FRANKFURT, 22 November 2004 — VfL Wolfsburg missed the chance to reclaim the Bundesliga leadership from Bayern Munich when they were beaten 3-1 away to Hamburg SV yesterday.
Wolfsburg, needing a win to go back top following Bayern’s 3-1 victory over Kaiserslautern on Saturday, took the lead inside 30 seconds through a fine Thomas Brdaric finish.
Despite that excellent start, Wolfsburg were unable to settle and Hamburg hit back with goals from Daniel van Buyten and Sergej Barbarez in the last five minutes of the first half. Substitute Bernardo Romeo grabbed the third in injury-time. Defeat for Wolfsburg left Bayern top of the table for the first time in 18 months, with 29 points from 14 matches. Wolfsburg are second on 27, ahead of Schalke 04 on goals scored following their 3-0 win away to Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
In yesterday’s other match, Hanover 96 drew 1-1 at FC Nuremberg.
Referee Halts PSV Game After Abuse From Fans
In Amsterdam, PSV Eindhoven beat Vitesse Arnhem 2-0 in the Dutch first division yesterday but the game was marred by a 15-minute suspension after the referee was abused by Arnhem supporters. After PSV went in front in the 56th minute through Gerald Sibon the home fans vented their anger at referee Ruud Boosen when he sent off Michael Dingsdag for elbowing six minutes later.
Boosen took the players off the pitch while tempers cooled and the home players appealed to their supporters for calm.
After the game re-started US forward DaMarcus Beasley sealed victory in the third minute of added time. PSV, who have now gone 10 consecutive league games without conceding a goal, consolidate their five-point lead at the top. They have 35 points from 13 matches, with AZ Alkmaar on 30 after their 3-0 victory overRKC Waalwijk on Saturday.
Feyenoord remain third with 26 points despite their 2-1 home defeat against Groningen while Ajax Amsterdam, who thrashed Graafschap 5-0, are fourth on 25 points. Utrecht climbed to the sixth with a 1-0 win at Twente Enschede while David Mendes Da Silva scored the winner for NAC Breda in a fierce derby against Willem II Tilburg in which both sides had a player dismissed.
