Germany round-up: Stuttgart stifled by Köln
Sunday, October 5, 2003
Article summary
Leaders VfB Stuttgart were held to a goalless draw by 1. FC Köln, while FC Bayern München also won.
Article body
Bundesliga leaders VfB Stuttgart were held to a goalless home draw by bottom side 1. FC Köln.
Chance for chasing pack
The result means that wither SV Werder Bremen, who play VfL Wolfsburg, and Bayer 04 Leverkusen, who are at home to FC Hansa Rostock, can move top of the table with a win on Sunday.
Clean-sheet record
Despite dropping two points, there was some good news for Sututtgart, who extended their unbeaten start to the league season to eight matches, and Timo Hildebrand passed Oliver Kahn's record of 802 minutes without conceding a goal. It is now 825 minutes since the Stuttgart goalkeeper was last beaten in the league.
Bayern boost
Although Stuttgart were unable to find a way through a solid and well-organised Köln defence, there were no such problems for FC Bayern München, who moved into second place with an emphatic 4-1 win at home to Hertha BSC Berlin. Roy Makaay opened the scoring midway through the first half, before Michael Ballack made it 2-0 in added time at the end of the first 45 minutes.
Late fourth
Bastian Schweinsteiger effectively made the game safe with a third early in the second half and, although Niko Kovac pulled a goal back five minutes past the hour, the home team hade the last word, Hasan Salihamidzic wrapping up the points two minutes from time.
Reina rejoices
BV Borussia Dortmund closed to within two points of the leaders with a narrow away win, Giuseppe Reina's tenth-minute strike enough to earn all three points at struggling Eintracht Frankfurt.
Two goals each
VfL Bochum 1848 climbed into sixth place with a resounding 4-0 win against 1. FC Kaiserslautern, who had Marian Hristov sent off on the half-hour. The home side made their numerical advantage count in the second half, Vahid Hashemian opening the scoring in the 49th minute before Peter Madsen added a second. Both players scored again in the final ten minutes to give the scoreline an unbalanced look.
Barbarez boon
Zlatan Bajramovic's goal 13 minutes from time gave SC Freiburg a 1-0 win against TSV 1860 München, while Sergej Barbarez scored twice as Hamburger SV recovered from a goal down to defeat VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1, Arie van Lent having given the visitors an 18th-minute lead.
Schalke strike back
FC Schalke 04 ran out 2-1 winners at Hannover 96, who took the lead through Thomas Christiansen in the 16th minute. However, goals from Gerald Asamoah and Darío Rodríguez turned the match in the away side's favour before half-time and Hannover ended the match with nine players, with Julian De Guzman and Thomas Brdaric both being dismissed in the second half.
Quick goals
Three goals in nine second-half minutes gave Bayer 04 Leverkusen a 3-0 victory against FC Hansa Rostock on Sunday. With 20 minutes to go the game was goalless, but quickfire strikes from Diego Placente, Dimitar Berbatov and Daniel Bierofka suddenly wrapped up all three points.
Thrilling game
In the day's other game, SV Werder Bremen defeated VfL Wolfsburg 5-3 in a thrilling game at the Weserstadion. Goncalves Ailton gave the home side an early 2-0 lead and although Marino Biliskov equalised on the 40-minute mark, Paul Stalteri restored the two-goal cushion a minute later. Albert Streit pulled another goal back but two goals in three minutes put the game beyond Wolfsburg, Johan Micoud and Ivan Klasnic doing the damage. Miroslav Karhan scored a third for the visitors with 25 minutes still to play - but it was ultimately in vain.
