Germany round-up: Devastating Dortmund close the gap

A 4-1 win at SV Werder Bremen saw BV Borussia Dortmund close the gap on leaders FC Bayern München on Saturday.

Terrific win
With Ottmar Hitzfeld's side drawing 3-3 at Hannover 96, Matthias Sammer's side took full advantage with a terrific win against fellow title challengers Bremen to close Bayern's lead at the top of the 1. Bundesliga to just three points.

Superb volley
A superb volley from German international midfield player Torsten Frings gave Dortmund the lead after just two minutes, but the home side were back on level terms ten minutes before half-time when Fabien Ernst's shot was deflected into the Dortmund net.

Two for Ewerthon
However, the reigning champions stepped up a gear in the second half and took the lead again through another fine strike from Brazilian midfield player Dede, before his fellow countryman Ewerthon sealed the result with further goals in the 74th and 85th minutes.

Late equaliser
Bayern's fine domestic form deserted them at struggling Hannover although they were just eight minutes from victory before Daniel Stendel scored his second goal of the game to earn a priceless 3-3 draw.

Stendel strikes
Giovane Elber had given Bayern a fourth-minute lead only for Dariusz Zuraw to level for Hannover after 16 minutes, and alarm bells were ringing for Bayern, who have been struggling for form in the UEFA Champions League, when Stendel put Hannover ahead a minute before the interval.

Bayern thwarted
In the second half, Mehmet Scholl levelled the scores for a second time with a 75th-minute goal before Elber struck five minutes later to give Bayern what proved to be false hopes of a valuable away win.

Schroth on target
Bayern's local rivals TSV 1860 München took full advantage of Bremen's defeat to move into third place in the table with Markus Schroth's 46th-minute goal earning them a 1-0 win at VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Juan leveller
Hertha BSC Berlin are a point behind 1860 and Bremen in fifth place after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Arne Freidrich had given Hertha a 20th-minute lead, but Juan levelled the scores nine minutes into the second half for the Champions League contenders.

Schalke relieved
Level on points with Hertha are FC Schalke 04 who came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw at home to 1. FC Nürnberg thanks to a last-minute Sven Vermant goal. The visitors had opened the scoring after 12 minutes through the evergreen Sasa Ciric.

Misery for Hamburg
Two goals from Mamadou Diabang in the 14th and 57th minutes provided the springboard for DSC Arminia Bielefeld's 2-1 win against Hamburger SV. Hamburg pulled a goal back through Erik Meijer after 66 minutes, but the dismissal of Sergej Barbarez four minutes later ruined their chances of a late comeback.

A point for Cottbus
In Saturday's final game, bottom side FC Energie Cottbus earned only their fifth point of the season as they held VfB Stuttgart to a goalless draw at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion. In Sunday's games, VfL Wolfsburg play FC Hansa Rostock while 1. FC Kaiserslautern take on VfL Bochum 1848.