Hamburg::Werder Bremen regained top spot in the Bundesliga from displacing Schalke O4 with a comfortable 3-0 win over Hanover 96.

Goals from Tim Borowski, substitute Hugo Almeida and Per Mertesacker helped Bremen move on to 39 points with the win Sunday, level with Schalke but ahead on goal difference.

In the other matches in the day, Bayer Leverkusen came from two goals down to secure a 3-2 win against Alemannia Aachen.

Free-scoring Bremen, who have now netted 50 goals in the Bundesliga this season, could even afford the luxury of a missed Miroslav Klose penalty in what turned out to be a facile win.

Bremen got off to the perfect start when in the fifth minute Klose found Borowski fully free just four metres out and the German midfielder had no trouble converting.

Hanover failed to crumble immediately though and held on until the 67th minute, when Klose was once again the provider, this time finding the unmarked Almeida, who had only been on the pitch for seven minutes.

Klose missed a penalty he won three minutes later after being fouled by Dariusz Zuraw in the area but any concerns Bremen had of a possible Hanover comeback ended when former Hanover player Mertesacker made it 3-0 with 16 minutes remaining.

"We were too lethargic. Hanover put us under pressure time and again," said a self-critical Mertesacker later.
 

"We gave away too much," he said.