Bayern lead cut to four after Stuttgart draw

Bayern Munich escaped with a goalless draw from yesterday's trip to VfB Stuttgart after having Sebastian Deisler sent off in the first half.

Hamburg took advantage to cut Bayern's lead at the top of the Bundesliga to four points thanks to a 3-1 win at home to Cologne. Thimothee Atouba, Benny Lauth and Sergej Barbarez got the Hamburg goals.

Werder Bremen also closed in on the leaders with goals from Nelson Valdez and Tim Borowski giving them a 2-0 win at home to MSV Duisburg.

But champions Bayern could be reasonably happy with a point given Deisler's dismissal for a retaliatory kick at Ludovic Magnin in the 42nd minute.

The question is whether the result will be enough to keep Stuttgart's Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni out of trouble.

Trapattoni, who once won the Bundesliga title with Bayern, is under pressure after an uninspiring start to the season.

With 15 games played, Bayern lead the standings with 38 points, followed by Hamburg on 34 and Bremen on 32.

Schalke 04 stay fourth on 28 after a 1-0 win at Arminia Bielefeld.

Stuttgart are unbeaten in nine league games but seven of those have been draws and they are 19 points behind Bayern in ninth place.

Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann was among the crowd at Stuttgart for what was a poor game.

Bayern went close with a couple of long-range shots from Germany captain Michael Ballack, returning after a thigh injury, and Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro but there was little creativity from either side.

The game got even worse in the second half with 10-man Bayern sitting deep and only occasionally throwing men forward.

"It was a dumb mistake," said a contrite Deisler.

"I'm sorry for my team-mates."

Pizarro again went close for Bayern in the second half before Stuttgart captain Zvonimir Soldo missed the best chance of the game in the closing seconds, heading over from no more than five metres when he seemed certain to score.

Results

Kaiserslautern vs E. Frankfurt pp
A. Bielefeld vs Schalke 0-1
B. Dortmund vs Hanover 0-2
B. M'gladbach vs Nuremberg 0-1
Hamburg vs Cologne 3-1
Stuttgart vs B. Munich 0-0
W. Bremen vs Duisburg 2-0
B. Leverkusen vs H. Berlin today
Mainz vs Wolfsburg today