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Bayern hang on in Bundesliga title race by edging Dortmund |
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April 25, 2000 BERLIN, APR 24 (AP) - Bayern Munich faced a must-win situation Sunday to keep its Bundesliga title hopes alive and responded by beating Borussia Dortmund 1-0. But Dortmund, the 1997 Champions Cup winner undergoing a shocking collapse, was pushed just one point away from demotion with the fourth straight loss at Westfalenstadion. Hasan Salihamidzic chipped in Dortmund keeper Jens Lehmann's bobble of Paulo Sergio's free kick in the 30th minute to pull Munich back to three points behind Bayer Leverkusen. Leverkusen blasted Bremen 3-1 Thursday, forcing the defending champions to match the win or write off its title hopes, as Europe's tightest title race winds down to three rounds. But Munich, like the 2-1 victory Thursday against FC Porto in the Champions Cup, tried desperatedly to nurse its lead after the early goal and pulled everyone into the backfield. It was also missing five regulars. "After the Porto match, I think that's all the strength we had left," said Munich goalie Oliver Kahn. "But it's frustrating - once again we couldn't get a second goal." Bielefeld also beat Unterhaching 1-0 Sunday on Austrian player Markus Weissenberger's 65th minute goal. Dortmund dominated the second half against the defensive-minded Bavarians, but its only real chance came in the 53rd minute when Kahn leaped high as striker Fredi Bobic came very close to lobbing over him just outside the cage. But even Munich's players were sympathetic about the collapse of Dortmund, which led the table after the ninth round before its 15-match winless streak started. "I'm happy for my players, but it hurts a little for Dortmund," said Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who guided the Borussian to the triumph against Juventus Turin in Europe's top cup before switching sides. Munich is still chasing three titles, having reached the Champions Cup semifinals and German Cup final, but must now rely on Leverkusen to stumble - and the league's perennial second keeps routing everyone. Dortmund splurged on a Bundesliga record for new players this season, then found out it's seven new acquisitions couldn't be forged into a winning combination.
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