Bayern knock Stuttgart off top of Bundesliga table

BERLIN, Nov 18 (Reuters) Bayern Munich knocked VfB Stuttgart off the top of the Bundesliga table with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory today.

Schalke 04 moved atop the standings with a 4-2 victory over Energie Cottbus that gave them 26 points while Bayern stayed fourth place on 23 points and Stuttgart, who had won four straight games before today, slipped to third with 24 points.

Werder Bremen, in second place, stumbled ahead of their Champions League clash at home against Chelsea on Wednesday, getting only a disappointing 2-2 draw at lowly Alemannia Aachen.

Stuttgart's Mario Gomez took a pass in midfield from Christian Gentner and outsprinted three Bayern defenders before beating Oliver Kahn with an 18-metre shot to the far post for his eighth goal of the season in the eighth minute.

Bayern got a deserved equaliser in the 27th minute when 1.88-metre-tall Roy Makaay outjumped Stuttgart's Ivory Coast defender Arthur Boka, who is 1.66 metres, and headed a Phillip Lahm cross from the left past Timo Hildebrand.

Claudio Pizarro put Bayern ahead nine minutes later. Mark van Bommel slotted a cross from the right that Martin Demicheles wisely let go through his legs at the near post and Pizarro streaked in at the centre to tap the ball into an empty goal.

REUTERS SY BS2229