Germany round-up: Leverkusen have lift-off

UEFA Champions League finalists Bayer 04 Leverkusen won 3-1 at FC Hansa Rostock tonight for their first 1. Bundesliga victory of the season.

Hansa's first loss
Last season's runners-up, who had started their campaign with two draws and a defeat, woke up with goals from Germany striker Oliver Neuville and fellow forward Thomas Brdaric for a 2-0 lead at the break. Hansa, who had won their first three games, reduced the arrears with a Jochen Kientz header on 75 minutes but Leverkusen sealed victory when Hansa midfield player Gerd Wimmer deflected a Bernd Schneider free-kick into his own net with two minutes remaining.

Lantz dismissed
Two minutes earlier Hansa had been reduced to ten men with Marcus Lantz receiving his marching orders for protesting at a refereeing decision. The win lifts Leverkusen three places up to eleventh but they remain five points off the pace. FC Bayern Munchen and VfL Bochum share top spot with ten points from four matches and the same goal difference, while Hansa are in third place one point back.

Kaiserslautern held
Eric Gerets' first match in charge of 1. FC Kaiserslautern ended with a 1-1 draw at home to DSC Arminia Bielefeld, after the visitors' Mamadou-Lamine Diabang cancelled out Mario Basler's opener. It also finished 1-1 between VfB Stuttgart and FC Schalke 04, Tomasz Hajto equalising for Schalke three minutes from time. 

Effenberg opener
Hannover 96, last season's second division champions, remain bottom of the table without any points after a 3-1 home defeat by FC Energie Cottbus. Finally, a penalty from Stefan Effenberg set VfL Wolfsburg on their way to a 2-1 home victory over Hamburger SV.