Valencia missed a chance to extend its advantage over fourth-placed Levante and fell further behind leaders Real Madrid and Barcelona when it was held to a scrappy 0-0 draw at Atletico Madrid in La Liga Sunday. Valencia is now 11 points behind Barca on 37. Levante has 32 points, level with fifth-placed Espanyol but ahead on goal difference, and Atletico is seventh on 30 points. Dortmund favorite Bayern Munich legend Franz Beckenbauer has said defending champion Borussia Dortmund is now favorite to win the German league title with the Bavarians struggling for form since the winter break. Bayern has picked up four points from a possible nine in its last three games and came from behind to draw at Hamburg Saturday which saw it replaced at the top of the table by Dortmund. In contrast, Borussia's 2-0 victory at Nuremberg Friday means it has won all three of its league matches since January as Beckenbauer admits Bayern's game is lacking the confidence it oozed in the autumn. With Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp insisting Munich will win the title in May, ex-Bayern president Beckenbauer, who both captained and coached Germany to World Cup wins, aimed his message straight at the Borussia boss. “Listen, forget this overmodesty and hide-and-seek games with the motto ‘only Bayern will be German champions',” wrote Beckenbauer in his column in Bild. “Kloppo, you are the current champions, you are now the league leaders and you are the favourites for the title.” Beckenbauer says Bayern is lacking the “ease of the first half of the season. “The confidence with which players like Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Mueller and Mario Gomez had going forward. This confidence is exactly what Dortmund has rediscovered.” Things are tight at the top of the German table with Dortmund leading with 43 points, Bayern and Schalke are on 41, while Moenchengladbach are fourth with 40. Dortmund has lost teenage playmaker Mario Goetze for up to two months with a groin injury, but Beckenbauer says that could even be an advantage. “Dortmund is playing with confidence, despite the injury to Mario Goetze and that gives the young team even more confidence,” he said.
