Champions VfB Stuttgart handed Bayern Munich their first defeat of the season yesterday, beating the Bundesliga leaders 3-1.

Germany striker Mario Gomez scored in the 10th and 42nd minutes and Turkey midfielder Yildiray Basturk grabbed his first goal for the club in the 30th as Stuttgart raced 3-0 up at half-time.

Bayern, playing less than 48 hours after their 2-2 UEFA Cup draw with Bolton Wanderers, had conceded only four goals in their previous 12 league matches.

Italy striker Luca Toni pulled one back for the visitors with four minutes to go, tapping in his ninth league goal of the season.

Stuttgart's second win in a row lifted them from 11th to eighth in the table.

To add to Bayern's woes, Brazil defender Lucio was sent off with 20 minutes to go for elbowing Swiss Ludovic Magnin.

Bayern, who had been unbeaten in all competitions this season, are still top of the table on 28 points, one in front of Werder Bremen who crushed Karlsruhe 4-0 with two goals by Brazil midfielder Diego and one apiece from Hugo Almeida and Naldo.

Hamburg SV slipped to third, also on 27 points, after a 1-1 draw at Schalke 04.

Stuttgart also beat Bayern 2-0 in April on the way to securing the championship.

"We were poorly organised defensively," said Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who took sharp criticism from club president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for his tactics in Thursday's draw.

"We got off to a poor start," Hitzfeld told Premiere Television.

"It's difficult to win at Stuttgart when you play like that. We were asleep in the first quarter of an hour. I don't understand what happened."

Stuttgart lost 4-2 to Olympique Lyon on Wednesday, leaving them without a point from four Champions League matches.

"We wanted to be aggressive from the start, otherwise you don't have a chance against Bayern," said coach Armin Veh. "We played well in the first half.

"I think we've stabilised now. We've got enough quality but we need everyone to be fit."