Makaay ends Stuttgart unbeaten run
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Makaay scored the only goal of the game.
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BERLIN, Germany -- Roy Makaay scored the only goal of the game as Bayern Munich inflicted Stuttgart's first Bundesliga defeat of the season.
The Dutch dangerman struck on 74 minutes for the German champions with a shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Stuttgart's defeat, their first in 15 league matches, left Werder Bremen one point clear at the top following their 3-1 win over third place Bayer Leverkusen.
Fourth place Bayern are now just three points behind Stuttgart and level on points with Leverkusen.
Makaay took advantage of an error by defender Fernando Meira to lash the ball past Stuttgart keeper Timo Hildebrand.
The goal came against the run of play in a match in which the best chances fell to the visitors, with Timo Wenzel, Philipp Lahm and Kevin Kuranyi all forced Bayern keeper Oliver Kahn into action.
"We won, a little lucky, but who cares?" said Makaay. "They're a good team, but they didn't use their chances."
"We were the better team, but Bayern waited until they had once chance -- and they took it," Stuttgart midfielder Horst Heldt said.
League-leading scorer Ailton and Mladen Kristajic scored late in the first half for Bremen and Krisztian Lisztes added a third in injury time at Leverkusen.
Jens Nowotny struck for Leverkusen but was later sent off. Bremen also finished with 10 men after Johan Micoud's red card midway through the second half following his second booking.
"It's great that we're at the very top," Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said. "I'm very satisfied with my team, they put on a fine performance."
In other matches, Hamburg beat Freiburg 4-1, Hertha Berlin drew 1-1 with 1860 Munich, Bochum beat Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0, Schalke beat Kaiserslautern 2-0 and Hansa Rostock drew 1-1 with Cologne.
