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Schalke 04's Jermaine Jones (R) controls the ball during their Champions League soccer match against Steaua Bucharest in Bucharest November 26, 2013. REUTERS/Bogdan Cristel
(Reuters) - Schalke 04 midfielder Jermaine Jones has joined Besiktas in Turkey after the U.S. midfielder fell out of favour at the German club but was eager to remain fit for the World Cup in Brazil.
The German-born Jones joined Schalke in 2007 and also played on loan at Blackburn Rovers in 2011 before returning.
"We are happy he has found a new club where he can meet his goals for the year," said Schalke sports director Horst Heldt in a statement.
"He can set the foundations for a good World Cup in Brazil with good performances and a lot of matches at Besiktas."
He did not give any details on the player's new contract.
The rugged 32-year-old midfielder, known for his physical game, had a contract with the German club until the end of the season but was out of favour in recent months.
Schalke face Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 next month.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Rex Gowar)
Bayern Munich's unbeaten Bundesliga record could tick into a 17th calendar month when they take on Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
The European champions have not tasted defeat in the German top flight since October 2012, and will feel confident of extending that run against struggling Frankfurt.
But the visitors have enjoyed a mini-resurgence of late, going three unbeaten after losing five of the previous six.
That said, Bayern won the reverse fixture 1-0 back in August and have not lost at home against Frankfurt since 2000.
Pep Guardiola's charges hold a commanding 13-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga ahead of the weekend's action, with second-placed Bayer Leverkusen having lost their last three fixtures.
They take on Stuttgart on Saturday in a bid to hack away at that deficit, but may regard a title challenge as beyond them, with Bayern showing no sign of slowing down.
Borussia Dortmund have taken five points from a possible 21 in recent months, but will be hopeful of kick-starting an upturn in fortunes against basement club Eintracht Braunschweig on Friday.
Jurgen Klopp's men have suffered five defeats this season, but four of those have come in that seven-match sequence.
Fourth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach, who suffered their first defeat in nine against Bayern last time out, visit Hannover as they aim to heap pressure on Dortmund once again.
At the other end of the table, Nuremberg won for the first time in 18 Bundesliga matches last weekend, but face a tricky tie as they head to the capital to face Hertha Berlin, while Hamburg could leapfrog Hoffenheim when the sides meet on Satuday.
Elsewhere, Schalke host Wolfsburg, Werder Bremen travel to Augsburg and Freiburg visit Mainz.
Bayern's Claudio Pizarro of Peru, center, reacts after scoring his side's equalizing goal during a German first soccer division Bundesliga match between VfB Stuttgart and FC Bayern Munich in Stuttgart, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014.
5 things to know about the Bundesliga weekend
By CIARAN FAHEY
Associated Press
Published: Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014 - 6:05 am
Bayern Munich's main title rivals all slipped up last weekend, leaving them more in competition with each other for European qualification places than for the German championship. Bayern continues its march at Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday, while second-place Bayer Leverkusen hosts Stuttgart on Saturday. Third-place Dortmund gets the 19th round of games underway at bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig on Friday.
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LEAGUE OVER?
Bayern Munich was 14 minutes from its first loss of the season Wednesday, down 1-0 at Stuttgart with its league-record unbeaten run on the line, before Claudio Pizarro equalized and Thiago Alcantara sealed the side's 16th victory from 18 games.
It was the manner of the Spaniard's goal that stole the headlines, a spectacular overhead kick to win the game in injury time, but it also stretched Bayern's commanding lead over Bayer Leverkusen to 13 points, with Borussia Dortmund another four behind after 18 games. Bayern hasn't lost in the league in 43 games.
At the same stage last season, Bayern led Bayer Leverkusen by nine points and Borussia Dortmund by 12. Jupp Heynckes' side went on to clinch the quickest ever Bundesliga title. His successor, Pep Guardiola, is already well ahead of his pace.
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DORTMUND DEPRESSION
Jakub Blaszczykowski's season-ending injury - the Poland captain tore his cruciate ligament in last weekend's 2-2 draw at home with Augsburg - is just the latest serious injury blow to Borussia Dortmund's faltering Bundesliga season.
Dortmund has already had to contend with long-term injuries to defenders Lukasz Piszczek, Neven Subotic, Mats Hummels and Marcell Schmelzer, as well as influential midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, while dealing with the distraction of Polish striker Robert Lewandowski's end-of-season transfer to Bayern.
German media reports suggest that Serbian attacking midfielder Milos Jojic is on the verge of signing from Partizan Belgrade, while Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg says Hertha Berlin's Colombian striker Adrian Ramos is likely to be Lewandowski's replacement in the summer.
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HUNTELAAR RETURNS
After a troublesome season so far, Schalke's mood visibly improved last Sunday with the return of Klaas Jan Huntelaar after five months out injured.
The Dutch striker opened the scoring and his mere presence seemed to bring the best out of his teammates as they triumphed 3-0 at Hamburger SV.
Adding to the new-found sense of optimism, all the sides above dropped points - with the exception of Bayern - allowing Schalke to climb to fifth, two points off Borussia Moenchengladbach in the last Champions League qualification place.
Schalke hosts big-spending Wolfsburg, which is just a point behind and also aiming for fourth place, on Saturday.
Huntelaar, who has 50 goals in 85 games for Schalke, is back just when he's needed most.
"His presence alone does us the world of good," Schalke coach Jens Keller said.
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HAMBURG CRISIS
Hamburger SV, the only Bundesliga side to have played every season, finds itself firmly in a battle against its first relegation after four defeats in succession.
"We're going down if we keep going like this," Hamburg playmaker Rafael van der Vaart said after the latest defeat to Schalke left the side in the relegation play-off place.
Hamburg fired Thorsten Fink as coach in September but has seen little to no improvement under replacement coach Bert van Marwijk.
The Dutchman's job has been complicated by a host of injuries hitting a small squad. Standout striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga (nine goals) has been ruled out for two weeks, while defender Lam Zhi Gin is also ruled out against Hoffenheim. Defender Marcell Jansen is doubtful but goalkeeper Rene Adler could return.
Last Sunday's defeat to Schalke was the sixth loss in nine home games this season for Hamburg, which has conceded 41 goals. Only Hoffenheim's record of 42 goals conceded is worse. A goalless draw is not expected on Sunday.
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LEVERKUSEN RUFFLING FEATHERS
In an effort to get more fans at games, Bayer Leverkusen has taken out advertising on public transport services in the area, but this has riled football fans in nearby Wuppertal.
Since Monday, the Wuppertal suspension railway has been carrying the slogan: "Top class football: only 30 kilometers further."
Wuppertaler SV chairman Achim Weber, whose side was relegated to the fifth tier because of insolvency, was not amused.
"This Bayer-train goes right by our stadium all the time. Bayer are fishing in foreign waters," Weber told the Cologne-based Express newspaper. "We need every supporter. You don't do something like that."
Leverkusen hosts Stuttgart on Saturday, when all fans, including Wuppertal's, are welcome.
Bundesliga Wrap: Leverkusen consolidate second, Hamburg in crisis
1 February 2014
Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen restored their four-point cushion over Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga with a 2-1 win over Stuttgart.
Sami Hyypia's men were forced to come from behind at the BayArena on Saturday, after Dortmund loanee Moritz Leitner had given Stuttgart the lead after 12 minutes.
Stefan Kiessling's 10th Bundesliga goal of the campaign levelled matters 14 minutes later, before Eren Derdiyok struck six minutes from time to make it eight wins from 10 home league games for Leverkusen this term.
The win moves Hyypia's side back to within 10 points of runaway leaders Bayern Munich, who host Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
Meanwhile, fourth-placed Schalke kept up the pressure on Dortmund and Leverkusen by beating Wolfsburg 2-1 at the Veltins-Arena.
Felipe Santana broke the deadlock for the hosts nine minutes in, before teenager Maximilian Arnold brought Wolfsburg level midway through the second half.
However, Kevin-Prince Boateng's 81st-minute winner ensured Schalke made it four home Bundesliga victories in a row.
Hamburg's defeat at Hoffenheim condemned them to a fifth consecutive top-flight reverse for the first time since 1970 as their slump in form continued.
Bert van Marwijk's side lost 3-0 at the Wirsol Rhein Neckar Arena courtesy of goals from Roberto Firmino, Niklas Sule and Andreas Beck, and now sit just two points clear of the automatic relegation zone in 16th.
Borussia Monchengladbach slipped to their second straight league loss as Hannover beat them 3-1 at the HDI Arena, with Mame Biram Diouf scoring twice for the hosts.
Elsewhere, Augsburg made it eight Bundesliga outings without defeat with a 3-1 home win over Werder Bremen, while Mainz overcame struggling Freiburg 2-0.
Bundesliga Wrap: Ribery on target in Bayern rout, Nuremberg beat Hertha
2 February 2014
Franck Ribery marked his return from injury with a goal as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich hammered Eintracht Frankfurt 5-0 on Sunday.
The France winger was making his first competitive appearance of the year, having recently been sidelined with a muscular problem, but looked as if he had never been away as he fired home a low shot just before half-time to put Bayern two ahead.
Mario Gotze set the European champions on their way to an 11th successive league win when he took a fine pass from Dante on his chest and unleashed a fine volley into the bottom-left corner of the net in the 12th minute.
Ribery then got in on the act as struggling Frankfurt failed to cope with Bayern's attacking prowess.
Gotze hit the post and Ribery was denied by the crossbar early in the second half, but Arjen Robben struck just two minutes after coming on with a clinical finish to increase Bayern's lead.
Brazil defender Dante headed a fourth goal and Mario Mandzukic took advantage of his return to the starting line-up by adding his name to the scoresheet late on, at the end of a week in which his future at Allianz Arena has been the subject of much speculation.
Bayern have now stretched their record unbeaten run in the league to 44 games and are 13 points clear of Bayer Leverkusen at the summit, while Frankfurt are just a point above the relegation play-off place.
In Sunday's other Bundesliga game, Josip Drmic scored twice for the second game in a row as resurgent Nuremberg secured a surprise 3-1 win at Hertha Berlin to climb out of the bottom three.
Drmic helped himself to a brace when Gertjan Verbeek's side claimed their first Bundesliga win of the season with a 4-0 thrashing of Hoffenheim last weekend.
And the Swiss forward was at it again, putting Nuremberg in front after 68 minutes and sealing the points with a late penalty after Daniel Ginczek had been upended by Marcel Ndjeng.
Adrian Ramos opened the scoring for Hertha after only four minutes with his 12th goal of the season, but Markus Feulner equalised 20 minutes in and Drmic then took centre stage to give the visitors their first away win of the league campaign.
Julian Draxler has revealed Schalke rejected offers for him in January without consulting him.
The Germany international was heavily linked with a switch to Arsenal in the window, although a move failed to materialise.
Arsene Wenger's interest in the attacker is likely to resurface in the close-season as he has reportedly been a long-term target for the Emirates Stadium boss.
Though Draxler confirmed he had not been asked whether he wanted to leave, he is happy to remain at Schalke and merely sees the interest as a compliment.
He told Sky Deutschland: "The fact is, (Schalke general manager) Horst Heldt had offers for me this winter.
"I'm happy about that. On the other hand, it shows the respect I enjoy at this club, even if Heldt refuses without me being asked."
Draxler has scored five goals in 24 appearances for Schalke this term, laying on another eight for his team-mates, and is likely to be part of Germany's squad at this year's FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Arsenal only made one signing in the January window, securing Sweden international Kim Kallstrom on loan from Spartak Moscow for the remainder of the season.
However, the 31-year-old is reportedly unlikely to make his debut for Wenger's side any time soon due to a back injury.
Franz Beckenbauer claims he can not imagine seeing struggling Hamburg ply their trade in the 2. Bundesliga.
Hamburg have never been relegated from the German top flight, and are the only club to have competed in the Bundesliga each season since its inception in 1963, but Bert van Marwijk's side currently sit in the drop zone having lost five in a row.
Beckenbauer, who won the 1982 Bundesliga title as a player with Hamburg, believes the current crop of players must do all they can to avoid relegation - something he felt was unthinkable.
"I cannot imagine HSV in the 2. Bundesliga," he told Sky90.
"That's why everything needs to be done. This can't be happening that they descend into the 2.Liga."
"In the head they need to be free, then they can play football. Maybe they understand it now."
Hamburg take on Hertha Berlin at the Imtech Arena on Saturday, before travelling to the league's bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig a week later.
No room for selfish players at Bayern, says Muller
By Stefan Coerts
Feb 4, 2014 11:20:00 AM
The Germany international has insisted that every FCB player will end up on the bench at some point this campaign and must accept this inevitability
Thomas Muller says there is no room for selfish players at Bayern Munich as Pep Guardiola continues his rotation policy.
The 24-year-old remained on the bench for the full 90 minutes in Bayern's 5-0 Bundesliga win over Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend, along with team-mate Toni Kroos, but understands the method behind his coach's thinking.
"We can only field 11 players. That's no different in the big games. There will be disappointing moments for me, just like for the rest of the squad," Muller was quoted as saying by Kicker.
"We won it all last year because of our togetherness. Of course, I would not be happy if I were to be benched for each important game. There will be disappointments for all of us, though.
"It is important to all act professional and put the team ahead of everything else. We will all get plenty of playing time if we are successful together. There is no room for selfish behaviour at Bayern."
Muller has been a key figure at Bayern in 2013-14, scoring eight goals in 18 Bundesliga appearances.
We cannot keep Draxler forever, admits Schalke chairman
By Jay Jaffa
Feb 4, 2014 4:48:00 PM
Arsenal failed to strike a deal for the 20-year-old last month but, though he hopes the attacker stays for the near future, Clemmens Tonnies believes he will eventually leave
Schalke chairman Clemmens Tonnies has admitted that the club cannot expect to keep Julian Draxler in the long-term.
The 20-year-old was the subject of a late bid from the Gunners last month after a delegation was sent to Germany to negotiate a big-money move for the playmaker, though the Bundesliga club rejected the offer.
Speaking at SpoBis, a sports business conference in Dusseldorf, Tonnies stressed he would be keen to see Draxler continue his development in Gelsenkirchen for the next two seasons but conceded the Germany international would eventually move on.
"We cannot keep a super talent like Julian forever. But it also wouldn't be fair to refuse players to jump on the train that is waiting for them," Tonnies is quoted as saying by SID.
"We are often talking. I told him he should stay with us another two, three years and that a move would be too early for him now."
Tonnies also moved to alleviate concerns that Draxler could become the latest Germany prospect to join runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, adding: "He won't go to Bayern, I know that."
The Germany international, who had only just returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, took a knock to his right foot in a friendly against Fortuna Dusseldorf
Borussia Dortmund have announced that defender Mats Hummels has been ruled out of action for two weeks through injury.
The centre-half had only made his return from the ankle problem he sustained while on international duty with Germany in November in Friday's Bundesliga win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
However, Hummels injured his right foot in a friendly game against Fortuna Dusseldorf on Tuesday evening and will be unavailable for a fortnight.
Consequently, the 25-year-old will sit out die Schwarzgelben's upcoming Bundesliga meetings with Werder Bremen and Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as the DFB-Pokal clash with the latter.
The one positive for Dortmund, though, is that scans revealed that Hummels has made a complete recovery from the ankle knock he suffered last November.
The FCB director has reiterated his concerns over the Ligue 1 champions' big spending and feels they should be punished if they breach the rules
Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has urged Uefa to take action against Paris Saint-Germain if they breach Financial Fair Play (FFP) as the rules are set to come into force July 1.
The Bayern chief recently voiced his concerns with PSG's spending and he has now called on Uefa president Michel Platini to punish the Ligue 1 champions if they indeed fail to comply with the regulations.
"It's hard to imagine that Paris Saint-Germain are complying with Financial Fair Play. We all know about the money stream coming in from Qatar, allegedly about €200 million per season," Rummenigge said at the SpoBiS convention.
"I hope that Michel Platini will take this matter seriously. Clubs that breach the FFP rules will have to pay the price. It's an important moment for Uefa. Clubs have had three years time to meet the FFP criteria and Uefa should not accept any breaches of the rules.
"People might disagree with Platini and I, but it should not be possible that some rich guy from Saudi Arabia or Russia can decide the Champions League. Platini shares my opinion on this.
"Bundesliga clubs comply with FFP, but this is not the case in all of Europe. Uefa should enforce the rules. The big German clubs will struggle to keep their teams together if other clubs don't comply with FFP."
PSG have climbed to fifth place in the Deloitte Money League with a €398.8m revenue over 2012-13.
Manchester United target Kroos reveals breakdown in Bayern Munich contract talks
By Liam Twomey
Feb 5, 2014 5:56:00 PM
The 24-year-old, who has competed with summer signing Thiago Alcantara for first-team action this season, has yet to commit his long-term future to the Bundesliga giants
Reported Manchester United target Toni Kroos has fuelled speculation surrounding his future by revealing he remains unable to agree a new contract with Bayern Munich.
The 24-year-old attacking midfielder, whose current deal expires in the summer of 2015, was heavily linked with a January move to Old Trafford.
While Kroos insists he is happy to stay at the Allianz Arena, he freely admits he is no closer to committing his long-term future to the European champions.
"Much has been written, especially in the last few days, about my sporting future," Kroos wrote on his official Facebook page. "But you shouldn't believe everything in some newspapers.
"The fact is I am very happy to play for Bayern and my position in the team is very good. The fact is also that we couldn't agree a new contract.
"Since it runs until 2015 this is not a big problem, and we will see what the future brings.
"My focus is on the sport side of things and we will do everything possible to complete the season as successfully as last season."
Bayern Munich have revealed that Franck Ribery will miss at least the next week after undergoing an operation on Thursday.
The 30-year-old midfielder made his only competitive appearance of the year on Sunday as Bayern cruised to a 5-0 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt, netting his side's second goal.
Ribery – who had been struggling with a muscular injury – had surgery on a trapped nerve in his gluteal muscles on Thursday.
Bayern say he will remain at the clinic of club doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt for the time being and a club spokesman confirmed the surgery.
"Franck is suffering from compartment syndrome. We will know more after he's undergone further tests on Sunday," the club said.
Bayern manager Pep Guardiola hopes Ribery "will return to training as soon as possible".
The Bundesliga table-toppers will be heavy favourites to win at Nuremberg on Saturday, but the hosts have won their last two league matches – their only triumphs of the season.
And Guardiola is expecting a tough test at the Grundig Stadion.
"Bayern have a lot of derby matches - against Stuttgart, Dortmund, Augsburg. They're always special," he said.
"They leave their opponents little time to think. We have to be very aggressive and run quickly with the ball.
"We'll have to be very aggressive against Nuremberg. We're going to need to work hard.
"Nuremberg coach (Gert) Verbeek is Dutch so they won't just sit back and defend. They'll try to attack whenever they can."
Guardiola revealed that midfield pair Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez are still rated doubtful, but that the former had trained without pain this week.
Son Heung-Min's second-half strike boosted Bayer Leverkusen's UEFA Champions League hopes in a 1-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.
In a tightly contested affair at Borussia-Park on Friday, the South Korean settled the encounter between the two top-four hopefuls with a superb curling effort just after the hour mark.
Gladbach started the game in a positive fashion, but could have been behind at half-time had Stefan Kiessling done better with a free header shortly the break.
Sami Hyypia's side did find the breakthrough in the second half, however, and held firm despite late pressure from the visitors, as Gladbach fell to just their second home defeat in the Bundesliga this season.
Max Kruse led the line up front for Gladbach, while the away side welcomed Sidney Sam back into their starting XI following a thigh injury.
The hosts made the brighter opening and orchestrated the first meaningful effort on 19 minutes when Patrick Herrmann's well-controlled volley looked destined for the bottom left-hand corner, but he was denied by a smart stop from Bernd Leno.
Shortly after the half-hour, Kruse saw a fierce strike from 25 yards deflected over the crossbar, as Leverkusen's defence held firm against a slick Gladbach attack.
It was the visitors who finished the half stronger, however, but Son shot off-target from distance.
Kiessling had arguably the best chance of the opening period three minutes before the break when he headed Gonzalo Castro's corner well over the crossbar despite being unmarked.
The home side saw Juan Arango flash an effort wide of the post shortly after the restart, but it was Leverkusen who finally broke the deadlock on 62 minutes.
Sam broke free down the right before laying into the path of Son who came inside and hit a fierce strike from 20 yards past the despairing Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The hosts piled forward in search of an equaliser and Kruse forced a good save from Leno in the closing stages, but Leverkusen clung on for a crucial three points.
The result leaves Leverkusen in second with a 10-point gap to Gladbach who sit just outside the Champions League spots in fifth.
Runaway Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich continues its quest to break records with a derby at Nuremberg, Borussia Dortmund visits troubled Werder Bremen and Schalke hosts Hannover in a clash between two sides unbeaten this year. At the other end of the table, Hamburger SV desperately needs a good result against Hertha Berlin and Eintracht Braunschweig visits Eintracht Frankfurt for a relegation six-pointer. Bayer Leverkusen gets the 20th round underway at Borussia Moenchengladbach, where it hopes to consolidate second place. Here are five things to know ahead of the weekend:
THE NEW NUREMBERG
Bayern and Nuremberg are the in-form teams of the moment, with two wins from two games this year. While Bayern's excellent return from the winter break is no surprise, Nuremberg hadn't won any of its opening 17 games this season.
Gertjan Verbeek's Nuremberg finally appears to have turned the corner for a combination of reasons. Nuremberg hit the post or crossbar 15 times in the first half of the season without the ball ever going in or out to be scored on the rebound; twice already this year, the side has scored off the post and on the rebound, while Timmy Chandler's harmless shot was deflected for the opening score in the 4-0 win over Hoffenheim. Referees' decisions also appear to be going Nuremberg's way now, while strikers Josip Drmic and Daniel Ginczek are suddenly taking their chances.
Nuremberg's record of seven goals scored and one conceded in 2014 is bettered only by Bayern's (7-0). Don't be surprised if Verbeek's side finally ends its Bavarian rival's record 44-game unbeaten streak on Saturday.
BREMEN ALARM
Robin Dutt is coming under increasing pressure at Werder Bremen after his side claimed just one win from its past eight games. Last weekend's 3-1 loss at Augsburg left Bremen just three points above the relegation zone, while its performances to date have done little to suggest improvement.
"To say I'm somewhat annoyed is an understatement, but I prefer to leave it there before the wrong word passes my mouth," said Dutt, who canceled his players' day off last Monday.
Dutt is likely to start recently signed attacking midfielder Ludovic Obraniak against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, but Argentine defender Santiago Garcia is suspended after his red card in Augsburg.
Dortmund's mini-crisis is over after claiming its first win since November last Friday at Eintracht Braunschweig, though defender Mats Hummels — who just returned from a knee injury — has been ruled out for two weeks with a strain in his right foot.
SCHALKE REVIVAL
The winter break appears to have been just the tonic Schalke needed to turn gloom to optimism, with, two wins from two games in 2014. The revival has coincided with the return of Klaas Jan Huntelaar after five months out with a right knee injury. The Dutchman scored on his return against Hamburger SV (3-0) and last week's 2-1 win over Wolfsburg, a direct rival for a Champions League qualification place, has given Schalke a boost for the second half of the season.
"Our priority is qualifying for the Champions League," Huntelaar told Sport Bild. "We could still even finish second, but let's just take things from game to game."
Schalke's new confidence will be put to the test at home Sunday against Hannover, also perfect so far in 2014.
HAMBURG'S CRISIS
Hamburger is deep in crisis before Saturday's visit of Hertha Berlin. Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk canceled his players' day off Monday after their fifth loss in succession — a 3-0 defeat at Hoffenheim — left the side second from bottom in a relegation place.
"Now we've reached the point where everyone in football in Germany says we're already relegated," Hamburg sports director Oliver Kreuzer said.
Hamburg is the only Bundesliga side to have played every season, and thoughts of its first ever relegation are sowing panic at the club, yet Hamburg chief executive Carl-Edgar Jarchow is backing Van Marwijk to keep his job.
"Even a defeat against Berlin wouldn't affect our trust in Van Marwijk," Jarchow told Kicker magazine. "The coach is always changed here, now the position is up for discussion again. It annoys me that it takes the well-paid players out of the spotlight. They're given an excuse but they are accountable."
'GLADBACH STUMBLING
Moenchengladbach needs to get back to winning ways to maintain hope of clinching Champions League football next season. Two defeats in a row saw Lucien Favre's side surrender the all-important fourth place to Schalke last week.
"You get the feeling a little bit that not everyone is at the limit like they were (before)," Moenchengladbach sporting director Max Eberl said. "The lads know what needs to be done. They themselves are unhappy. That's the best impetus."
'Gladbach hasn't won any of its past four games, and opens the round with Leverkusen visiting on Friday. Leverkusen is 13 points behind Bayern but looking to consolidate second place with Dortmund another four points behind.
Bundesliga Wrap: Bayern march on, Dortmund run riot
8 February 2014
Mario Mandzukic inspired Bayern Munich to victory at Nuremberg, while Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt enjoyed big wins.
Defending champions Bayern restored their 13-point lead at the Bundesliga summit thanks to a 2-0 derby success over to make it 12 successive league victory.
Toni Kroos, who recently rejected a contract extension, was left out by coach Pep Guardiola and Josip Drmic almost gave Nuremberg the lead early on, but Mandzukic opened the scoring on 18 minutes with an improvised finish. It was the 27-year-old striker's 12th league goal of the season.
Mandzukic then set up the second for Philipp Lahm, whose shot went through the grasp of Raphael Schafer for his first Bundesliga goal since 2010.
Dortmund moved four points behind second-placed Bayer Leverkusen by thrashing Werder Bremen 5-1 on their travels.
Robert Lewandowski broke the deadlock to end his personal goal drought in the league on 475 minutes, while Manuel Friedrich and a Henrikh Mkhitaryan double put Jurgen Klopp’s side well in command. Lewandowski's second sent him top of the Bundesliga scoring chart before substitute Levent Aycicek grabbed a consolation for Bremen.
Wolfsburg beat Mainz 3-0 to move level on points with fifth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach.
A penalty from Swiss full-back Ricardo Rodriguez put Dieter Hecking's men ahead, with Brazil midfielder Luiz Gustavo and Dutch striker Bas Dost also on target. Rodriguez has now scored four goals in his last nine league appearances.
Eintracht Frankfurt cruised to a 3-0 win over rock-bottom Eintracht Braunschweig to stride four points clear of the relegation zone and leave their visitors six points adrift of safety. Johannes Flum, Alexander Meier and Stefan Aigner got Frankfurt’s goals.
Freiburg and Hoffenheim played out a 1-1 draw in a battle of sides in the bottom half. Jonathan Schmid’s 68th-mniute goal looked to have done enough for Freiburg, but substitute Anthony Modeste got a late equaliser. The point was nevertheless enough for Freiburg to escape the relegation zone.
Elsewhere, Hamburg's dreadful run continued following a 3-0 defeat at home to Hertha Berlin, their sixth successive Bundesliga loss.
The visitors should have been in front after 15 minutes when Adrian Ramos saw his penalty saved by Rene Adler, but it mattered little as Hertha raced into a three-goal lead before the break.
Sami Allagui put Hertha ahead shortly after the penalty miss before Ramos atoned for his error by scoring in the 23rd and 38th minutes to consign Hamburg to another miserable defeat, one which leaves them in the bottom two.
Schalke kept the pressure on third-placed Borussia Dortmund with a 2-0 home win over Hannover in Sunday's Bundesliga action.
Jens Keller's side remain two points behind Dortmund after their latest success as the race for an automatic UEFA Champions League qualification place continues.
Schalke, unbeaten in four league matches at the start of play, took the lead in the 39th minute thanks to excellent work from Sead Kolasinac.
The Bosnian ran down the left, beat Hannover's Marcelo and reached the byline before squaring across the face of goal.
Jefferson Farfan was on hand to turn into an empty net and Schalke doubled their advantage just five minues later.
The goal was similar to the first, with Max Meyer applying the finish after Farfan had released full-back Atsuto Uchida down the right.
Hannover sit 10th in the league table after suffering a first defeat in 2014.
Sunday's other match saw Augsburg extend their unbeaten streak in the league to eight matches with a 4-1 success at Stuttgart.
The visitors had already scored twice before Stuttgart's Vedad Ibisevic was sent off in the 53rd minute.
Arkadiusz Milik tapped into an empty net for the opener in the 35th minute and highly rated midfielder Andre Hahn made it 2-0 before half-time.
Hahn produced a composed left-footed finish in the 56th minute to claim his second goal of the game and ninth of the season.
A shell-shocked Stuttgart responded six minutes later as Konstantin Rausch rounded Alex Manninger and scored but Augsburg quickly restored their three-goal lead through Tobias Werner.
Augsburg now sit eighth in the table, while Stuttgart are 14th and have lost all four of their league games in 2014.
Nuremberg duo Daniel Ginczek and Timothy Chandler will undergo surgery after sustaining knee injuries against Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Striker Ginczek faces a six-month lay-off after tearing the cruciate ligament in his right knee during the 2-0 defeat against the Bundesliga leaders.
And United States defender Chandler will be sidelined for up to 10 weeks after it was revealed he had suffered an anterior meniscus tear in his left knee against Nuremberg's Bavarian rivals.
The Bundesliga strugglers revealed on their official website that the duo will require operations in Augsburg on Monday.
Nuremberg manager Gertjan Verbeek said: "We didn't just lose three points, but also two players.
"It's a big price to pay in a derby like that."
Goals from Mario Mandzukic and Philipp Lahm consigned Verbeek's side to a defeat that ensured they remain in the relegation zone.
Schalke have agreed a deal to sign midfielder Dennis Aogo on a permanent basis from Bundesliga rivals Hamburg.
Aogo spent the first half of the current season on loan at Schalke, making 16 appearances in all competitions before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in training in November.
Despite the injury, Schalke announced on their official website on Sunday that they had agreed to bring the 27-year-old to the club from Hamburg on a permanent basis.
Aogo is set to sign a three-year deal, with the added option of an extra year should it suit both parties.
Schalke general manager Horst Heldt revealed within the statement that the deal was all but signed.
"Between all parties involved are the details clarified, it only lacks the signatures," he said.
