Writing on wall for Schaaf's Bremen as Grafite strikes
BERLIN (AFP) — The writing is on the wall for Werder Bremen's title aspirations as they lost 1-0 to a single goal from VfL Wolfsburg's Brazilian striker Grafite to drop down the table.
After last week's UEFA Cup exit at the hands of Rangers and their 6-3 league loss at VfB Stuttgart the previous weekend, Sunday's defeat caps a bad week for Bremen who drop to fourth - seven points behind league leaders Bayern Munich.
Wolfsburg moved up two places to seventh in the league as Brazilian Grafite hit his ninth league goal of the season after 50 minutes to settle the tie and Bremen never recovered.
Defeat at Arminia Bielefeld next Sunday would really damage their title aspirations with two months left of the season.
"Our programme and personnel situation is not easy at the moment, but we do not want to make excuses," said Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf. "The main problem at the moment is that things aren't quite going our way."
Bremen were leap-frogged on Sunday by Bayer Leverkusen who went third after their impressive 4-1 win over relegation-contenders Nuremberg.
Bayer's Tunisia defender Karim Haggui fired his side into a sixth-minute lead after a pass from Simon Rolfes, but Bosnian midfielder Zvjezdan Misimovic equalised for Nuremberg.
An own goal from Nuremberg's Brazilian defender Glauber on 56 minutes put Bayer ahead before Greece striker Theofanis Gekas scored for Bayer with half an hour remaining.
Stefan Kiessling hit the fourth goal eight minutes from time to seal the three points and set up a clash with league leaders Bayern Munich on Saturday.
"We are now in a Champions League place, which we want to defend," said Kiessling. "We could do now with a good game in Munich next weekend. But we will have to concentrate if we are going to beat Bayern at home."
On Saturday, Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld rued a black day for Bayern Munich and admitted his side's complacent streak had been exposed as the league leaders were humbled 2-0 at struggling Energie Cottbus on Saturday.
Serbian striker Branko Jelic struck twice for the home side as Cottbus - bottom of the league going into the tie - pulled off the Bundesliga's shock of the season as Bayern's Franck Ribery missed a penalty.
Hamburg claimed second in the table and are five points behind Bayern with a 1-0 win at Borussia Dortmund thanks to a second-half strike by Peru forward Jose Paolo Guerrero.
There was a battle royal at Hanover as the home side fell behind to Arminia Bielefeld defender Andre Mijatovic's strike on 14 minutes, but equalised two minutes later through Netherlands midfielder Arnold Jan Bruggink.
But a header by striker Christian Eigler on 38 minutes put relegation-threatened Bielefeld, who drop into the bottom three, ahead before Czech striker Jiri Stajner equalised for Hanover on 56 minutes to make it 2-2.
Defending champions VfB Stuttgart had a 1-1 draw at strugglers VfL Bochum to stay sixth in the league.
Midfielder Christoph Dabrowski put the home side ahead on 20 minutes before Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger levelled two minutes after the break.
Eintracht Frankfurt picked up their seventh win of the year when midfielder Michael Fink sealed their 1-0 win at Karlsruhe with a first-half strike.
In the day's other result Hansa Rostock moved four points clear of the relegation zone as they were held 0-0 at home by Hertha Berlin.
On Friday night, Schalke 04 - who drew Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals - consolidated their place in the top five with a 2-1 win over Duisburg.
