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Hoffenheim snap Bayern streak, Dortmund win

March 29, 2014 23:32 IST

Hoffenheim ended champions Bayern Munich's 19-game winning streak in the Bundesliga on Saturday with a 3-3 draw after first taking the lead and then fighting back from two goals down.

Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus scored a hat-trick to also bring his team back from two goals behind and beat relegation-threatened VfB Stuttgart 3-2 and remain in second place.

Hoffenheim's Anthony Modeste silenced the Munich crowd, whose side secured the 2013/14 title at Hertha Berlin on Tuesday, by slotting in a 23rd minute goal.

The hosts, with a largely second-string team ahead of their Champions League quarter-final first leg at Manchester United on Tuesday, then responded with three goals in an explosive nine-minute spell.

Peruvian Claudio Pizarro, making a rare start in coach Pep Guardiola's rotation, struck in the 31st and 40th minute and Xherdan Shaqiri added another in the 34th as the Bavarians seemingly restored order.

With convicted former Bayern president Uli Hoeness back in the stands before he starts serving a three-and-a-half year jail sentence for tax evasion, Hoffenheim battled back.

Sejad Salihovic's fierce free kick again beat Tom Starke, replacing the rested Manuel Neuer, to cut the deficit a minute before the break and Roberto Firmino completed what amounts to an upset result against Bayern in the 75th.

Last season's treble winners, who could be without Thiago Alcantara for the Champions League match after he limped off with a suspected ligament injury, still stretched their league unbeaten run to 53 games.

Germany international Reus was in scintillating form after Stuttgart shocked visitors Dortmund, who play Real Madrid in the Champions League last eight, with two goals in the opening 19 minutes to take a firm grip on the game.

Christian Gentner put them ahead and Martin Harnik doubled their lead from point blank after a fine solo effort from Ibrahima Traore.

Reus' fine finish on the half hour put Dortmund back in the game and the visitors turned up the heat in the second half with Robert Lewandowski hitting the woodwork and Reus firing narrowly wide.

He then converted a spot kick in the 68th and clinched the winner seven minutes from time to keep Dortmund a point ahead of Schalke 04 with six games left in the season.

Stuttgart, who were left with 10 men after a second booking for Georg Niedermeier, are in 17th place on 24 points.

There were more jeers than cheers in Leverkusen where fourth-placed Bayer settled for a 1-1 draw against Eintracht Braunschweig, in last place.

VfL Wolfsburg, in fifth, closed to within a point thanks to Brazilian Naldo's stunning 30-metre shot in the last minute to give them a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Image: Hoffenheim's Anthony Modeste scores a goal past Bayern Munich's goalkeeper Tom Starke

Photograph: Michael Dalder/Reuters