Hertha Berlin upset Bayern 2-1 to move top

Andriy Voronin struck twice to steer Hertha Berlin to a 2-1 win at home to Bayern Munich and take his team top of the Bundesliga yesterday.

Berlin, missing the injured Marko Pantelic, took the lead through Ukraine striker Voronin towards the end of the first half.

Miroslav Klose levelled with just over an hour gone before Voronin struck again, hitting the winner when he took a pass from Raffael and slotted past Bayern keeper Michael Rensing.

Hoffenheim, who lost 4-1 against Bayer Leverkusen on Friday, are second on 39 points, one behind the new leaders, while Bayern are third on 38.

Berlin concentrated on solid defence early on, with Josip Simunic glued on Bayern striker Luca Toni.

They slowly grew in confidence and were unlucky not to grab the lead on the half-hour mark when midfielder Pal Dardai unleashed a thundering drive from 20 metres with Rensing beaten, only to see Ze Roberto save on the line.

Voronin, on loan from Liverpool, broke the deadlock in the 38th with a well-taken header after Patrick Ebert had found the striker unmarked on the far post.

Bayern looked largely toothless in attack, especially after the forced substitution of Toni with an ankle problem.

Landon Donovan, who came on for the Italian, carved out a decent chance with a header from 10 metres but Berlin keeper Jaroslav Drobny did well to save.

Klose levelled for the champions in the 61st with his ninth goal of the season.

Drobny did well to deny Lucio from 20 metres, then blocked two efforts by Bastian Schweinsteiger on the rebound but was helpless when the ball fell to the Germany international striker for a close-range header.

Bayern celebrations were short-lived, though, as Voronin struck again, hitting the winner when he took a pass from Raffael, sprinted down the right and slotted past Rensing.

Stuttgart squandered a two-goal lead but scored a late equaliser through Thomas Hitzlsperger to draw 3-3 against a gutsy Hanover side. Stuttgart, in seventh place, have yet to lose under coach Markus Babbel, who took over in November.

Schalke lost 2-1 against hosts Bochum, piling further misery on their troubled season. They stay down in eighth place, while Wolfsburg moved up to sixth after a 2-0 away win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Werder Bremen continued their poor run with a 1-1 draw against bottom-of-the-table Borussia Moenchengladbach.