Bundesliga: Borussia Mönchengladbach back up to second as Dortmund stay top
Borussia Dortmund's lead at the top of the Bundesliga table increased to four points after their victory in Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich's draw with Freiburg. On Sunday, Gladbach eased past struggling Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Wolfsburg 0-1 Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund kept their unbeaten run intact on Saturday by beating a Wolfsburg side coming of two consecutive wins in the league and the German Cup. Marco Reus scored the game's only goal, finishing off a cross that was headed on by Thomas Delaney. It was Lucien Favre's first ever win in Wolfsburg as Dortmund extended their lead atop the Bundesliga table.
Bayern Munich 1-1 Freiburg
The defending Bundesliga champions lost ground in the title race after another mediocre performance. Bayern did not take the lead until the 80th minute despite commanding possession and firing 24 shots, but the advantage didn't last long as Freiburg equalized through Lucas Höler just before injury time. Bayern head into next weekend's <i>Klassiker</i> four points behind rivals Dortmund.
Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-0 Fortuna Düsseldorf
Thorgan Hazard struck twice as Gladbach turned on the style in the second half to ease past Bundesliga strugglers Fortuna to move into second place, ahead of Bayern Munich. Dieter Hecking's side bounced back from their defeat at Freiburg on Matchday 9, but Fortuna Düsseldorf are struggling badly with only one Bundesliga win to their names all season.
Mainz 2-1 Werder Bremen
Mainz picked up a much-needed victory, their first in the Bundesliga since September 15, holding on to beat Werder Bremen, who have now lost back-to-back games. Mainz took the lead through Jean-Philippe Mateta (pictured) and doubled it early in the second half through Gbamin. Claudio Pizarro, still going strong at 40, came off the bench and found the net — but it proved only a consolation.
Schalke 3-1 Hannover
Schalke ended their two-game scoring drought in the Bundesliga. Nabil Bentaleb converted a penalty after Hannover goalkeeper Philipp Tschauner tripped Mark Uth in the box. Hendrik Weydandt leveled the score in the 70th minute, but Breel Embolo restored the home side's advantage less than a minute later. Mark Uth increased the hosts' lead shortly before fulltime, his first goal in a Schalke shirt.
Hertha Berlin 0-3 Leipzig
Leipzig stretched their unbeaten run in the Bundesliga to nine games on Saturday with a win in Germany's capital. Timo Werner bagged a goal in each half, giving him 50 in his Leipzig career. Matheus Cunha, who received his first Bundesliga start, scored the third as the Red Bulls, maneuvering free from two Hertha defenders before firing a laser past the dive of Rune Jarstein.
Leverkusen 1-4 Hoffenheim
After scoring 11 goals in two games, Leverkusen got a little taste of their own medicine. Reiss Nelson put the Hoffenheim ahead early by curling in a short corner. Bellarabi equalized 11 minutes later, his seventh goal in his last five games. But the visitors dominated in the second half after two goals from Joelinton (right) and a goal from Vincenzo Grifo (left).
Augsburg 2-2 Nürnberg
Recently promoted Nürnberg picked up a crucial away point in a battle of Bavarian sides. Augsburg took an early advantage through Alfred Finnbogason, but Alexander Fuchs equalized for the visitors after jumping on a loose ball in the box. A stellar free kick from Jonathan Schmid put the home side back ahead, but Lukas Mühl leveled the score again minutes before the final whistle.
Stuttgart 0-3 Frankfurt
Markus Weinzierl continues to be unable to stop the slide in Stuttgart as another disappointing home performance saw them well beaten by an in-form and attacking Frankfurt side. Sebastien Haller opened the scoring on the rebound and Ante Rebic headed home a second with Stuttgart's marking noticeable in its absence. Nicolai Müller added a third late to push Stuttgart rock bottom of the Bundesliga.