What if Matchday 16 was a turning point in the Bundesliga? Before receiving Friborg on Sunday (3.30 p.m. / 2.30 p.m. GMT), the Record champions
leads with 33 points. Leipzig (32 pts), Leverkusen and Dortmund (both 29 pts) follow in that order.
If he wins on Sunday, Bayern is therefore guaranteed to be winter champion, with four points ahead of Leipzig before the 17th and final day of the first leg, Tuesday and Wednesday evening.
READ ALSO. Union Berlin defeats Leverkusen and enters the leading square
Leipzig was hooked 2-2 at Wolfsburg, an excellent sixth. Dortmund returned to 1-1 after being trailed at home by penultimate Mainz, and Friday night Leverkusen, still third, were beaten 1-0 by Union Berlin. Mönchengladbach on his side let slip a victory in the last second of added time, when the VAR allowed to award a penalty to Stuttgart, who came back to 2-2 (90th + 6). The Foals
remain seventh, four points from the leading square, qualifying for the Champions League.
Leipzig stalled
Beaten last week at home by Dortmund (3-1), RB Leipzig does not have to be ashamed of a draw in Wolfsburg, one of the teams in the form of the first part of the championship. But this small point scored in two matches may cost him dearly in his fight with Bayern. It’s hard, you have to be fully in every game
, admitted coach Julian Nagelsmann, “If you look at the results of the others, three points would have been great, but Dortmund and Leverkusen can say the same. There are a lot of good teams in the Bundesliga and you have to push your limits in every game ”.
Remarkably entered the match, with 20 perfect first minutes, the RB took the entry advantage by the French Nordi Mukiele (1-0, 5th). But faced with an enthusiastic and committed team, the Saxons logically gave in twice before the break. Wout Weghorst scored for Wolfsburg his 11th goal of the season (1-1, 22nd) with a superb diving header and Renato Steffen gave the advantage to Wolves
in the 35th minute (2-1). RB center-back Willi Orban saved the point of the draw by taking back on the line a ball rejected by the goalkeeper of Wolfsburg (1-1, 54th).
Dortmund: new coach, old problems
A week after his show of strength in Leipzig, Dortmund have shown themselves unable to beat relegation Mainz. The dismissal of coach Lucien Favre in mid-December and the arrival on the bench of Edin Terzic have not therefore cured Borussia of the evil that has been eating away at him for months: inconstancy. The Borussens had started well, with a goal from Erling Haaland in the 4th minute. But the VAR revealed a millimeter offside from Thomas Meunier at the start of the action and the goal was denied.
Dortmund then multiplied the opportunities. Brandt (22nd) then Reus (26th) notably stumbled on goalkeeper Robin Zentner, and Bellingham touched the post (30th), before Mainz opened the scoring completely against the course of the game, by Levin Ötzunali (1-0 , 57e). Meunier equalized (1-1, 73rd), but captain Marco Reus then took a penalty next to the cage (76th), further proof if needed of the mental fragility of Borussia. Dortmund even trembled at the end of the match on a few blocks well led by Mainz.
In the first half we had so many chances, and this is where Ötzunali scores, it shouldn’t happen
, admitted Meunier. “Offensively we created good chances, but in defense, we were sometimes in panic”.
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