Bayern Munich moved within two points of their 20th German league championship after beating VfB Stuttgart 3-1 at home Wednesday. A victory over Kaiserslautern on Saturday would seal the title and make Bayern the first club to win the league and cup double in back-to-back seasons.
Stuttgart took an early lead through Danijel Ljajic before Roque Santa Cruz leveled, Claudio Pizarro put Bayern ahead just before halftime, and Bastian Schweinsteiger added a third shortly after the break. The result restored Bayern's five-point advantage over Hamburg, who beat Cologne 1-0 Tuesday. A Hamburg win in their next match would secure second place and automatic Champions League entry, a notable turnaround for a side that finished eighth last season.
Werder Bremen are also on the verge of Champions League qualification after a 5-3 win over MSV Duisburg, a result that confirmed Duisburg as the first club relegated this season. Miroslav Klose scored twice in that match to bring his season total to 22, putting him four goals clear in the scoring charts ahead of Halil Altintop and Dimitar Berbatov.
Berbatov also netted twice as Bayer Leverkusen routed Hertha Berlin 5-1, leaving them one point from securing fifth place and the last UEFA Cup berth. Schalke 04, after a 3-1 win over Arminia Bielefeld, retain a slim mathematical chance of claiming the third Champions League spot.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.