13:01 | Hamburg, Aug. 23 (ANDINA).
SV Hamburg threw away a two-goal lead away to VfL Wolfsburg Sunday but still managed to come away with a 4-2 victory over the defending champions to move joint top of the Bundesliga.
Two goals in the opening seven minutes from Jose Paolo Guerrero struck and Eljero Elia looked to have put the visitors on the road to victory but Wolfsburg levelled matters in the second half through Zvjezdan Misimovic and substitute Obafemi Martins.
However, further strikes from Mladen Petric and Romeo Castelan ensured all three points for Hamburg, DPA news agency reported.
The victory sees Hamburg move level at the top on seven points with Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke 04. Leverkusen sit top of the table on goal difference courtesy of a 5-0 demolition of SC Freiburg on Saturday while a day earlier Schalke were held to a goalless draw at Hoffenheim.
Wolfsburg are now fourth on six points after their first league loss of the season, one clear of Mainz, shock 2-1 winners over Bayern Munich on Saturday, and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Wolfsburg made a desperate start to the encounter at the Volkswagen Arena with Guerrero latching on to a cross from David Jarolim to fire home a shot from 16 metres that came off a post before going in off the body of goalkeeper Diego Benaglio.
Fortune didn't favour Benaglio for Hamburg's second goal either as his block of Petric's shot fell to Elia, who made no mistake to make it 2-0.
Wolfsburg could have fallen even further behind but Benaglio twice denied Guerrero, firstly after a defensive error by Jan Simunek and then when the Peruvian international found himself unmarked in front of the Wolfsburg goal.
Armin Veh replaced Simunek with Alexander Madlung seven minutes before the break and one of the first things the German defender had to do was clear the danger after a chip from Piotr Trochowski came back off the crossbar.
However, it was a different Wolfsburg side after the break as Mismovic pulled one back on 52 minutes, poking home a Marcel Schaefer cross from close range.
Misimovic turned provider four minutes later for Martins to head in to make it 2-2 but Hamburg nearly went back in front on 67 minutes but Ze Roberto's effort came back off the bar.
Hamburg weren't to be denied, however, and Petric restored their lead 15 minutes from time with a volley from 11 metres and substitute Castelen made it 4-2 in the last minute.
In other matches Sunday, Werder Bremen beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-0 thanks to a brace from Claudio Pizarro and a late goal from Naldo. Bremen could even afford the luxury of a missed penalty from Mesut Ozil.
VfL Bochum clocked up their first win of the season as a second- half goal from Anthar Yahia secured a 1-0 victory over Hertha Berlin.
Team captain Yahia struck two minutes after the restart after Joel Epalle rolled a short free-kick into his path to end a 11-game losing streak for Bochum against Hertha.
"These boys can play football and they did that today with a passion," said Bochum coach Marcel Koller. "We need to continue playing with the same bite if we are to enjoy more wins."
On Saturday, Borussia Dortmund and VfB Stuttgart both lost ground after playing out a 1-1 draw, Hanover 96 beat Nuremberg 2-0 and Frankfurt drew 0-0 against Cologne.
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Published: 8/23/2009