Hamburg  - Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath is still picking Bayern Munich to retain the German league title but it's getting harder for him to suppress a smile.

With just six games remaining, Wolfsburg stay three points ahead of Bayern and have a superior goal difference.

Magath's insistence his team are still only targeting a top-five place is looking increasingly questionable.

"Ten per cent," was how Magath rated his team's chances of winning the Bundesliga in an interview with DSF television on Sunday.

"Bayern are the favourites. They have the better team and the easier remaining programme," he repeated after Saturday's late 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayern kept in the chase with a 1-0 victory at Arminia Bielefeld to relieve the pressure on coach Juergen Klinsmann and see a possible advantage of four home games in their last six.

Meanwhile SV Hamburg are still in the running, while VfB Stuttgart are making a late charge - and still have to play both Wolfsburg and Bayern.

Wolfsburg striker Grafite repeated Magath's mantra after scoring both goals Saturday to take his tally for the season to 22 and give the Wolves a 10th successive win.

"Our aim from the start was to finish in the top five and nothing has changed," the Brazilian said.

"We have to think from game to game. If we manage to be at the top at the end we will be delighted."

Midfielder Zvjezdan Misimovic, who set up Grafite's 85th-minute winner, said: "We are not talking about the title. That's something we can do when we are still leading with two or three games to go."

Magath said Hamburg, Stuttgart and also Hertha Berlin were all in the running "and there are (arguments) for and against for all teams."

Conceding his side were fortunate to get all three points against Leverkusen, he said Saturday: "You can see that there is a different pressure on you as leaders. You saw this last week (in a 2-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach), you saw it today and you will also see it next week."

Backed by Germany's leading carmakers Volkswagen as team sponsor, Magath - league and cup double winners with Bayern in successive seasons - has had around
30 million euros (39 million dollars) available to spend on players since taking the job of coach and sports director in 2007.

Several signings such as Grafite, Misimovic and the Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko have been enormously influential in Wolfsburg's rise to the top. Magath has gradually revamped the team, which he led to a best-ever fifth place finish last season.

Wolfsburg, on 57 points, next visit struggling Energie Cottbus, while Bayern (54) entertain improving Schalke 04 next week.

Stuttgart (51) next host Eintracht Frankfurt, and could be the key to the title race with a home game coming up against Wolfsburg on May 9 and a season-finale at Bayern.

Hamburg are on 51 points and Hertha on 49 ahead of Sunday's later matches at home to Hanover and Werder Bremen respectively.

Bayern's hard-fought victory over Bielefeld, courtesy of a Luca Toni goal in the second half, brought relief all round in Munich.

"We needed the points to stay up there with Wolfsburg. We have two home games next and we can keep pushing on," Klinsmann said.

"We're looking for maximum points. Wolfsburg will drop points sooner or later, and that's when we'll overtake them. Provided we keep doing what has to be done, we'll go top at some point."

General manager Uli Hoeness said Saturday's results did not change the situation much, but Bayern remain confident.

"We've got another away game out of the way, Wolfsburg have had one more home match, so our chances of taking the title have increased very slightly," he said. (dpa)