BERLIN (AFP) - Finnish defender Petri Pasanen's second-half free-kick sealed a 2-1 win for Werder Bremen over Eintracht Frankfurt to catapault his side up the Bundesliga table on Saturday.

Leaders Bayern Munich, who play on Sunday, stay top but Bremen have now become title contenders having jumped from tenth to fifth.

Fresh from their 3-2 Champions League qualifier win at Dinamo Zagreb, Bremen took the lead when Brazilian Diego headed the ball into the path of striker Boubacar Sanogo who slotted home on 35 minutes.

Pasanen made the result safe when he smashed home his free-kick on 79 minutes, before the visitors grabbed a consolation goal through Michael Thurk with five minutes remaining.

After seeing his side claim their second win in four days, Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said he was pleased with his side's climb up the table having recovered from their 4-0 drubbing at home to Bayern a fortnight ago.

"We have shown we are on the right path in the last 14 days," said Schaaf.

"The team has improved day by day and are seeing the rewards for their hard work.

"Frankfurt closed us down very well and gave us little room, but we stayed patient and that paid off for us.

"Our league position has improved dramatically and I think things are on the up for us."

Second-placed Arminia Bielefeld were given a rude awakening as their aspirations to leap-frog Bayern and claim top spot were sent crashing by their 3-0 defeat at promoted Duisburg.

After Brazilian midfielder Maicon gave the home side the lead in the 64th minute, Duisburg made sure of the three points as Nigerian striker Manasseh Ishiaku scored two goals in as many minutes to lift them up to seventh.

"Duisburg deserved the points," said Bielefeld coach Ernst Middendorp.

"We had 15 to 20 minutes when we sat back and let them attack us and we were punished with the first goal.

"So it was hardly surprising we finally conceded three goals."

Hanover hauled themselves out of the relegation zone and into 11th as they bounced back from their heavy defeat at Bayern the week before with a hard-fought 3-2 win over VfL Bochum.

German international Mike Hanke had put his side ahead with an unstoppable shot from 18 metres before midfielder Jan Rosenthal made it 2-0 after 37 minutes.

But Danish striker Tommy Bechmann scored his fourth goal of the season just before half-time to make it 2-1 at the break.

A penalty by defender Marcel Maltritz just after the hour mark put Bochum level at 2-2 before Iranian striker Vahid Hashemian scored the winner with 20 minutes left. Bochum stay second to Bayern despite the defeat.

Energie Cottbus had a 1-1 draw at Nuremberg as Danish striker Dennis Soerensen converted an early penalty, but Andreas Wolf grabbed the equaliser five minutes from time to snatch a point.

Hertha Berlin took an early lead at home to VfL Wolfsburg when Serbian striker Marko Pantelic scored with a 38th minute header.

But Wolfsburg equalised thanks to midfielder Ashkan Dejagah's well-placed shot on 61 minutes only for Solomon Okoronkwo to rifle home the winner just before the final whistle.

Bottom side Hansa Rostock had their misery compounded as a late goal by Borussia Dortmund's Italian Giovanni Federico midfielder hit the winner on 76 minutes.

Greek striker Theofanis Gekas struck early in the second half to secure a point for Bayern Leverkusen in their 1-1 draw with Schalke 04 on Friday.

Gekas, the top flight's leading scorer last season, slotted home Simon Rolfes's pass when he rifled his shot past Schalke keeper Manuel Neuer on 53 minutes after Kevin Kuranyi had earlier put the home side ahead.

The draw leaves Schalke unbeaten after four games and puts Mirko Slomka's side fifth with Leverkusen seventh before the main bulk of the weekend's fixtures on Saturday.

League leaders Bayern are in action at Hamburg on Sunday and defending champions VfB Stuttgart take on Karlsruhe.