Hoffenheim go top with 3-3 draw

Striker Demba Ba's hat-trick gave Hoffenheim a 3-3 draw at VfB Stuttgart and put them back at the top of the Bundesliga yesterday.

Lacklustre Hertha Berlin dropped to second with an inferior goal difference after a 2-1 defeat away to VfL Wolfsburg courtesy of a second-half Edin Dzeko brace.

Ba put Hoffenheim ahead in the 24th minute and scored his second just before the break after Cacau and Mario Gomez had given the hosts a 2-1 lead.

The Senegalese striker was on hand again to equalise in the 67th with a superb run after Gomez's second goal had reclaimed the lead for Stuttgart four minutes earlier.

Hoffenheim, who missed a penalty through Sejad Salihovic, and Hertha have 40 points.

Champions Bayern Munich lost 2-1 at home against Cologne, their third defeat in four league matches with some fans whistling and booing at the Allianz Arena.

They remain in fourth place two points behind the leaders and one short of Hamburg SV, who are away to Bayer Leverkusen today.

Bayern stormed forward but despite 80 per cent possession in the first half, created no clear chances.

It took Cologne 22 minutes to make their presence felt when Nemanja Vucicevic found Fabrice Ehret, who lifted the ball over keeper Michael Rensing to give his team the lead.

Bayern's unstable defence caved in again 12 minutes later when Vucicevic served Daniel Brosinski in the box to net Cologne's second.

Daniel Van Buyten gave the hosts hope when he pulled one back with a header in the 84th but it was too little too late for the Bavarians.