Kahn injured as Bayern draw

Distracted Bayern Munich lost goalkeeper Oliver Kahn to injury but managed to snatch a 1-1 draw away to Hanover 96 yesterday thanks to a Michael Ballack header a minute from time.

Thomas Brdaric headed Hanover into the lead in the 56th minute, shortly after Kahn had been forced off clutching his thigh.

The champions threw everything forward and salvaged a point when Ballack rose to convert a Willy Sagnol cross from the right.

Werder Bremen took advantage of the slip-up to cut Bayern's lead to nine points with a 1-0 win away to Borussia Dortmund thanks to an Ivan Klasnic goal.

Bayern will be more concerned by Kahn's injury ahead of Tuesday's home clash with Milan in the opening leg of their Champions League first knockout round tie.

With 22 games played, Bayern lead the standings with 55 points.

Bremen, who are at home to Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday, have 46 points in second.

Hamburg, in third on 44, will have the chance to close within eight points of Bayern when they play away at Eintracht Frankfurt today.

Bayern in fact turned in one of their better displays of late, even if they only narrowly avoided a first defeat of 2006.

Brilliant goalkeeping

Roy Makaay and Claudio Pizarro created all sorts of problems for the Hanover defence, only to be denied by brilliant goalkeeping from Robert Enke.

The game tilted in Hanover's favour in the 51st minute when Kahn rushed out to challenge the onrushing Brdaric and received a boot in the thigh.

The Germany number one was forced off and five minutes later Brdaric took advantage, glancing a header past the flat-footed replacement keeper Michael Rensing.

Felix Magath sent on attacking midfielder Mehmet Scholl and the crafty midfielder almost supplied an equaliser when he broke through a gap on the right and shot against a post.

The chances continued to come and Bayern eventually capitalised with Ballack's towering header. The result extended Hanover's unbeaten run to 11 matches, a club record.