Bayern were left to ponder a slew of missed chances after a first-half goal from Hamburg striker Mladen Petric condemned the champions to a first defeat in 17 competitive matches on Friday evening.
The 55,000 full house at the HSH-Nordbank-Arena saw an evenly-matched first period, Piotr Trochowski hitting a post and Luca Toni seeing a perfectly good-looking goal chalked off for a foul, before Croatia hitman Petric headed the home side in front a minute from half-time.
Bayern piled on the pressure in an often pulsating second half, but Toni and Miro Klose both missed gilt-edged chances as the Bavarians’ poor run of just one win in their last eight meetings with the northerners continued its unwanted course.
A point would have sent Munich to the top of the Bundesliga for the first time this term, but that honour instead fell to their opponents, at least until mid-season leaders Hoffenheim's meeting with Cottbus on Saturday. The defeat in the first league fixture after the winter break means FCB slip to third overnight on 35 points from 18 games.
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