Stuttgart move up to second as title race tightens

VfB Stuttgart moved into second place one point behind Bundesliga leaders Schalke 04 with a 1-0 win at Borussia M'gladbach yesterday.

Germany striker Roberto Hilbert latched onto a long pass from midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, escaped his marker and beat M'gladbach keeper Christofer Heimeroth with a fine shot into the top right corner for the winner in the 53rd minute.

It was the fifth successive Bundesliga win for Stuttgart, who have 61 points. With three matches left, Schalke lead with 62 after their 2-1 loss at Bochum on Friday and Werder Bremen, who visit Arminia Bielefeld today, are third on 60.

The troubles for fourth-placed Bayern Munich, on 53 points, worsened with a 2-1 home loss to Hamburg SV after giving up two late goals - a week after being soundly beaten at Stuttgart.

Although they looked nervous at times against bottom team M'gladbach, Stuttgart stayed on track for a possible double. They will play in the German Cup final next month against Nuremberg.

Stuttgart struggled for much of the match against the lowly hosts, who are seven points from safety with three matches left. M'gladbach were down to 10 men just before the end when Steve Gohouri was sent off for a second yellow card.

Cacau and Benjamin Lauth wasted two Stuttgart chances in the first half. After Hilbert's goal, his sixth of the season, Stuttgart shifted down a gear, showing none of the sparkle that they had in abundance against Bayern last week.

"We had a thankless task because the expectations were so high," said Stuttgart coach Armin Veh, referring to Schalke's stumble at the top on Friday.

"Gladbach packed their defence and it was difficult to get near their goal."

Pizarro opener

Bayern went ahead through Claudio Pizarro in the 35th minute but succumbed to two late goals. Rafael van der Vaart beat goalkeeper Oliver Kahn with a fine long-range strike in the 71st minute and former Bayern striker Paolo Guerrero outsprinted defender Lucio to score the winner six minutes later.

Bayern's second loss in a row left them seven points behind Werder in the race for third place and a spot in next season's Champions League qualifiers.

"The disappointment is enormous," said Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld. "There was too little fight and a lack of a professional attitude. Hamburg were more determined, everyone could see that."