Hamburg - SV Hamburg were held 1-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt but retained the Bundesliga Sunday because Bayer Leverkusen also failed to win in a goalless draw with Werder Bremen. Ze Roberto headed Hamburg into the lead early on, with Marco Russ getting the equalizer in the 32nd minute.
Hamburg and Leverkusen remain unbeaten on 14 points apiece, with Hamburg top due to a better goal difference. Bayern Munich, TSG Hoffenheim and Mainz follow on 11 each.
Hertha Berlin, meanwhile, are rock bottom as they crashed to their fifth straight defeat, 4-0 at home against SC Freiburg in the other Sunday game.
Hamburg had a dream start, with Ze Roberto heading home in the seventh minute after a clumsy move from Frankfurt goalkeeper Oka Nikolov.
Frankfurt's equalizer from Russ' 14m volley came out of nowhere in the 32nd, and Hamburg wasted chances from Jonathan Pitroipa and Romeo Castelan after the break against a passive host team to boost morale for next week's big game against Munich.
"We had our chances and should have won in the second half. It's our own fault," said Trochowski.
Frankfurt coach Michael Skibbe, whose team has drawn 1-1 in all three home games and is also unbeaten, said: "We don't have the same technical level as Hamburg."
In Leverkusen, mid-table Bremen had an early chance from Marko Marin and were the better team before the break. But neither they nor Leverkusen, who improved in the second half, managed to break the deadlock.
The draws of the top teams, coupled with Schalke's 2-1 home defeat against champions VfL Wolfsburg on Friday, allowed Munich, Hoffenheim and Mainz to cut the deficit to the top from five to three points.
Munich edged Nuremberg 2-1 on Saturday, Hoffenheim scored three times in the last five minutes to beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-2 after trailing 2-0, and Mainz also came from behind to win 3-2 in Bochum.
Hanover and Borussia Dortmund drew 1-1 while Cologne ambushed hosts VfB Stuttgart 2-0 to move off the bottom spot.
That belongs firmly to Hertha now after the 4-0 home debacle against Freiburg, who climbed from 17th to 11th from Ivica Banovic's double and goals from Cedric Makiadi and Mohamadou Idrissou.
"It is difficult to comment. It can't continue like this. We are not ready to fight and to defend anymore," said Hertha coach Lucien Favre.
Looking at his personal future at the club which finished fourth last season, Favre said: "Of course (I am still keen). It is a huge challenge to get out of this situation ... But I know this is a tough business."
Fellow-Swiss Marcel Koller is not better off at second-from-last Bochum, where club officials had reportedly gathered on Sunday to discuss possible action.
