FC Bayern is as good as autumn champions, VfL Bochum annoys Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig convinces in the first game under Domenico Tedesco – the topics of the Bundesliga weekend.
1) Bayern almost certainly autumn champions
In the end, even the long-running Thomas Müller had to take a deep breath. “Phew !!!” wrote the veteran of Bayern after the 2-1 work victory of the record champions against 1. FSV Mainz 05 on Twitter and spoke of a “difficult game without fans”. Munich had a long hard time with the rebellious outsider, only really turned it up after the break in the second half. Kingsley Coman (53rd) and Jamal Musiala (74th) turned the game in favor of the hosts, who deservedly fell behind after 45 minutes after Karim Onisiwos hit (22nd). Due to the hard-fought success, the FCB can hardly be taken away from the autumn championship, six points ahead of Borussia Dortmund and the significantly better goal difference two game days before the winter break clearly speak for the team of coach Julian Nagelsmann.
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“The win was tough because Mainz is doing well this year,” said the Bayern coach, who celebrated his 100th Bundesliga success as a coach with a 2-1 win against the courageous “zero fives” after the game. However, he saw the responsibility for the tough affair more on the side of his team: “It was rather his own fault. We started well, I had a great feeling – suddenly it was gone and we played very slowly. We were really sharp in the second half and put in a lot of power from the first to the 88th minute. That was a very good reaction, “said Nagelsmann, whose team is now facing the duels at VfB Stuttgart and VfL Wolfsburg at the end of the year. One point is enough to finally secure the autumn championship on your own.
2) Bochum tripped Dortmund in the final sprint
VfL Bochum had to wait a long time for this. After eleven years, the “small” derby against the district neighbor Borussia Dortmund finally took place on the 15th matchday of the Bundesliga. And that in front of their own audience, which was decimated by the Corona situation, but by no means less enthusiastic.
Not only in the stands it was sparkling with energy in Bochum. Thomas Reis’s team also threw everything in on the pitch and tried to disturb their opponents at every opportunity. That succeeded in a certain way, at least BVB could not convert its superiority into goals. And so the black and yellow did not look bad when Bochum finally took a 1-0 lead in half one after a penalty from Sebastian Polter.
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VfL made life really difficult for Dortmund. The lead behind them gave the home side self-confidence, after all they had always won after being in the lead (six times). So why not also against the big neighbor? In the final phase, however, BVB managed to equalize by Julian Brandt, and nothing more was possible – also because Bochum could again rely on its outstanding goalkeeper Manuel Riemann. After their last success in 2007, Bochum was not able to win, but they still gave Dortmund a leg up.
3) Leipzig celebrates a successful Tedesco debut
At RB Leipzig, things have not gone too well in this first half of the season. The Saxons had only 18 points before the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach on matchday 15 – too few for their ambitions. New coach Domenico Tedesco should improve the point yield for the rest of the season – and the 36-year-old was able to look forward to a successful debut with his new team. Against the “foals” RB showed a good performance and finally prevailed with 4: 1 (2: 0). Even before the break, Josko Gvardiol, who scored his first Bundesliga goal, and Andre Silva ensured a 2-0 lead. In the final phase, Ramy Bensebiani’s subsequent goal created tension again – but the Tedesco-Elf stayed very cool and finally increased to 4: 1 with Christopher Nkunku and Benjamin Henrichs.
In the Bundesliga table, the Saxons are now back on the international ranks, with 21 points RB is in 7th place, but not quite within striking distance. Four points separate the East Germans from SC Freiburg in sixth place. However, the new coach was not completely satisfied with the performance of his team. “We had four or five opportunities to score the third goal, but we left a lot behind,” complained Tedesco, but attested that his team had also made “a good game”. “Every game in the Bundesliga is tough and extremely tight and Gladbach was still good and didn’t have such bad players on the field.” The trainer explains that the upward trend should be continued in the English week if possible. “We’ll add something every day to keep up with the next few games.”
4) It will be tight around 16th place
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While FC Bayern was able to build up a six-point cushion in second place on this match day, things are much, much closer behind. The reason for this: Three teams from the lower third of the table were able to score a three on matchday 15. FC Augsburg, Hertha BSC and VfB Stuttgart won. Before this weekend it was a three-way battle between the FCA, the Berliners and the Swabians for 16th place, but they have now drawn several teams into the unpopular race for relegation rank. In addition, SpVgg Greuther Fürth has scored its first ever Bundesliga home win and could now get rolling.
The Augsburgers, who scored seven points in the last four games, are now on 16 points and are in 16th place. Only three points separate the Bavarian Swabians from 1.FC Köln in eleventh place, which they finished on Friday in their stadium with 2nd place : Could beat 0. Up to RB Leipzig, currently seventh, there are only five points for Markus Weinzierl’s team. On Wednesday, the FCA hosted the Saxons.
Stuttgart (17 points), in 15th place, beat Wolfsburg, which is tenth only three points ahead of VfB and four ahead of Augsburg. Hertha (18) are now level on points with Borussia Mönchengladbach – only three points separate the capital city in 14th place from seventh place. Mainz is also only three points ahead of the Berliners. In addition, the Rheinhessen are the next opponent of Tayfun Korkut’s men. In the English week there will be many duels in the midfield, which has been expanded this weekend – it remains exciting to see who has to hibernate in 16th place.
5) Furious Frankfurters slow down Bayer
The match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer 04 Leverkusen lasted less than five minutes on Sunday when the Werkself were 1-0. Patrik Schick put the Leverkusen in the lead and even improved historically: In the 22nd minute, the Czech turned dry from the point. A special penalty: It was the 5,000th penalty in Bundesliga history.
Coach Gerardo Seoane’s team could not cheer for long: Less than 60 seconds later, Tuta reconnected. Before the break, Jesper Lindström scored 2-2 (30th). The Frankfurters became more and more furious and with their force left the Werkself no chance: In the second half, the Hessians played their clear physical superiority and completely turned the game.
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Evan Ndicka (50th), Kristijan Jakic (66th) and Djibril Sow (76th) caused raging fans in Deutsche Bank Park with their dreamy hits. “Today we scored five goals, but we had chances for seven more. And against such a strong opponent,” said Sow, who put a real hammer in the right bend to the final score. For the first time since 2008, the SGE turned a 0: 2. There have been four successes for Eintracht in the past five games. Oliver Glasner’s team is now ninth and has 21 points. Only two points are missing from the international places.
