliver Held seeing red and Cassio Lincoln fired the visitors in front four minutes into the second half.

Thomas Meggle earned the ten men a point with a 70th minute equaliser to boost their survival hopes.

Hansa Rostock boosted their survival hopes with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Nurnberg.

Magnus Arvidsson grabbed the only goal of the game after three minutes to take the points.

Energie Cottbus and Borussia Monchengladbach climbed further away from trouble after they shared the spoils in a six-goal thriller.

Marko Topic fired Cottbus in front after 32 minutes and Radoslav Kaluzny doubled the lead just three minutes later.

Sladjan Asanin pulled one back for the visitors in the 38th minute and Markus Munch from the penalty spot drew the sides level after 64 minutes.

Kaluzny restored the home side's lead after 71 minutes with his second goal of the game, but an unfortunate own goal four minutes from time Tomislav Piplica earned the visitors a point.

Click on fixture for full match summary

Bayer Leverkusen v Cologne
Bayern Munich v Werder Bremen
Energie Cottbus v Borussia Monchengladbach
St Pauli v Kaiserslautern
Hansa Rostock v Nurnberg
Schalke v Hamburg
Wolfsburg v Hertha Berlin

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