Stuttering Stuttgart slip behind

UEFA Champions League contenders VfB Stuttgart fell to only their third Bundesliga defeat of the season on Sunday, slipping up 1-0 on their travels against bottom club Hertha BSC Berlin at the Olympiastadion.

Bobic header
The solitary strike, an 87th-minute header from Fredi Bobic, was only the eighth goal conceded by Stuttgart in 19 league matches but it was enough to leave them seven points behind leaders SV Werder Bremen. Hertha remain bottom of the pile, level on points with 1. FC Köln.

Ballack off
In the afternoon's other encounter, FC Bayern München climbed above Stuttgart into second place with a 3-1 victory against Hannover 96 despite finishing with only ten men. Michael Ballack, who was later dismissed, opened the scoring on ten minutes and Brazilian midfield player Zé Roberto doubled the advantage from the edge of the box midway through the second half.

Makaay strikes
Ballack was sent off for a second booking ten minutes later but Roy Makaay put the result beyond doubt by firing in his 12th goal of the season two minutes later, which meant Stanko Svitlica's goal for Hannover, who had Julian De Guzman sent off in the closing stages, was nothing more than a consolation.