BERLIN, March 9: Leaders Bayer Leverkusen stayed on course for their first Bundesliga title with a 2-0 victory over Energie Cottbus Saturday as Bayern Munich kept their hopes alive with hard-fought 2-1 win over city rivals TSV 1860.

A first-half header from Brazilian midfielder Ze Roberto and a late effort from Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov enabled Leverkusen to keep their one-point lead on second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-1.

Bayern needed a last-minute goal from midfielder Thorsten Fink to win the Munich derby and move one spot up to third in the 18-strong standings.

The European champions opened the scoring through Brazilian midfielder Paulo Sergio in the 72nd minute before Austrian defender Martin Sranzl equalised for 1860 three minutes later.

Bayern are just three points off the lead and remain in contention for an unprecedented fourth straight German title.

Saturday’s results:

Bayern Munich 2 TSV 1860 Munich 1

Bayer Leverkusen 2 Energie Cottbus 0

FC St Pauli 1 SC Freiburg 0

Nuremberg 0 Werder Bremen 4

VfL Wolfsburg 5 Cologne 1

Hansa Rostock 2 Kaiserslautern 1

Dortmund 3 Moenchengladbach 1

Meanwhile, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has played down speculation that a dispute exists between himself and Franz Beckenbauer over who is really in charge at Bayern Munich.

“To put things straight, Franz — with his personality and charisma — remains a very important part of the club,” Rummenigge told Sunday newspaper Bild am Sonntag in an interview released a day ahead of publication.

Rummenigge, who was previously a Bayern vice-president, has been designated as chairman of the limited company which the club became at the beginning of this year.

Beckenbauer remains Bayern president but has complained about having only limited power at the club.

“My work is being done (by others), the essential things are being taken care of, the field is occupied,” Beckenbauer, who is also the chairman of the organising committee for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, told Thursday’s issue of soccer magazine Kicker.

Rummenigge told Bild am Sonntag that Bayern, who have already made two spectacular signings for next season in Germany midfielders Michael Ballack and Sebastian Deisler, were looking for other new players.

“We are already set for next season and we have reinforced ourselves ideally with Ballack and Deisler,” he said.

“One or two more transfers should follow.”

The deal valued the European champions at 750 million euros ($661.4 million) — more than English rivals Manchester United, who are quoted on the London stock market.—Reuters