By DPA
Hamburg : Bundesliga champions VfB Stuttgart appear in crisis after crashing 1-3 at home against Hertha Berlin. Marko Pantelic struck twice and Raffael added the other as Hertha comfortably prevailed Saturday.
Germany forward Mario Gomez got the temporary equaliser for Stuttgart, whose agony was complete when Matthieu Delpierre was sent off late. Stuttgart, who lost 1-4 at Schalke last week, are stranded on 28 points in mid-table, 11 points behind frontrunners Bayern Munich.
“We knew the season would be tough, but we didn’t know it would be so tough. We played better than at Schalke, but the goals killed us,” said midfielder Ludovic Magnin.
In the weekend’s other big match, third-placed Bayer Leverkusen and fourth-ranked SV Hamburg played to a 1-1 draw that helped neither of the clubs who are locked on 34 points.
Stuttgart have not been able find the form of last season and lost for the 10th time in 18 games against Hertha, who themselves rebounded in style from a 0-3 home drubbing against VfL Wolfsburg.
Stuttgart coach Armin Veh fielded teenager goalkeeper Sven Ulreich for the out-of-form Raphael Schaefer, but it was to no avail as the 19-year-old had no chance in the seventh minute by a right-angle shot from Pantelic.
Gomez headed the equalizer in off Cacau’s cross in the 41st, but Stuttgart’s joy lasted only three minutes as Pantelic restored Berlin’s lead just before halftime with another low effort, this time from the left.
Raffael made it 3-1 in the 49th, which sealed the fate of Stuttgart, who had Delpierre dismissed for a second bookable offence with 10 minutes left.
In Leverkusen, Hamburg goalkeeper Frank Rost had super saves against Tranquillo Barnetta in the seventh and 16th and also frustrated Arturo Vidal a few minutes later.
The visitors Hamburg then grabbed the opening goal in the 28th. Stefan Kiessling lost the ball in midfield and captain Rafael van der Vaart managed to flick the ball into the net off Piotr Trochowski’s deep pass even though Leverkusen had five defenders in the area.
It was the 10th goal of the season for van der Vaart, drawing level with top scorer Luca Toni from Munich.
Forward Paulo Guerrero came close to doubling the lead in the 43rd and 51st, but Germany defender Manuel Friedrich headed the 1-1 equaliser for Leverkusen off a corner kick on the hour.
Elsewhere, Hanover 96 and SC Karlsruhe drew 2-2, VfL Wolfsburg defeated bottom club MSV Duisburg 2-1, Nuremberg and Hansa Rostock drew 1-1, and Energie Cottbus rallied from 3-1 down to 3-3 at VfL Bochum. Eintracht Frankfurt won 2-1 against Arminia Bielefeld Friday.
Munich were due to host number two Werder Bremen (36) in a top of the table clash on Super Sunday, which also features the explosive derby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke.