Klose double puts Werder Bremen top

Miroslav Klose struck twice to send Werder Bremen top of the Bundesliga with a 3-1 win over Hertha Berlin yesterday as Bayern Munich lost ground with a 1-1 draw at home to Borussia M'gladbach.

Werder could hardly have had a better warm-up for this week's Champions League showdown with Barcelona. Diego scored from a penalty and Klose's first-half double made the game safe after Josip Simunic had grabbed an equaliser.

With 15 games played they lead the table with 30 points, one ahead of Schalke 04. Schalke have to win at Nuremberg today if they are to regain top spot.

Bayern had a chance to move up to second but the champions had to settle for a draw that leaves them in fourth place on 27 points. Martin Demichelis headed them into the lead in the 23rd minute but Michael Delura equalised 10 minutes later.

There was further misery for Hamburg who had Rafael van der Vaart sent off in a 2-1 defeat at fellow strugglers Bochum.

A sixth defeat of the league season left Hamburg second from bottom with just 11 points from 15 games.

Werder need to avoid defeat at the Nou Camp on Tuesday to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League at the expense of the holders.

They took the lead yesterday when Simunic was adjudged to have handled the ball, giving Werder a penalty in the 23rd minute. After Diego had stroked it in, Simunic, clearly feeling aggrieved, raced to the other end and grabbed an equaliser.

Werder took the setback in their stride and made the game safe with two quick goals. Klose leaped to head in a Pierre Wome cross and the striker beat three defenders before tapping in the third with five minutes to go in the first half.

Bayern are already assured of their place in the next round of the Champions League and this week's game against Inter will merely sort out which of the two finishes top.

Nevertheless they appeared distracted yesterday as they failed to finish off a limited Gladbach side.

They got the start they wanted when Demichelis turned away from his marker to head in a Bastian Schweinsteiger free-kick midway through the first half.

Delura surprised Oliver Kahn with a low shot across the keeper to supply the equaliser but Bayern hit back strongly and should easily have seen off the visitors.

The finishing from Claudio Pizarro and Roy Makaay was often rushed, though, and even the introduction of Sebastian Deisler as a substitute failed to give the Bavarians the spark they needed.