Werder maintain title push, Bayern cling on

Werder Bremen reclaimed second place in the Bundesliga with a routine 2-0 win at Borussia Dortmund yesterday, while Bayern Munich stayed in the title race with a 2-1 victory at home to Bayer Leverkusen.

Miroslav Klose took up where he left off in the UEFA Cup on Thursday by setting Werder on their way with around half an hour gone. Diego added the second from a free-kick 10 minutes later.

Bayern, knocked out of the Champions League in midweek, kept alive their faint hopes of a trophy this season thanks to goals from Mark van Bommel and Roy Makaay.

It was the second weekend in a row that the top four all won and it left them at two-point intervals.

With five games left Schalke 04, who won 3-0 at Mainz on Saturday, are top with 59 points followed by Werder on 57. VfB Stuttgart have 55 after a lucky 2-1 win at home to Hanover 96 on Saturday, while Bayern are fourth on 53.

Bayern's defeat by Milan on Wednesday left them with just an outside chance of silverware this season.

Van Bommel put them ahead at the Allianz Arena when he lifted the ball over the late-advancing keeper Rene Adler following a hopeful pass over the top from Philipp Lahm in the 30th minute.

Makaay made it 2-0 at the start of the second when he ran on to a Hasan Salihamidzic pass and beat Adler first time.

Andriy Voronin cracked a shot past Oliver Kahn at his near post to liven things up with half an hour to go but Bayern held on easily enough.