Stuttgart failed to take advantage of a series of mishaps above them when they were held to a goalless draw away to Hanover 96.

Stuttgart, last season's champions, had the chance to move to within a point of the Champions League places after the top five had all failed to win on Saturday but Armin Veh's side succumbed to the same bout of vertigo.

Mario Gomez (pictured) missed their best chance, putting a free header from a few yards out far too close to goalkeeper Robert Enke when he seemed certain to score at the end of the first half.

A draw kept Stuttgart sixth on 42 points, three behind Schalke in the third and final Champions League spot.

With eight games left, Bayern Munich lead the standings with 54 points following a 1-1 derby draw at Nuremberg on Saturday.

Hamburg SV, held 1-1 by Arminia Bielefeld, are second on 47.

Schalke, who drew 0-0 at Karlsruhe on Saturday, are third on 45, one ahead of Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen following their defeats by Eintracht Frankfurt and Duisburg.

In Sunday's other game Energie Cottbus moved out of the bottom three with a 2-1 win at home to Hertha Berlin, Albania's Ervin Skeller getting both goals with a free kick and a penalty.

Reuters