BERLIN (AFP) - VfB Stuttgart continued their unbeaten start to the season with a comfortable 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium.
Bayer defeated Stuttgart 2-0 on the final day of last season to demote them into the UEFA Cup but Stuttgart took revenge in fine style to ensure Matthias Sammer's unbeaten run as manager stretched to nine matches.
"I have to congratulate my team," lauded Sammer. "I am particularly delighted to keep another clean sheet as it dispels the theory that we are shaky at the back."
Despite the win, Stuttgart lie second with unfashionable VfL Wolfsburg holding on to top spot after a dramatic late 2-1 victory over Kaiserslautern at the Volkswagen-Arena.
Argentine striker Diego Klimowicz struck in the dying seconds to guarantee Wolfsburg another week as the Bundesliga pacesetters.
Comeback kings Bayern Munich banked an important 3-1 win at home to SC Freiburg but their manager Felix Magath was less than impressed,
"I am happy with the points but not how we got them," said Magath. "We have taken a step backwards today."
Dutch international Roy Makaay and German international duo Torsten Frings and Michael Ballack were all on target.
The three points lift Bayern, who face Ajax on Tuesday in the Champions League, to fourth place in the German table one point behind champions Werder Bremen.
A 20-minute hat-trick from substitute Miroslav Klose guided Bremen to a 4-1 win at VfL Bochum underlining their determination to hold on to the Bundesliga crown.
"The win give us some much-needed confidence ahead of Wednesday's Champions League match with Valencia," explained Bremen manager Thomas Schaaf.
Despite a spate of injuries, Stuttgart showed no sign of taking their foot off the gas in their rout of Leverkusen.
A rare goal from German international Philipp Lahm on 12 minutes got the ball rolling and Martin Stranzl doubled that lead with half-time approaching.
Leverkusen goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt was at fault for both goals and was then beaten by a Silvio Meissner penalty in the final minute, capping a miserable afternoon.
Since defeating Real Madrid 3-0 in the Champions League Bayer have drawn 2-2 with FC Nuremberg, lost 3-2 to Bremen in the cup and now tasted defeat at Stuttgart.
"It was typical for us to concede the first two goals from set-pieces," raged Bayer chief Klaus Augenthaler. "Perhaps the good wins against Bayern (Munich) and Real (Madrid) have not done us any favours."
While Leverkusen never recovered from going behind, Bayern showed their determination to reclaim the German championship with a hard-fought 3-1 win over Freiburg.
With three minutes on the clock, Burkina Faso international Wilfried Sanou put Freiburg ahead, tapping home a cross from the right with Bayern's backline stretched.
Dutchman Makaay equalised on 19 minutes scoring his fifth goal in a row thanks to some woeful defending in the Freiburg backline.
Goalkeeper and captain Oliver Kahn, returning from a bout of flu, then made a vital save from Alexander Iaschvili before Frings put Bayern ahead in the 45th minute following a clever Makaay lay-off.
German international captain Ballack netted on 83 minutes to relieve the tension at the Olympic Stadium.
Bremen also needed to dig deep to defeat Bochum with the 4-1 scoreline flattering the German champions.
Record five million euro signing Klose, a second half substitute, stole the show heading Bremen into a 2-1 lead in the 70th minute.
Further strikes (87, 89) helped Klose to a fine treble as he staked a claim for a place in the starting line-up.
On Sunday, SV Hamburg manager Klaus Toppmoller has just one game to save his skin with a home match against Hertha Berlin.
Only three points is good enough to save the former Bayer Leverkusen handler from the axe with potential successors, such as Hungary national coach Lothar Matthaus, already being sounded out in the media.