A disputable Grafite penalty put Wolfsburg ahead in the 31st minute and Edin Dzeko grabbed a second just two minutes later.
Franck Ribery gave the home side hope four minutes before the interval and goals from Mark van Bommel (54), Tim Borowski (63) and Bastian Schweinsteiger (80) completed the turnaround for Jurgen Klinsmann's defending champions.
Wolfsburg had Grafite in their starting XI despite the fact the Brazilian forward had spent the week back in his homeland mourning the death of his father.
And he deservedly put the visitors ahead, albeit in controversial fashion.
Dzeko seemed to seek contact with Martin Demichelis' foot just after entering the area and fell for a penalty. Grafite sent Michael Rensing the wrong way from the spot.
Bayern barely had time to regroup before they were two behind.
Dzeko this time provided a finish which nobody could query, heading Makoto Hasebe's cross unstoppably past Rensing.
The champions appeared to be slumping back into the poor form which two consecutive wins seemed to have curtailed.
But Ribery gave them hope shortly before the interval, taking the ball off Schweinsteiger before firing accurately into the bottom-left corner.
Bayern were level within 10 minutes of the restart when Van Bommel slotted home from just inside the area after Diego Benaglio had denied Miroslav Klose.
Christian Gentner missed the chance to put the Wolves back ahead on the hour mark as he closed in on Rensing. Demichelis covered to rescue his goalkeeper and clear the ball before it crossed the line.
Three minutes later, Bayern went ahead for the first time thanks to substitute Borowski.
Neither Lukas Podolski nor Klose were able to convert Ze Roberto's left-wing cross, but Borowski was on hand to grab his fourth goal of the season, making him Bayern's top Bundesliga goalscorer.
Wolfsburg's Marcel Schafer hammered a left-footed shot off the crossbar from a tight angle after Christian Lell invited him forward, with Rensing appearing to get a vital touch as the visitors pressed the the equaliser.
But Schweinsteiger gave the home team some breathing space 10 minutes from the end as he tapped in from close range after Klose headed the ball back across goal.
BERLIN, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich's recovery is unlikely to survive the visit of a familiar foe on Saturday unless they heed the words of captain Mark van Bommel.
Juergen Klinsmann's side are back within five points of the leaders as they prepare to face a VfL Wolfsburg side coached by former Bayern boss Felix Magath (kickoff 1330 GMT).
It is the sort of match they should be relishing after 3-0 win at home to Fiorentina in the Champions League but Van Bommel knows Tuesday's scoreline masked an uncomfortable truth.
While the Bavarians had arguably their best game of the season in attacking terms, they left huge gaps in defence and better finishing from Fiorentina, who had a total of 23 shots, could have made it a different story.
"We were very lucky not to concede at least one goal against Fiorentina," Van Bommel told reporters after the match.
"There's a lot we have to improve on."
Bayern will be hit by the absence of defender Philipp Lahm, after he suffered an ankle injury against the Italians. Christian Lell is likely to step in.
Otherwise the injury situation is looking good and coach Juergen Klinsmann believes the club are seeing the benefit of the tougher training regime he imposed on taking over before the start of the current season.
"Out physical condition is giving me a lot of confidence," Klinsmann told reporters after the Fiorentina victory.
"We're in good shape, and we're just starting to see the early results of our extremely demanding training over the last three months.
"The players aren't pulling up short any more, they have it in them to run 60 yards even as late as the 86th minute. We're also developing an element of consistency."
Victory over Fiorentina followed a 1-0 win away to Karlsruhe last weekend, a result that left them in the lower half of the table but within sight of leaders Hamburg.
Once again, Hamburg are not in action until Sunday, when they visit second-placed Hoffenheim, meaning Bayern have the chance to put further pressure on their title rivals with a Saturday victory.
The fixture list has presented Bayer Leverkusen with an even better opportunity, as victory at home to Cologne on Friday would take them up from third to first.
Piotr Trochowski gave Hamburg the lead after 29 minutes but substitute Benedikt Howedes equalised for Schalke shortly after half-time.
Martin Jol's side remain undefeated at home this season in improving to 17 points, one point ahead of Hoffenheim.
Jol's Dutch compatriot Fred Rutten is still waiting for his side's first victory away from home this season, but the point moves them up to sixth on 13 points.
Hamburg enjoyed the better start and nearly went ahead after five minutes but Schalke keeper Manuel Neuer got a hand on Ivica Olic's header to push it over the crossbar.
At the other end, Hamburg keeper Frank Rost was forced to bat away a fine shot by Halil Altintop two minutes later.
The hosts continued to pressurise but Olic was just off target in the 10th minute and Jose Paolo Guerrero failed to convert a fine chance six minutes later.
The pressure told just short of the half-hour mark when David Jarolim released Trochowski who ran on to the ball and hit a first-time shot into the far left corner.
Schalke equalised just three minutes after the break, though, when Jefferson Farfan sent a high free-kick into the area where Howedes out-leapt Thimothee Atouba and headed home from 13 yards.
Hamburg almost immediately broke down the other end but Jonathan Pitroipa's strike from 16 yards flew into the side-netting, and Mladen Petric wasted a glorious opportunity in the 64th minute when he struck the right post from just three yards out.
Trochowski could have grabbed all three points for the hosts with two minutes remaining but Neuer was equal to his shot.
BERLIN, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Hamburg SV edged back top of the Bundesliga with a 1-1 draw at home to Schalke 04 on Sunday, but the result will have cheered struggling champions Bayern Munich more than anyone.
Piotr Trochowski put Hamburg ahead in a first half they dominated but Schalke equalised straight after the break through defender Benedikt Hoewedes.
A draw means Hamburg reclaim the league leadership with 17 points from eight matches, one clear of Hoffenheim after the wealthy village team enjoyed a 5-2 win at Hanover on Saturday.
Hamburg will nevertheless be frustrated at missing a chance to go seven points clear of their three most serious title rivals.
As it is, Schalke move up to sixth on 13 points, while Werder Bremen and Bayern are a point further back in 10th and 11th respectively.
Werder drew 3-3 at home to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, while Bayern had a late strike from Miroslav Klose to thank for a 1-0 win at Karlsruhe.
Considering that it was a first win in four Bundesliga matches, Bayern coach Juergen Klinsmann can be quietly pleased that they are only five points behind the leaders.
MIDFIELD MISTAKE
Hamburg were much the better team for the first half against Schalke and they took the lead with around half an hour gone.
David Jarolim stole the ball from Orlando Engelaar in midfield and played in Trochowski to shoot across the keeper and in from the left.
Schalke nicked an equaliser when Hoewedes headed home from a free kick and Kevin Kuranyi missed a good chance to put the visitors in front when he headed over the bar from another free kick soon afterwards.
Hamburg were soon back in control but they had few clear chances to reclaim the lead in an unmemorable match.
Hannover have been ordered to play their DFB-Pokal second-round tie with Schalke on Tuesday night despite losing much of their squad to a virus.
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A contagious stomach bug has spread through the Hanover region over the last few days and seven of the club's players have been struck down.
With six further players injured and Altin Lala suspended, coach Dieter Hecking has only 14 eligible players at his disposal.
However, the German Football Association (DFB) have turned down Hannover's request to postpone the game with Schalke, as, according to DFB rules, a game may only be postponed if a squad is reduced to 13 players due to illness.
Injured and suspended players do not even come into consideration.
Hannover, therefore, will have to contest the match in Gelsenkirchen with just three substitutes, two of whom will be goalkeepers.
Former Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has jumped to the defence of his successor at Bayern Munich and ruled out a return from retirement.
Michael Rensing was on the losing side for the first time in his professional career on Saturday as Bayern lost 5-2 to Werder Bremen - the club's heaviest home defeat in the Bundesliga in almost 30 years.
And the new Bayern number one was singled out for particular criticism with at least two of the Bremen goals blamed on him.
Yet Kahn believes it is far too early to doubt the 24-year-old.
"I have always said that when you want to build young players, then you have got to expect the odd stumble along the way, and that is why it would be fatal to question Rensing now," said the 39-year-old in the Bild newspaper.
"The example of Iker Casillas comes to mind. He came into the Real Madrid team as a youngster and people doubted him, but Madrid stood by him and now he is European champion and one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
"A goalkeeper needs faith more than anybody else, given their relatively lonesome position."
A survey conducted by Bild saw over 60% of responses call for Kahn to return to the Bayern goal, but he dismissed the idea out of hand.
"That does not help at all - my career is over," he added. "There is no turning back. Something new is beginning at FC Bayern and they need faith and time.
"You cannot make the mistake of thinking that Rensing will immediately reach the level I was at during the best spells of my career. He is young and will do things his way."
On Wednesday, Rensing will have the chance to prove the critics wrong in the second round of the DFB-Pokal against Nurnberg at the Allianz Arena.
"He should try not to think about it too much and it is good that there is the cup game on Wednesday for him," said Kahn.
Sebastian Freis gave the guests a 1-0 lead early on, but Sami Khedira tied the score in the 22nd minute. Mario Gomez put Stuttgart ahead in the 68th before Ciprian Marica finished off Karlsruhe with a goal in the 87th.
Stuttgart now have 10 points - even with Hoffenheim and Hamburg - to be one point behind leaders Schalke.
Karlsruhe, who were hoping for their first victory in Stuttgart since 1965, remain on three points just outside the relegation zone.
Karlsruhe grabbed the lead after just eight minutes when Alexander Iashvili sent a high cross to the far left post where Freis was all alone to head into the near corner.
But Stuttgart evened things in the 22nd minute as Gomez gathered the ball, ran onto the left wing and crossed into the middle where Khedira headed in the equaliser.
The hosts missed a golden chance to pull ahead after 37 minutes when Cacau found Jan Simak, but his looping header from point-blank range gave Karlsruhe goalkeeper Markus Miller enough time to make the save.
Stuttgart keeper Jens Lehmann was unable to clear a ball seven minutes after the break but Michael Mutzel could not find the target.
Armin Veh's side finally grabbed the lead in the 68th minute when Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger lofted a pass over the Karlsruhe defence for Gomez, who beat Miller one-on-one to the left corner.
Marica ensured the win in the 87th minute when he beat the off-side trap, and then Miller, to seal the points.
BERLIN, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Werder Bremen pulled off a shock 5-2 win at Bayern Munich on Saturday, humiliating the champions in front of their own fans and giving Juergen Klinsmann his first taste of defeat as a Bundesliga coach.
Markus Rosenberg struck twice to lead the rout as Werder took a 5-0 lead before Tim Borowski pulled two back for the embarrassed Bavarians.
Bayern's first defeat of the season denied them a chance to return to the top of the table.
Instead Schalke 04 moved into first place with 11 points from five matches after a 1-0 win at home to Eintracht Frankfurt, courtesy of an own goal from Patrick Ochs.
Hamburg SV, in second place on 10 points, will recapture top spot if they win at Wolfsburg on Sunday.
Bayer Leverkusen are third on nine points following their 4-0 win at home to Hanover 96 on Friday, while Werder are fourth and Bayern fifth on eight points apiece.
Werder, runners-up to Bayern last season, came into the game chastened by their failure to find the net in a goalless draw with Anorthosis Famagusta in the Champions League on Tuesday.
They had no such problems against Bayern, as they punished mistakes from the defence and hapless keeper Michael Rensing.
After a few near misses they took the lead after half an hour when Mesut Ozil rolled a pass through the Bayern centre-backs for Rosenberg to collect and slip in his shot.
Naldo was left unmarked to tap in the second just before the break and Mesut blasted the third in under the bar nine minutes after the restart.
Bayern, who enjoyed a winning start to their Champions League campaign away to Steaua Bucharest, made certain of Werder's win when the defence left Claudio Pizarro free to score against his old club, before Rensing's missed punch presented Rosenberg with his second.
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