Supersub Lukas Podolski capped a memorable week on Saturday by saving Bayern Munich with a late equalizer at strugglers Nuremberg on a crazy day in the Bundesliga where none of the top five sides won.
The 22-year-old Podolski scored after coming off the bench in Germany's 4-0 Euro 2008 warm-up win against Switzerland on Wednesday.
On Saturday, he was at it again as he hit Bayern Munich's equalizer against Nuremburg in the 81st minute in a 1-1 draw having made a second-half appearance.
PHOTO: AP
"We have to be happy with the point and if you look at the table it was a good day for us, but otherwise it was a tired performance," Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said. "We missed our rhythm and movement, quite simply we played badly, because a lot of our players returned tired from Wednesday's international matches."
Bayern captain Oliver Kahn played his 552nd Bundesliga game to claim joint third in the table for the most German league appearances, but for all his experience he was well beaten when Nuremburg took the lead.
A spectacular shot from Bosnia midfielder Zvjezdan Misimovic, just before halftime, flew into the top corner from 20m out and put the home side ahead before Podolski saved the day to keep Bayern seven points clear.
"The important thing was to score the goal," Podolski said.
A report in German tabloid Bild last week said he was tired of sitting on Bayern's bench and wanted a transfer.
"I don't comment on the trainer's decisions, I just accept them," he said.
The biggest shock came at Werder Bremen when the home side were humbled 2-1 by relegation candidates Duisburg, who moved out of the bottom three following their win.
Werder Bremen have now dropped to fifth with defeats at Wolfsburg and their 6-3 hammering at defending champions VfB Stuttgart and they have failed to pick up a win in their last four games.
The home side hit back when Brazilian midfielder Diego scored his 12th goal of the season early in the second half, but it was not enough.
"No ifs or buts: that was a bad result for us," Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said. "We deserved to lose this game, we have some big problems to sort out."
Schalke 04, who play Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals in Gelsenkirchen tomorrow, were held 0-0 at Karlsruhe and the valuable point moves them into third.
Bayer Leverkusen were beaten 2-0 when Germany striker Stefan Kiessling scored an own goal to give Eintracht Frankfurt three points before the visitors added a late second.
Things got very strange at second-placed Hamburg, who drew 1-1 with Arminia Bielefeld.
Hamburg midfielder David Jarolim was sent off after hitting defender Markus Schuler in the genitals following an altercation.
Bielefeld had swift revenge when they went 1-0 up when defender Markus Bollmann scored on 72 minutes with a header.
But Hamburg hit back when Peru striker Jose Paolo Guerrero equalized after 81 minutes just before Bielefeld's Joerg Boehme was sent off shortly after for a dangerous tackle.
There was a goal feast at VfL Bochum as they drew 3-3 with fellow mid-table side Borussia Dortmund.
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