Podolski slows Bayern's progress

FC Bayern München remain top of the Bundesliga after a 1-1 draw with 1. FC Köln, but now have an FC Schalke 04 team who won 4-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt for close company.

Bayern, who started the day four points clear of the Gelsenkirchen club, fell behind in the 31st minute when their former striker Lukas Podolski struck from outside the penalty area. Louis van Gaal introduced Miroslav Klose and Franck Ribéry in the early stages of the second half, and that attacking move was immediately rewarded through Bastian Schweinsteiger's 58th-minute equaliser. The visitors could find no way through thereafter, though, and now lead Schalke – who leapfrogged Bayer 04 Leverkusen into second – by just two points.

Joel Matip (12) and Benedikt Höwedes (15) put Felix Magath's team in command against Eintracht, before Alexander Meier (52) gave the hosts hope. However, Ivan Rakitić and Kevin Kurányi sealed an emphatic victory in the closing stages. Schalke will drop back into third place if Leverkusen defeat 1. FC Nürnberg on Sunday.

Hamburger SV consolidated fourth spot with a 1-0 home win against strugglers Hertha BSC Berlin, Marcell Jansen scoring five minutes before half-time, although BV Borussia Dortmund are only a point behind after overcoming VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1. There was drama aplenty in the 2-2 draw between Werder Bremen and VfB Stuttgart, meanwhile, with the former coming from two down thanks to goals in the final 15 minutes from Hugo Almeida and a Torsten Frings penalty.

Elsewhere, champions VfL Wolfsburg defeated lowly VfL Bochum 1848 4-1 thanks, in part, to a double from Edin Džeko, while Hannover 96 moved above SC Freiburg and out of the bottom three with a 2-1 defeat of their fellow strugglers. It was Hannover's first win in 13 league games and the first under coach Mirko Slomka, ending a run of nine straight defeats.