Bayern set new record
Trapattoni's Stuttgart claim first win
Bayern Munich stretched their Bundesliga winning streak to a record 14 matches as a Martin Demichelis header proved enough to give them a 1-0 victory at home to Hanover 96 yesterday.
Argentine midfielder Demichelis popped up unmarked at the back post to meet a Willy Sagnol cross and give Bayern the lead at their World Cup stadium in the 10th minute.
Felix Magath's side, missing Michael Ballack because of an ankle injury, kept Hanover at bay with few difficulties to make it five wins from five in the league so far this season.
That perfect start to the campaign follows a nine-match winning sequence on the run-in to last season's title and breaks the previous Bundesliga record set by Bayern in 1981 and matched by Magath's team last weekend against Nuremberg.
Bayern needed their latest win to stay two points clear of Werder Bremen. Bremen, beaten 2-0 by Barcelona in the Champions League in midweek, came back to win an entertaining clash with B. Dortmund 3-2.
Hamburg lost ground with a 1-1 draw at home to Eintracht Frankfurt. With five matches played, Bremen have 13, followed by Hamburg in third on 11.
VfB Stuttgart claimed their first league win of the season with a 2-1 success at bottom club Mainz.
Jon Dahl Tomasson's opener on 76 minutes was cancelled out by Nikolce Noveski almost immediately but Mario Gomez struck the winner two minutes from time to ease the pressure on coach Giovanni Trapattoni.
Bayer Leverkusen, who sacked coach Klaus Augenthaler on Friday, are in action today away to MSV Duisburg. Sporting director Rudi Voeller, the former Germany coach, will be on the bench until a new coach is appointed.
Bayern were playing without Ballack for a second time in four days and, just as they had in the 1-0 win over Rapid Vienna in the Champions League, they looked short of attacking inspiration without him.
"We were missing a bit of freshness after the European game," Magath said. "Our legs were heavy."
Magath opted for Ali Karimi to replace Ballack against Hanover but the Iran international's contribution was limited to one promising run through the middle, when he exchanged passes with Paolo Guerrero before forcing a good save from Robert Enke.
Ballack remains doubtful for Tuesday's clash with Eintracht Frankfurt and that will be a real worry for Magath.