Mladen Petric scored 18 minutes from time to earn Hamburg top spot in the German Bundesliga on Saturday, ending Bayern Munich’s five-match winning streak.
Bayern had French international star Franck Ribery available from the outset for the first time this season following injury, but he was unable to prevent the Bavarians from slipping to their second league loss and they now trail their northern rivals by six points.
Bayern coach Louis van Gaal acknowledged that his side had slipped up.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“It was a great game. We had several chances, but we didn’t take them. That was the problem — and Hamburg are a top side. The side that gets the goal wins it,” the Dutchman said.
Bayern’s Belgian international defender Daniel van Buyten blasted what he termed a missed opportunity.
“We thought we’d take at least a point back home, but didn’t manage it. We’re sick — it’s a real shame,” said van Buyten, formerly a Hamburg favorite.
PHOTO: EPA
Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia saluted his side for making amends after a German Cup loss on penalties in midweek at third division Osnabrueck.
“They know they slipped up in the Cup and this was a great riposte,” said Labbadia, as Hamburg ended a three-game winless run.
“We analyzed where things had been going wrong, talked through our mistakes and resolved to do things better today. I think we succeeded,” Petric said.
Bayern, who face Juventus in Europe on Wednesday, had been seeking to go top for the first time in some 500 days with a win in Hamburg, but instead the four-times European champions stand just sixth.
Germany international forward Mario Gomez had hoped to make the difference for the visitors from the south after coming on as a substitute after the break, but instead it was he who allowed former Bayern veteran Ze Roberto to go down the wing and find Petric ghosting in ahead of defender Philipp Lahm, caught napping in the Bayern box.
Minutes earlier, Petric had come close to deflecting an Arjen Robben free-kick into his own net, but the ball bobbled just off target.
With three minutes remaining Lahm tried to make amends, but he fired wide after Ribery fed him as Hamburg held on.
“We didn’t play at all badly — but there was something missing going forward,” Lahm said.
Hamburg have 17 points from their seven games and lead Jupp Heynckes’ Bayer Leverkusen on goal difference after the latter bagged a 1-0 win at Cologne thanks to a late effort from Simon Rolfes.
Earlier, reigning champions Wolfsburg showed their star has not faded with a 4-2 win over Hannover 96 to leap back into contention on 12 points, level with Werder Bremen, 3-0 winners over Mainz, and one clear of Bayern.
The surprise champions have blown hot and cold this campaign, suffering three defeats for as many wins, and had slid down into mid-table ahead of this week’s Champions League confrontation with Manchester United.
The Wolves, however, roused themselves for a Lower Saxony local derby.
Brazilian striker Grafite, top scorer last season, had a quiet day, but Zvjezdan Misimovic scored a fine free-kick to get the ball rolling and although Hano Balitsch equalized, Christian Gentner fired the hosts back in front before Japanese star Makoto Hasebe made it 3-1 with a header three minutes after the restart.
Alex Madlung put through his own net to allow Hannover back into it in the 50th minute, but Bosnian hitman Edin Dzeko finally made the points safe with a neat close-range finish on 62 minutes.
Schalke 04 stand third on 13 points after Peruvian forward Jefferson netted the only goal away to local rivals and former European champions Borussia Dortmund, the South American firing home a left-foot strike following good work by Halil Altintop before an 80,000 crowd.
Elsewhere, VfB Stuttgart ended a four-match winless run with a 3-0 triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt.
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