Andre Schuerrle

Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger was on Thursday recalled to the national squad for the double headers against minnows Kazakhstan in the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Defending champions Borussia Dortmund went second in the Bundesliga on Sunday after a thrilling 3-2 victory at Bayer Leverkusen, but remain 12 points adrift of league leaders Bayern Munich.

Germany coach Joachim Loew had the luxury of including star striker Mario Gomez in his squad, named on Friday, to face France in a prestige friendly in Paris next Wednesday, as the Bayern Munich striker returns to form after a lengthy absence due to injury.

Bayer Leverkusen reclaimed second place in the Bundesliga from defending champions Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, despite being held to a goalless draw at gritty Freiburg.

Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart made his first Hamburg appearance since November on Sunday to help his club secure a Bundesliga point at Nuremberg in a 1-1 draw.

After the euphoria of Pep Guardiola's appointment as head coach for next season, Bayern Munich returned to Bundesliga action on Saturday with a 2-0 win at home to bottom side Greuther Fuerth.

Tottenham Hotspur-bound Lewis Holtby will quit the Bundesliga to fulfil his dream of playing in England, but the Schalke 04 midfielder insists the move will not harm his Germany prospects.

Defending champions Borussia Dortmund moved back up to third in the Bundesliga on Sunday with a 3-1 win at strugglers Hoffenheim while neighbours Schalke 04 sacked coach Huub Stevens.

Schalke 04's disastrous Bundesliga form continued Saturday as they slumped to a 3-1 defeat at home to Freiburg to leave them with two points from their last six league games.

Bayer Leverkusen's 3-0 win over Hamburg on Saturday trimmed Bayern Munich's lead at the top of the Bundesliga table, but the Bavarian giants will still finish 2012 with a nine-point lead.

VfL Wolfsburg celebrated their first Bundesliga win under new director of sport Klaus Allofs on Sunday with a 3-1 victory at Hoffenheim while leaders Bayern Munich finished the weekend eight points clear.

Ten-man Werder Bremen came from behind to beat Fortuna Duesseldorf 2-1 at home on Sunday as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich finished the weekend eight-points clear at the top of the table.

Bayern Munich extended their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to eight points on Saturday as their make-shift side drew 1-1 at ten-man Nuremberg while second-placed Schalke 04 lost 2-0 at Leverkusen.

Ten-man Bayer Leverkusen moved up to fourth in the Bundesliga on Sunday with a 3-2 win over Fortuna Duesseldorf while Bayern Munich have opened a seven-point lead at the top of the league.

Bayern Munich reached the third round of the German Cup on Wednesday with a 4-0 win over second division Kaiserslautern as Peru striker Claudio Pizarro and Dutch star Arjen Robben both scored twice.

Bayer Leverkusen earned a shock 2-1 win at Bayern Munich on Sunday to claim their first win at the Bavarians for 23 years as the Bundesliga leaders' record winning streak came to an abrupt end.

Germany coach Joachim Loew on Monday called up Hamburg defender Heiko Westermann to replace injured Mats Hummels in his squad for 2014 World Cup qualifiers against the Republic of Ireland and Sweden.

Bayer Leverkusen missed a penalty and wasted a raft of opportunities in a 1-1 draw at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Ruhr derby on Sunday.

Germany coach Joachim Loew has branded the bullying of Cologne's Kevin Pezzoni by fans as "unacceptable" after the defender was forced to quit the second division club after being threatened.

Germany coach Joachim Loew pulled another selection surprise for Thursday's Euro 2012 semi-final against Italy by handing Bayern Munich midfielder Toni Kroos his first start of the tournament.