Bremen (dpa) – Union Berlin is the first pursuer of leaders Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga after the first half of the season. The capital club won at the end of the first half of the season at Werder Bremen 2-1 (1-1) and with 33 points is only three points behind the record champions in second place in the table.
Union also benefited from the 1-1 (0-1) between the Champions League aspirants SC Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt. Borussia Dortmund won with a late 2:1 (1:1) at FSV Mainz 05 and is already fifth. Bayer Leverkusen beat VfL Bochum 2-0 (1-0) and won for the fifth time in a row. Borussia Mönchengladbach is still not going after the 0: 1 (0: 0) at FC Augsburg.
In the early evening game, Borussia Dortmund continued to catch up in the new year with the second success in a row and ended the first half of the season with 31 points. Giovanni Reyna scored the acclaimed winner in the third minute of injury time after a header from Sebastien Haller. Jae-Sung Lee scored for Mainz after two minutes. Dortmund’s new signing Julian Ryerson equalized in the fourth minute.
Werder with fourth defeat in a row
An early Bremen goal by Amos Pieper (14th minute) did not shock Union Berlin. Pieper initiated the equalization through Janik Haberer with a back pass that was too short (18th). After the change of sides, Bremen-born Kevin Behrens scored the second success of the new year for the Berliners. Newcomers Werder have to look down the table with 21 points after their fourth defeat in a row.
France’s vice world champion Randal Kolo Muani gave Frankfurt the lead with his sixth goal of the season in the top game at SC Freiburg (42nd minute). Freiburg improved after the 6-0 debacle at Wolfsburg and equalized right after the break with a header from Matthias Ginter (47′).
Leverkusen still on the up
Bayer Leverkusen is getting closer to the international places thanks to the winning streak and is already in eighth place with 24 points. Edmond Tapsoba (8th penalty) and Adam Hlozek (53rd) for the team coached by Xabi Alonso were successful against VfL Bochum. The outwardly harmless Bochumers slipped to relegation place 16.
Borussia Mönchengladbach remains without a point in the new year and is stuck in the middle of the table. At FC Augsburg there was a goal from Mergim Berisha eight minutes before the end of the second defeat in 2023. For the hosts there were three important points in the relegation battle.
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