Bayern fell to a frustrating and potentially costly defeat at home to resurgent Schalke on Saturday, both sides finishing a man down after Jermaine Jones and Franck Ribery were sent off in the second half.
The 69,000 full house at the Allianz Arena saw FCB make much the brighter start but fall behind midway through the first half to a Halil Altintop header. Jose Sosa rattled the crossbar with a free-kick but the champions were unable to conjure up an equaliser before half-time.
Bayern battered away at the Schalke goal throughout the second half, and the visitors were reduced to ten men when Jones saw a second yellow card twenty minutes from time, but the advantage was cancelled out immediately afterwards when the same fate befell a frustrated Ribery, on an afternoon when the ball simply did not want to go in for the downcast Munich side.
The result, combined with Berlin's 1-0 win over Hoffenheim on Friday, means the Bavarians slip to third in the standings on 54 points from 29 games, a point off second-placed Hertha and level with Stuttgart and Hamburg in fourth and fifth. Leaders Wolfsburg can pull six clear of the champions if they beat Cottbus on Sunday.
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