while defender Lam Zhi Gin is also ruled out against Hoffen

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Rory McIlroy birdied an 18-foot putt on his final hole to surge into a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday.On the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club, where he recorded his first victory as a professional in 2009, McIlroy enjoyed a superb day of ball-striking as he notched a bogey-free round of 8-under-par 64.His 14-under-par total after two rounds was one ahead of Scotlands Marc Warren, who continued his remarkable run of form following a second-place finish last week in Doha, with a nine-birdie round of 65.Graeme McDowell, playing his first tournament of the year, showed no signs of rust as he added a 65 to his opening 67, and was tied for third at 12 under with Englands Seve Benson, whose 66 contained a double-bogey 7 on the par-5 18th hole.Defending champion Stephen Gallacher also made a rare double bogey on the Majlis course, where his last three finishes have been second-first-first, but he made four birdies over the next five holes for a round of 67.The Scotsman was tied for fifth on 11 under with the Race to Dubai leader Danny Willett (66) of England, overnight leader Bernd Wiesberger (69) of Austria, and the English duo of Lee Westwood (68) and Andy Sullivan (68).McIlroy sprayed slightly from the tee, finding just seven out of 14 fairways, but that did not deter him from hitting all but one green in regulation. And while a three-foot birdie putt did horseshoe out on the 12th hole, and he burned the edge in the next two, he was delighted with his round, which gave him the halfway lead in the tournament for the fifth time in eight starts.I felt like I played very nicely. Couldnt ask for much more; bogey-free, made birdies, and set myself up for a good run over the next couple of days, McIlroy said.But there are so many people who are close to the lead, its so bunched up.Warren, who is ranked 56th in the world and needs a good finish this week to crack into the top-50 and earn his first invitation to the Masters in April, made one bogey before and after the turn, and finished on a high by rolling in a 50-foot birdie putt on his final hole, the ninth of the course.Denmarks Morten Orum Madsen shot the lowest round of the day, a 9-under 63 to improve into a tie for 10th at 10-under par.The cut was at 2 under, which was missed by Sergio Garcia (71), at 2 over. Best Adidas Basketball Shoes 2019 . 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Lions, will start in the West Divisions battle for a Grey Cup berth.Bayern Munichs main title rivals all slipped up last weekend, leaving them more in competition with each other for European qualification places than for the German championship. Bayern continues its march at Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday, while second-place Bayer Leverkusen hosts Stuttgart on Saturday. Third-place Dortmund gets the 19th round of games underway at bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig on Friday. LEAGUE OVER?Bayern Munich was 14 minutes from its first loss of the season Wednesday, down 1-0 at Stuttgart with its league-record unbeaten run on the line, before Claudio Pizarro equalized and Thiago Alcantara sealed the sides 16th victory from 18 games. It was the manner of the Spaniards goal that stole the headlines, a spectacular overhead kick to win the game in injury time, but it also stretched Bayerns commanding lead over Bayer Leverkusen to 13 points, with Borussia Dortmund another four behind after 18 games. Bayern hasnt lost in the league in 43 games. At the same stage last season, Bayern led Bayer Leverkusen by nine points and Borussia Dortmund by 12. Jupp Heynckes side went on to clinch the quickest ever Bundesliga title. His successor, Pep Guardiola, is already well ahead of his pace. DORTMUND DEPRESSIONJakub Blaszczykowskis season-ending injury - the Poland captain tore his cruciate ligament in last weekends 2-2 draw at home with Augsburg - is just the latest serious injury blow to Borussia Dortmunds faltering Bundesliga season. Dortmund has already had to contend with long-term injuries to defenders Lukasz Piszczek, Neven Subotic, Mats Hummels and Marcell Schmelzer, as well as influential midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, while dealing with the distraction of Polish striker Robert Lewandowskis end-of-season transfer to Bayern. German media reports suggest that Serbian attacking midfielder Milos Jojic is on the verge of signing from Partizan Belgrade, while Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg says Hertha Berlins Colombian striker Adrian Ramos is likely to be Lewandowskis replacement in the summer. HUNTELAAR RETURNSAfter a troublesome season so far, Schalkes mood visibly improved last Sunday with the return of Klaas Jan Huntelaar after five months out injured. The Dutch striker opened the scoring and his mere presence seemed to bring the best out of his teammates as they triumphed 3-0 at Hamburger SV. Adding tto the new-found sense of optimism, all the sides above dropped points - with the exception of Bayern - allowing Schalke to climb to fifth, two points off Borussia Moenchengladbach in the last Champions League qualification place.dddddddddddd Schalke hosts big-spending Wolfsburg, which is just a point behind and also aiming for fourth place, on Saturday. Huntelaar, who has 50 goals in 85 games for Schalke, is back just when hes needed most. "His presence alone does us the world of good," Schalke coach Jens Keller said. HAMBURG CRISISHamburger SV, the only Bundesliga side to have played every season, finds itself firmly in a battle against its first relegation after four defeats in succession. "Were going down if we keep going like this," Hamburg playmaker Rafael van der Vaart said after the latest defeat to Schalke left the side in the relegation play-off place. Hamburg fired Thorsten Fink as coach in September but has seen little to no improvement under replacement coach Bert van Marwijk. The Dutchmans job has been complicated by a host of injuries hitting a small squad. Standout striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga (nine goals) has been ruled out for two weeks, while defender Lam Zhi Gin is also ruled out against Hoffenheim. Defender Marcell Jansen is doubtful but goalkeeper Rene Adler could return. Last Sundays defeat to Schalke was the sixth loss in nine home games this season for Hamburg, which has conceded 41 goals. Only Hoffenheims record of 42 goals conceded is worse. A goalless draw is not expected on Sunday. LEVERKUSEN RUFFLING FEATHERSIn an effort to get more fans at games, Bayer Leverkusen has taken out advertising on public transport services in the area, but this has riled football fans in nearby Wuppertal. Since Monday, the Wuppertal suspension railway has been carrying the slogan: "Top class football: only 30 kilometres further." Wuppertaler SV chairman Achim Weber, whose side was relegated to the fifth tier because of insolvency, was not amused. "This Bayer-train goes right by our stadium all the time. Bayer are fishing in foreign waters," Weber told the Cologne-based Express newspaper. "We need every supporter. You dont do something like that." Leverkusen hosts Stuttgart on Saturday, when all fans, including Wuppertals, are welcome. ' ' '