Bayer Leverkusen no longer atop Bundesliga

Nov 1, 2008 - 6:09 PM By PA SportsTicker

Hoffenheim knocked Bayer Leverkusen off the top of the Bundesliga for the third time in eight days as they beat Karlsruhe, 4-1, on Saturday.

Leverkusen went to the summit Friday with a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg, but Vedad Ibisevic set about restoring Hoffenheim as early as the 15th minute.

Sebastian Fries leveled things just four minutes later and the floodgates opened after the break as Chinedu Obasi scored twice.

Bayern Munich consigned their early-season woes to the past, rising to third with a 3-1 win over 10-man Armina Bielefeld squad.

Miroslav Klose put the champions ahead after 25 minutes, before Artur Wichniarek tied it five minutes later.

France winder Franck Ribery finally restored the lead after 77 minutes and substitute Lukas Podolski rounded out the scoring two minutes later.

Werder Bremen beat Hertha Berlin, 5-1, at the Weserstadion and Schalke played most of the second half at Energie Cottbus with 10 men, but still claimed fourth with a 2-0 win.

Martin Jol's Hamburg team lost 3-0 at struggling Hannover, while Stuttgart's disappointing season continued with a 3-1 home loss to Cologne.