Hamburg missed a chance to go second in the Bundesliga when they drew 0-0 at Nuremberg, while Bayer Leverkusen boosted their Champions League hopes with a 2-0 win over Hanover.

Hamburg played poorly against relegation candidates Nuremberg and only came away with a point thanks to a penalty save from Frank Rost at the end of the first half.

The result completed a great weekend for leaders Bayern Munich, who are seven points clear after their 2-0 win at home to Karlsruhe on Saturday.

Bayern have 50 points from 23 games, followed by Werder Bremen on 43, who suffered a humiliating 6-3 defeat at Stuttgart on Saturday.

Hamburg stay third on 42, followed closely by Leverkusen on 41 after goals from Theofanis Gekas and Tranquillo Barnetta saw them to a comfortable win at home to Hanover.

Nuremberg are third from bottom.

While Bayern are now clear favourites for the title, the race for European places is too close to call. The top two in Germany qualify directly for the Champions League, with the third-placed team going through to the final qualifying round.

Hamburg lost 1-0 away to Leverkusen in the first leg of their UEFA Cup tie this week and once again on Sunday they looked short of ideas away from home.

Rafael van der Vaart was a fraction wide with a free-kick midway through the first half and the Dutchman wasted another good chance from a set-piece in the 40th minute.

They were lucky not to fall behind three minutes later when Collin Benjamin tripped Peer Kluge to give away a penalty.

Zvjezdan Misimovic side-footed the spot-kick towards the corner but Rost saved comfortably.

Leverkusen had no such problems in a lively display against Hanover.

They moved ahead when Gekas chipped the keeper beautifully in the 30th minute and 10 minutes later Barnetta played a one-two with the Greek striker before smashing in at the near post.

Reuters