"It was just like during the Football World Cup in June," says Berliner Morgenpost.

"Nervous clusters" of people huddled round screens large and small in the German capital's bars - this time to watch the TV debate between German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his challenger in the forthcoming elections, Edmund Stoiber.

The whistle blew - and it took not 90 but just five minutes for most fans to make up their minds who was going to be the winner, the papers says.

Chancellor and challenger set about each other fiercely

Tagesspiegel

It publishes a snapshot of opinion. "Stoiber clearly got more points," says one Berliner. "Schroeder by contrast was jumpy."

But another is sure Mr Schroeder came across as "more self-assured and more charismatic".

All in all, the paper concludes, everyone seemed happy with the perceived victory of their champion. There were, indeed, "two winners", the paper proclaims.

Good fight

Tagesspiegel makes the same point but the other way round:

"According to opinion polls there was no victor," the paper says.

It points out that some polls see Mr Schroeder as vanquished, others Mr Stoiber, "while still others call it a draw".

The paper also suggests that both parties put up a good fight. "Chancellor and challenger set about each other fiercely."

Sueddeutsche Zeitung does however pick a favourite: "Schroeder prevails over Stoiber," says a headline.

Stoiber on the attack, Schroeder unusually defensive

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

The paper's judgment is based on two polls taken just after the debate.

It is a view shared by Die Welt.

"The first TV duel of its kind in German history is over," the paper says, adding that according to initial polls "most viewers found Schroeder more convincing".

Buoyant Stoiber

Several papers seem pleasantly surprised by the challenger's performance.

"Stoiber on the attack, Schroeder unusually defensive," says Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

One of several articles in Berliner Morgenpost also gives Mr Stoiber an advantage on points.

In the United States, the paper reflects, first impressions count in such televised clashes. And there is "no second chance". You either sink or swim. Choice of words, charisma and character are everything.

From the word go Mr Stoiber comes across "calm and factual", scoring on character. Then he falls down on charisma and often his choice of words is wrong.

But, the paper adds, the rest of the encounter proves that "Germany is not America".

Mr Stoiber refuses to go down, he keeps surfacing. "Ever more surely, the longer the broadcast lasted".

In round two - the paper mixes metaphors - the challenger is thrown a life belt in the form of the floods.

"Instead of snapping at his opponent, he praises him," thereby displaying that he too can improvise and parry along with the best.

Deuce

Duesseldorf's Handelsblatt is another paper which suggests a draw.

"Gerhard Schroeder once again proved himself to be a shrewd media professional," it says, adding that his rival did well too.

"The Bavarian carried conviction," it says, "with his exact knowledge of facts and his aggressiveness."

Viewers were glued to their sets

The Hamburg weekly Der Spiegel likewise says it was "a night of the victors". Everyone saw in the duel a "confirmation of expectations".

There was however also parity of a more unexpected kind, with Stoiber managing not to stutter and Schroeder toning down his advantage in the charm stakes.

The result was that both came across as "disguised beyond all recognition".

"Even when they taunted each other with 'lies' or 'nonsense', they did so with the intonation of a newsreader reciting financial market data."

The TV duel could have been a chance for the candidates to display some distinctive features, given that so far the election campaign has suffered from a lack thereof.

But it was not to be, the paper says.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.