With only 12 more games to go in the German top flight, match week 22 may well have just re-decided this year’s champions.
Ashley Adamson-Edwards takes you through this weeks Bundesliga action.
Results
DSC Arminia Bielefeld 0 – 3 Wolfsburg
After not losing since the start of the year, Oliver Glasner’s side took advantage of their chance to go into third place with a convincing victory away to Armenia Bielefeld.
Renato Steffan opened the scoring in the 27th minute to put the away side into the lead after putting away Yannick Gerhardt’s low cross. The 29-year-old Switzerland international then went about netting his brace on Friday with a poachers goal to follow up on Wout Weghorst’s attempted volley. With only two minutes of the second half chalked off, and Wolfsburg found themselves cruising with a two-goal lead.
Although the home side did have a few chances to score past Koen Casteels, their efforts simply weren’t good enough. Maximilian Arnold showed exactly why he’s still in the Wolfsburg squad with a wonderful long-range strike into the top-left corner, and The Blues were finished with 35 minutes still to play.
Embed from Getty ImagesEintracht Frankfurt 2 – 1 Bayern Munich
Despite such a strong performance from Wolfsburg, the most significant result of the weekend came at the Deutsche Bank Park. Eintracht Frankfurt were able to just about hold onto their 2 – 0 lead over the reigning champions and give RB Leipzig a fighting chance in their race for the title. Bayern’s loss means that their lead over The Redbull’s has been reduced to only two points.
The game was opened up as soon as the 12th minute as Daichi Kamada got on the end of Filip Kostich’s cross to give Frankfurt a shock lead. Adding to the latter’s impressive assist tally for the campaign so far.
Under 20 minutes later, the homes side was able to double their lead through a stunningly sharp strike from former Napoli winger Amin Younes. Hansi Flick’s side certainly had a tough second half waiting for them.
However, The Red’s responded in the perfect way with Robert Lewandowski scoring in the 53rd time to mount what looked like a comeback. Astonishingly though, Bayern’s efforts weren’t enough as Adi Hütter walked away with three points.
FC Koln 0 – 1 VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart did just enough to maintain their claim for a Bundesliga top 10 spot this weekend with a victory over 14th placed Koln.
Sasa Kalajdzic ended up as Stuttgart’s hero this week with a strange but obviously wonderful header into the home side’s net. Markus Gisdol’s side did have a few opportunities following on from conceding but in the end, they lacked composure when it mattered.
Embed from Getty ImagesBorussia Monchengladbach 1 – 2 Mainz
With the home side’s biggest match in recent years coming up on Wednesday in Europe, it’s safe to say that Marco Rose won’t be able to build on any momentum going head to head with Pep Guardiola.
Karim Onisiwo produced a stunning volley in the 10th minute of this clash as his left-footed strike left the ball rattling off the far post and in. But, starting with a nice run from Valentino Lazaro, Lars Stindl eventually found himself in position to place the ball into the oppositions side netting.
As The Foals did everything in their power to finish off their comeback and strike gold, disaster struck when in the 86th minute, Kevin Stöger volleyed with power into the same side netting of which his side conceded earlier on. Mainz just can’t get enough of their volleys.
Embed from Getty ImagesSC Freiburg 0 – 1 Union Berlin
Union Berlin’s incredible season just gets better and better as they collect another three points away in Freiburg. It came down to a Grischa Promel’s header that met brilliantly with Marcus Ingvartsen’s cross. A well-deserved win for the side with the most distance covered (2637.6 km).
Schalke 04 0 – 4 Bourssia Dortmund
Want a reminder of how the most recent Revierderby went? Check Schalke’s name (the year they were founded) and stick Borussia Dortmund on the other side of it. Although it wasn’t much of a surprise considering the home side’s form this season, but Dortmund absolutely blew them away.
It all started with a classic Dortmund press which ended up with Jadon Sancho finding himself on the edge of the area. As the English winger opened up his body, there was only one place that the ball was going to end up, the top-right corner.
Up next: Erling Braut Haaland. Although the absolute tank that is Haaland looks like the type of footballer who isn’t the most mobile, his first goal tonight proved completely otherwise. As Sancho’s cross came in, the inner Zlatan Ibrahimović inside Haaland was released as he scissor kicked the ball into the bottom left corner. It was as if the ball froze in time, waiting patiently for Haaland to pounce and strike true.
Raphaël Guerreiro then put Edin Terzic’s side three goals ahead with a simple finish into the bottom-right corner after Marco Reus returning a pass to him.
Finally, to complete the thrashing, Haaland stepped up once more to score his second. Once again Sancho was involved in the move with a nice disguised pass through to Jude Bellingham who squared the ball across goal to find the Norwegian’s 17th goal this season.
A phenomenal performance from BVB. If only they had performed like this in all of their Bundesliga fixtures of the 2020/21 campaign and they might be mentioned amongst the likes of Bayern and Leipzig.
Augsburg 1 – 1 Bayer Leverkusen
Although Leverkusen’s result this week didn’t do enough to earn them all three points, it did do just enough to keep them above Dortmund and remain in fifth place. Just about.
The away side were immediately put on the back foot thanks to Lukáš Hrádecký’s terrible mistake. As the Finland international went to clear the ball up the pitch, a complete miss-kick allowed Florian Niederlechner to pounce in, steal the ball and pass Augsburg into the lead.
Leverkusen didn’t give up there though. Recording 67% possession, four more shots, more than 400 more passes and three more corners. Peter Bosz’s absolutely dominated. And if it wasn’t for Edmond Tapsoba, all that effort wouldn’t even have earned his side a point.
In the 94th minute, the young centre back from Burkinabe charged forward on a counter-attack and converted Demarai Gray’s low-driven cross into the bottom-right corner. At last, Leverkusen had their breakthrough.
Embed from Getty ImagesHertha Berlin 0 – 3 RB Leipzig
Following Bayern’s loss to Frankfurt, this was a must-win game for Julian Nagelsmann if his side wanted to maintain any hopes of catching Bayern for the title.
If it wasn’t for Hwang Hee-Chan’s missed opportunity at the start of the game, the travellers could have gotten off to the perfect start. Not to worry though, Marcel Sabitzer reminded us that the Bundesliga never falls short of stunning strikes week in week out. From around 40-yards out, the Austrian let fly, striking the ball with the perfect amount of power, allowing it to dip into the top-right corner. What a strike.
Until the 71st minute, the game remained the same until Mattéo Guendouzi was found stalling on the ball by Nordi Mukiele. The Frenchman then took no time in bursting past his fellow international and fired the ball into the roof of the net. To finish things off Willi Orban produced a sublime header past Rune Jarstein. Goodnight Berlin. Hello Munich.
Embed from Getty ImagesCan RB Leipzig be the ones to end Bayern’s Bundesliga domination? Or will the story we are so used to play out once more?
Hoffenheim 4 – 0 Werder Bremen
Following a momentary blip where the VAR officials tried to ruin Ihlas Bebou’s fun, Hoffenheim were handed the lead against Werder Bremen to set the tone for the rest of this match.
With a spring in their step, The Blues bagged their second of the game just before half-time. Christoph Baumgartner produced a fine solo run which was topped off by squeezing the ball passed the stagnated keeper.
Mu’nas Dabbur then controlled an in-swinging cross with pure class, swivelled and volleyed home into the bottom left. It was as if the Bremen defence weren’t even there.
To top it off, in the 90th minute Georginio Rutter swung his left foot around the ball and powered the final goal of the match home from the edge of the box. Bremen were down and out an hour ago, Hoffenheim were just having fun now.
Embed from Getty ImagesCurrent Standings
Although Bayern still sit top of the table, this has been a massive weekend for Leipzig’s title hopes. We’ve seen this play out many times before, but with such a strong squad, could Leipzig be the ones to diminish Bayern domination.
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