21.09.2013 19:17 h

Football: Dortmund stay top despite Nuremberg draw

Der BVB gewinnt den ersten Titel der neuen Saison
Der BVB gewinnt den ersten Titel der neuen Saison

Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund dropped their first points of the season on Saturday with a 1-1 draw at Nuremberg.

Having won their first five league games, Dortmund stumbled as left-back Marcel Schmelzer's first-half free-kick was cancelled out by Nuremberg centre-back Per Nilsson's second-half strike.

Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp brought a weakened team with centre-back Mats Hummels missing with a back injury.

Star striker Robert Lewandowski and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan started on the bench and were rested after Borussia's 2-1 Champions League defeat at Napoli on Wednesday.

"We wanted to play a little better, but we can live with the point," said Klopp before revealing both attacking midfielder Marco Reus and Schmelzer picked up injuries.

"Marcel has a hardening of his left thigh, we have to wait on him, while Marco has a heavily bruised thigh, which is extremely painful. It'll be close as to whether they play on Tuesday," Klopp added ahead of Dortmund's German Cup second-round clash at second division 1860 Munich.

Dortmund remain a point clear at the top, but Bayer Leverkusen moved up to second place with a 4-1 win at Mainz 05.

Australia star Robbie Kruse scored two first-half goals, his first Bundesliga goals for Leverkusen since joining from Fortuna Duesseldorf.

The 24-year-old drilled home a pass from Germany winger Sidney Sam after 19 minutes, set up Sven Bender for Leverkusen's second, then converted a pass from captain Simon Rolfes for Bayer's third just before half-time.

The league's joint top-scorer Stefan Kiessling then scored his fifth goal of the season when he headed home completely unmarked early in the second half, before Mainz midfielder Yunus Malli netted a late consolation.

The victory lifts Bayer over European champions Bayern Munich into second, but Pep Guardiola's Bavarians are at Schalke 04 later.

Hanover 96 stay fourth after a 2-1 win at home to Ausgburg with Hungary midfielder Szabolcs Huszti netting an 89th-minute penalty.

After sacking coach Thorsten Fink last week in the wake of their 6-2 drubbing at Dortmund, Hamburg slumped to their fourth defeat of the season at home to neighbours Werder Bremen.

Ex-Bayern Munich striker Nils Petersen scored both of Bremen's goals either side of half-time to compound their north German neighbours' misery in a 2-0 defeat.

Before the game Hamburg's director of sport Oliver Kreuzer confirmed ex-Holland coach Bert van Marwijk has been approached to replace Fink with Rodolfo Cardoso the current caretaker coach.

Wolfsburg moved up to sixth with a 2-1 win at home to Hoffenheim as Croatia's ex-Bayern striker Ivica Olic scored both Wolves goals.

Hoffenheim took the lead when French striker Anthony Modeste pounced on a mistake in the Wolves defence and fired home with a quarter of an hour gone.

Wolfsburg came back with two goals in four minutes either side of half-time as Olic fired home from close range for both.