Birmingham City striker Nicklas Bendtner scored a goal less than 10 minutes from time as Denmark poached a 1-0 win over Germany in Wednesday night’s friendly in Duisburg. Bendtner swept home a cross in the 81st minute as German coach Joachim Loew suffered his first defeat in nine games since succeeding Jurgen Klinsmann as Germany coach after last year’s World Cup.

Loew’s brave decision to blood six new caps – including Hanover’s goalkeeper Robert Enke, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Simon Rolfes and VfB Stuttgart’s Roberto Hilbert in the starting eleven – backfired. And with only three survivors from the 2-1 Euro 2008 qualifying win over the Czech Republic on Saturday, the experienced Denmark side finished stronger than their opponents and deserved the win.

With Thomas Hitzlsperger and Schalke 04 striker Kevin Kuranyi the only experienced campaigners in the side, Germany lacked the tactical control and sharp finishing that had seen them win in Prague. Having scored both goals in Prague, Kuranyi had several half chances to add to his 17 international strikes but his finishing was wide of the mark.

Denmark threatened when Jesper Groenkjaer clipped the bar with a bullet header after 70 minutes, just as Bayer Leverkusen defender Gonzalo …

Denmark coach Morten Olsen has criticised Germany’s decision to field a severely weakened team for Wednesday’s friendly international in Duisburg.

Germany coach Joachim Loew released eight players from international duty, including captain Michael Ballack, after the 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in Prague on Saturday.

‘This is very disrespectful,’ Olsen was quoted as saying by German media on Tuesday. ‘We had a clear agreement to field our strongest teams. ‘I wasn’t told about it by the DFB (German Football Association). I read about it in the newspapers and you don’t do that.’

As well as Chelsea midfielder Ballack, the other players released by Loew were Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, Bayern Munich trio Philipp Lahm, Lukas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger, Werder Bremen players Torsten Frings and Per Mertesacker and Bayer Leverkusen’s Bernd Schneider.…

Germany’s coach Joachim Löw on Sunday rung the changes for Wednesday night’s friendly against Denmark by announcing an inexperienced 16-man squad aimed at blooding some of his rising stars. Loew called up two uncapped players: striker Patrick Helmes of second division 1. FC Köln and midfielder Simon Rolfes of Bayer Leverkusen.

Having opened up a three-point gap at the top of their Euro 2008 qualifying group after a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in Prague on Saturday, Löw will rest his first-choice side for Wednesday’s game in Duisburg.

Schalke 04 striker Kevin Kuranyi, whose headed goals either side of half-time gave Germany the valuable win in Prague, is the most experienced player in the squad with 37 caps.

Alongside captain and Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack, the Bayern Munich trio of Philipp Lahm, Lukas Podolski and BastianSchweinsteiger, as well as Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, the Werder Bremen players Torsten Frings and Per Mertesacker and Bayer Leverkusen’s Bernd Schneider are amongst the group who have been sent home.

“It’s all about giving other players their opportunity,” said Löw. “Saturday’s game was an important and hard fought win for us. The team played well as a unit and put together some intelligent …

Striker Kevin Kuranyi ensured Germany stay top of their Euro 2008 qualifying group with two headed goals either side of half-time as his side poached a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic on Saturday.

Schalke 04 striker Kuranyi bagged his 16th and 17th international goals to give Germany a three-point lead at the top of Group D over second-placed joint rivals the Czech Republic and Ireland following the deserved win in Prague.

The 25-year-old struck on 42 minutes when a well-placed header beat Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech and he repeated the feat on 62 minutes when he headed midfielder Bernd Schneider’s cross home. Czech striker Milan Baros managed a consolation goal on 76 minutes after he deflected a shot past Germany’s Jens Lehmann which wrong-footed the Arsenal goalkeeper, but it was too little, too late.

“We deserved the win,” said Kuranyi. “We kept them under a lot of pressure and the team played well as a unit.”…

Werder Bremen won 2-0 at home to Mainz to move back within three points of Bundesliga leaders Schalke 04 on Sunday.

Werder were frustrated for a long time against in-form Mainz but after a first half of few chances they took the lead when Jurica Vranjes smashed in with an hour gone and Diego made the game safe in added time.

Victory kept Werder in second spot on 50 points, back within striking distance of Schalke after their 1-0 win at home to VfB Stuttgart on Saturday.

Sunday’s win means Werder, who have by far the best goal difference in the Bundesliga, will be ready to pounce next time out when they play Energie Cottbus and Schalke have to travel to face Bayern.

Thomas Schaaf’s side were a long way from their fluent best against Mainz but the coach will be pleased to see how well his side scrapped against awkward opponents.

Mainz had the best chance early in the game, with former Werder striker Mohamed Zidan forcing a good save from Tim Wiese with his fierce shot in the 12th minute.

Werder did not go close until the very end of the first half, when Miroslav Klose got clear …

German National coach Joachim Löw has called up a squad of 20 players for the EC-qualifier against the Czech Republic on March 24 (8.45 pm CET) in Prague on Friday. Three newcomers are included with defender Gonzalo Castro and striker Stefan Kießling of Bayer Leverkusen, as well as midfielder Roberto Hilbert of VfB Stuttgart. Third goalkeeper behind Jens Lehmann (FC Arsenal) and Timo Hildebrand (VfB Stuttgart) is Robert Enke of Hannover 96.

Fritz, Schulz, Madlung and Freier on squad against Denmark

For the international friendly against Denmark in Duisburg four days later (8.00 pm CEST) Löw additionally called up four more players: Defenders Christian Schulz and Clemens Fritz of Werder Bremen, as well as Alexander Madlung of VfL Wolfsburg and midfielder Paul Freier of Bayer Leverkusen.

Löw cannot count on numerous players as they are injured. Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen), Mario Gomez (VfB Stuttgart), Mike Hanke (VfL Wolfsburg), Oliver Neuville (Borussia Mönchengladbach) and Gerald Asamaoh (Schalke 04) as well as Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen) and Arne Friedrich (Hertha BSC Berlin) are injured.…

Ottmar Hitzfeld will stay on as coach of Bayern Munich for at least another season, the Bundesliga club announced on Thursday.

Bayern said in a statement that Hitzfeld had reached agreement with the club on a new one-year deal at a meeting on Wednesday. ‘We are delighted we could reach such a quick and easy agreement,’ Bayern manager Uli Hoeness said. ‘It was a mutual decision to make the new contract just for one year. In due course we’ll review the situation and agree on whether to extend it into the middle or long term.’

Hitzfeld, who led Bayern to victory in the Champions League in 2001, returned for a second spell in place of Felix Magath at the start of February. Early results were not good, with Bayern losing their first match 3-0 away to Nuremberg and managing just one win in the first four games.

They have since won two and drawn one of the last three Bundesliga games to revive hopes of a third successive league title, with the gap behind leaders Schalke 04 now down to six points with nine games to play.

The team also made up a 3-2 deficit in the Champions League to …

Bundesliga leaders Schalke 04 need a win to steady their nerves when they host third-placed VfB Stuttgart on Saturday. Schalke have managed just two draws and two defeats from their last four matches, a run that has seen their lead cut from six points to three over second-placed Werder Bremen.

It has been almost 50 years since Schalke last won the championship and the team’s recent poor form has had German media cruelly speculating about them blowing another chance.

Schalke coach Mirko Slomka must once again do without Brazilian forward Lincoln, who has another three matches of suspension to serve after he punched Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Bernd Schneider last month. The good news is that Christian Pander, Gerald Asamoah and Gustavo Varela could all return to the squad after taking part in training this week.

Fullback Pander, who has not played this year because of an ankle injury, hopes to get at least an hour on Saturday. Striker Asamoah is also nearing full fitness after breaking his leg more than five months ago, while midfielder Varela could make his first appearance since Feb. 10 if his recovery from a knee injury continues.

Stuttgart hopes of climbing to within a point …