Nuremberg end Bayern's winning run
| Kevin Kuranyi (right) celebrates one of the goals that gave Stuttgart a 5-2 victory |
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NUREMBERG, Germany -- Bayern Munich squandered the chance to widen their lead at the top of the Bundesliga when they were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw at Nuremberg in the Bavarian derby.
Nuremberg's Ivica Banovic converted a penalty in the 74th minute after Hasan Salihamidzic got a red card for bringing down Stefan Kiessling in front of Bayern's goal.
The draw ended a four-match winning streak that had lifted Bayern to the top of the table.
Stuttgart moved into second place three points behind with a 5-2 win over Bochum, Kevin Kuranyi scoring twice.
Schalke 04, who play at Dortmund on Sunday, are level with Stuttgart on 30 points.
At Nuremberg Marek Mintal put Nuremberg ahead in the 23rd minute, beating Oliver Kahn with a header. Two minutes later Andreas Wolf received a red card for handling in front of goal, conceding a penalty which Roy Makaay converted to equalize.
Ze Roberto put Bayern in front with a 60th minute free kick that curled into the right corner only for Banovic to salvage the draw.
"That was nice for the spectators but I am not happy," declared Bayern manager Felix Magath. "We threw two points away which could prove costly at the end of the season.
"It it not the time to be handing out Christmas presents."
Reigning champions Werder Bremen moved to within six points of Bayern with a 6-0 drubbing of hapless Freiburg.
Bremen scored three times in nine first half minutes and improved their goal difference further in the second half as Freiburg waved the white flag.
Greece's Euro 2004 hero Angelos Charisteas scored a hat-trick (29, 58, 87) with German international Miroslav Klose grabbing a brace (20, 23).
"We have proved that we have not got distracted ahead of the Valencia Champions League game," said Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf. "We can now travel to Spain full of confidence."
Argentine striker Diego Klimowicz put Wolfsberg ahead at Leverkusen after four minutes with a glancing header but Ukraine international Andrei Voronin equalised shortly after the interval and Franca struck in the 89th minute to guide Bayer into eighth.