Werder Bremen were held to a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened Arminia Bielefeld in a further blow to their championship ambitions.

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich (53 points) widened their lead at the top to seven points on Saturday with their 2-1 win over third-placed Bayer Leverkusen (44), while second-placed Hamburg SV (46) were held to a 1-1 draw at VfL Wolfsburg.

Werder, with just four points from their last five league matches, are fourth on 44 points. Schalke 04, who beat Hertha Berlin 2-1 on Sunday, are fifth, behind Leverkusen and Werder on goal difference.

Werder, who had been level with Bayern on points at the midway point, were also comfortably in the top three and on course for the Champions League before their recent slump.

Brazil playmaker Diego celebrated his first match back after a three-match suspension by converting a penalty in the 70th minute for Werder, his 11th goal of the season after Bielefeld defender Oliver Kirch put the hosts in front in the 14th minute.

"We wanted to win here and climb in the table but didn't so we're not satisfied," Werder coach Thomas Schaaf, whose team had beaten Bielefeld 8-1 at home this season, said. "We lost two points."

The one bright spot for Schaaf was the return of Germany midfielder Torsten Frings who had missed the last eight weeks.

Bielefeld climbed to 15th with the deserved draw, one spot above the drop zone. But it was the ninth straight match without a win under new coach Michael Frontzeck.

In Berlin, Gerard Asamoah (12) and Jermaine Jones (23) scored early to put Schalke 2-0 in front. Sofian Chahed converted a penalty in the 67th. The defeat ended Hertha's six-match unbeaten streak.

Reuters