Schalke miss chance

KEEP YOUR EYE ON HIM: Hoffenheim striker Vedad Ibisevic makes a point after scoring in their Bundesliga clash against champions Wolfsburg in Sinsheim on Saturday. Photo: AFPAfp, Berlin

Schalke 04 missed the chance to claim second in the Bundesliga behind leaders Leverkusen on Saturday after they were held to a 1-1 draw at struggling Bayern Munich.

Bayern defender Daniel van Buyten put the hosts ahead at Munich's Allianz Arena before Schalke's Joel Matip's header just before half-time gave his side a point which keeps the Royal Blues fourth while Bayern drop to eighth.

Having seen their Champions League aspirations effectively ended after their 2-0 defeat at home to Bordeaux last Tuesday, Bayern have now dropped further down the German league table leaving coach Louis van Gaal visibly unimpressed.

The hosts took the lead when Munich defender Holger Badstuber swung in a free-kick, the ball span off the back of Schalke's ex-Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi into the path of Bayern's van Buyten, who tapped home on 31 minutes.

But Schalke, now unbeaten in their last seven games, fought back when defender Matip jumped the highest of a posse of players when a long-ball flew in to header past Bayern goalkeeper Hans-Joerg Butt on 43 minutes.

With second-placed Werder Bremen and Hamburg, third, playing Sunday, both Schalke and Hoffenheim missed their chance to claim second place after Leverkusen had routed Frankfurt 4-0 on Friday.

Hosts Hoffenheim took a 1-0 lead only to see the three-points snatched off them after conceeding two goals in five second-half minutes to hand Wolfsburg a 2-1 win to go fifth in the table.

Hoffenheim went ahead against the defending Bundesliga champions when hot-shot striker Vedad Ibisevic got on the end of a pin-point long-ball from Brazil striker Maicosuel to head home on 23 minutes.

But Wolfsburg hit back with two goals in five minutes when chief playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic bagged his sixth goal in 12 games on 52 minutes.

And Brazil striker Grafite put his side ahead when he enjoyed a simple goal on 57 minutes when his shot flew in off the ankle of a Hoffenheim defender which leaves the home side seventh in the table.

Stuttgart's under-pressure coach Markus Babbel picked up his second point in as many Bundesliga matches after his side's goalless draw with Borussia Moenchengladbach.

But the result leaves his side 14th in the league and hovering just above the relegation zone.

In the day's other results, Mainz are up to sixth in the league after their 1-0 win at home to Nuremberg while Freiburg enjoyed a 2-1 win at Bochum.