Babbel helps head Stuttgart to tough win

BERLIN (AP) -- Markus Babbel's first Bundesliga goal in five years lifted Stuttgart to a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Bielefeld on Sunday and within a point of league leader Wolfsburg.

Stuttgart remained the only German team unbeaten in any competition this season, including the UEFA Cup.

The win left Stuttgart 5-2-0 with 17 points, one behind surprise leader Wolfsburg, and three ahead of third-place Bayern.

Babbel, back from a long stint with Liverpool and a bout from an illness that paralyzed the defender, headed in an opponent's near own-goal on a corner -- a clearance that ricocheted off the crossbar _ in the 42nd minute.

Afterward, Stuttgart was pinned near its own goal the rest of the match.

Cacau didn't seal the win for the visitors until injury time as the 22,000 spectators in Bielefeld sang and cheered their team's performance against the heavy favorites.

"We shouldn't have let ourselves be pressured like that in the second half," Stuttgart goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand said. "The fans were in a great mood -- their team played really well."

In the end, the league's stingiest defense kept its sheets clean for a fourth league match. A clear look from Bielefeld's Finn Holsing, which went just left of the post, was one of the few really good chances Stuttgart allowed.

Babbel, joining Stuttgart this season, has helped make up for the loss of two key players on the Bundesliga's best defense last season.

"It's functioning very well," the former Germany player said. "But the team makes it easy, they come back and help out."

In Sunday's second match, Gerald Asamoah had a part in all three goals as Schalke climbed to seventh in the table by holding on to a 3-2 win against Bochum.

Germany's first African-born national team player scored in the 10th minute, then left four defenders standing in a 44th-minute solo run before passing off to Brazilian forward Lincoln for the third score.

His pass also set up Lewan Kobiaschwili in the 13th minute.

Bochum climbed back into the match on a 50th-minute goal by Zvjezdan Misimovic and another in the 65th from Raymond Kalla.

Bochum, an unheralded club that made the UEFA Cup last year, has found it harder to maintain success than get there. The loss dropped it to 12th in the table.