Spirit sends Bayern five points clear

The Bayern Munich management are confident their side are on the up again after a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund gave the side firm control of the Bundesliga. They also dismissed speculation, rampant in the German media since Bayern were beaten in the first round of the Champions' League for the first time in 32 years, that the coach Ottmar Hitzfeld's job had been on the line.

"That's the biggest nonsense of all time," Uli Hoeness, Bayern's commercial manager, said. "We've had a lot of discussions with him, but not about him. He knew exactly where he stood. What happened in the Champions' League we just didn't foresee, we all made a mistake."

The Munich team that beat Dortmund Saturday was the Bayern of old, ruthless rather than graceful, more fight than flash. The match showed little artistry and instead was a game full of flaring emotions, fighting in the trenches, and hard tackling that led to dismissals for two Dortmund players. At the final whistle, Bayern were five points clear at the top of the table.

"That was the spirit we hoped to see in this match. The team reacted the right way to all the criticism its had to take," Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the Bayern president, said. "It was a first step, it's very important we keep playing like that."

In yesterday's games, Hertha Berlin moved to sixth in the table with a 3-1 victory against Hansa Rostock, while Borussia Mönchengladbach pushed Energie Cottbus deeper into the relegation zone with a comfortable 3-0 win.