Schalke battle to 1-1 draw with Bayern

Teenager Joel Matip made a dream Bundesliga debut yesterday, heading in Schalke 04's equaliser to help his team draw 1-1 at Bayern Munich and remain in fourth spot, four points off the pace.

Bayern grabbed the lead on 31 minutes when defender Holger Badstuber sent a free-kick into the box and Daniel van Buyten was at hand to tap in after Schalke's Kevin Kuranyi accidentally headed the ball into the Belgian's path.

The balance was restored just before the break when Lukas Schmitz floated a free-kick into the box and Matip, until recently in Schalke's under-19 team, rose above Bayern defenders to head home.

Leaders Bayer Leverkusen are on 26 points following Friday's 4-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Werder Bremen in second on 22 points, as many as Schalke, take on Borussia Dortmund today. Bayern drop to eighth on 20 points.

Schalke were the hungrier side from the start, dominating possession and forcing Bayern to yet another error-ridden display.

The visitors had the best chance in the fifth minute when Kuranyi fought off defender Martin Demichelis and tried to curl a shot past keeper Hans-Joerg Butt who got a touch to it and sent it wide.

Bayern, with midfielder Arjen Robben on the bench in the first half, lacked spark yet again, though managed to score with their first real offensive effort in the 31st minute.

Badstuber's deep cross landed on Kuranyi's head before falling nicely for Van Buyten to fire in from close range.

Schalke's Felix Magath, a former Bayern coach, remained calm as his team quickly regained their composure and grabbed an equaliser through Matip, the third player to be plucked by Magath from Schalke's youth teams this season.

Champions Wolfsburg battled from a goal down to beat hosts Hoffenheim 2-1 thanks to a goal from Brazilian Grafite, who ended his goal drought stretching back to Sept. 12.

Results: B. Munich vs Schalke 04 1-1; B. M'gladbach vs Stuttgart 0-0; Mainz vs Nuremberg 1-0; Hoffenheim vs Wolfsburg 1-2; Bochum vs Freiburg 1-2. Played Friday: B. Leverkusen vs E. Frankfurt 4-0.

Playing today: Hanover vs Hamburg 15.30; H. Berlin vs Cologne 17.30; W. Bremen vs B. Dortmund 17.30.