FRANCE
Promoted Ajaccio proved they deserve a place among French football's elite when they won 2-1 at Bastia on Sunday in the first league derby between the two Corsican clubs for nearly 30 years.
Bastia went in front thanks to former Sunderland striker Lilian Laslandes who opened the scoring from close range in the 27th minute. But Ajaccio hit back with a 36th-minute goal by Bruno Rodriguez.
Then substitute David Faderne, who replaced Rodriguez in the second half, fired in from long range with just one minute left to grab a dramatic win in the first match between the two sides since 1973.
Leaders Nice retained the top spot following a goalless draw at in-form En Avant Guingamp. Nice have notched up 14 points from seven games and are level with second-placed AJ Auxerre, who drew 1-1 with Sochaux.
Olympique Marseille clinched their first home victory of the season by beating Girondins Bordeaux 2-1. Substitute striker Ibrahima Bakayoko was the hero for Marseille, producing a 75th minute winner.
The home side had gone ahead through a penalty from captain Frank Leboeuf in the 15th minute but Bordeaux fought back with a 52nd-minute goal by Pedro Pauleta.
Paris St Germain grabbed their most convincing win of the season with a 3-0 defeat of Strasbourg. Frontman Fabrice Fiorese outpaced the defence to open the scoring in the ninth minute while Argentine striker Martin Cardetti hit a brace to wrap up the contest.
Elsewhere, Sedan twice came from behind to notch up a 2-2 draw with Monaco. Shabani Nonda struck an acrobatic volley after a free-kick by Marcelo Gallardo to put Monaco in front after 16 minutes. Defender Dusko Djurisic equalised with a header from a Ludovic Asuar corner on 55 minutes, but Nonda slotted home his second to put the visitors back in front with five minutes left. Sedan then hit back again, this time through midfielder Cedric Mionnet in the 88th minute to level the match.
And, finally, Striker Marama Vahirua gave Nantes the points with a clever lob over France goalkeeper Gregory Coupet in the 20th minute as they beat Olympique Lyon 1-0. The French champions were reduced to 10 men after defender Mahamadou Diara was sent off in the 32nd minute.
GERMANY
Hansa Rostock brought an end to VfL Bochum's impressive run by beating them 1-0 on Sunday to move up to second place in the German first division.
Togo striker Bachirou Salou hit the winner for the visitors from close range on 32 minutes, inflicting on promoted Bochum their first defeat of the season.
Rostock are just one point behind Bayern Munich while Bochum, who had entered the weekend programme sharing the lead with Bayern, dropped to third, three points off the pace.
Hamburg SV used two second-half goals from Argentine striker Bernardo Romeo to beat troubled Kaiserslautern 2-0 in the other game played on Sunday.
Kaiserslautern, who have failed to improve since sacking coach Andreas Brehme and replacing him with Belgian Eric Gerets earlier this month, are last with just two points from five games.
Meanwhile, Bayern warmed up for their opening Champions League game at home against Deportivo La Coruna on Wednesday by winning 2-1 at Nuremberg to move clear at the top.
But the Bavarians might have to pay a heavy price for the victory since outstanding midfielder Michael Ballack bruised his left foot in the match. The German international was forced to miss training on Sunday.
The match was also marred by the abuse inflicted by the crowd upon Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn. The Garman fans chanted offensive slogans and waved banners still blaming him for Germany's defeat in the World Cup final.
In fact, during the entire clash the home crowd seemed only interested in scorning the player voted the world's best keeper - and chanted songs that centered on the lyrics "Olli is an arsehole".
Khan, who was initially celebrated as hero as Germany advanced to the World Cup finals eleven weeks ago, is now at his lowest popularity rating ever.
Visibly frustrated after the match, Kahn told German TV: "That's the business. Values like morale and ethics don't count anymore. Even being called an arsehole has become normal."
Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen suffered a humiliating 3-1 defeat at home to Hanover 96. Turkey playmaker Yildiray Basturk put Leverkusen - who took German football by storm last season - ahead when he volleyed home from the edge of the box on 11 minutes.
Striker Fredi Bobic equalised for the visitors with a header four minutes from the break and Leverkusen then collapsed. Bobic, back in the Bundesliga after a short spell with Bolton Wanderers, gave the visitors the lead with 10 minutes remaining.
And Cameroon striker Mohammadou Idrissou sealed the second division champion's first win of the season three minutes later.
Of the remaining action, Borussia Dortmond wasted a couple of chances to beat Schalke 04 when drawing 1-1 with their Ruhr Valley rivals.
Nigerian striker Victor Agali exploited a blunder from Dortmund defender Christoph Metzelder to score in the 70th minute. But Dortmund equalised seconds later with a header from Brazilian striker Ewerthon and then spurned a couple of great chances to beat.
