Bundesliga Matchday 20: Roundup
Borussia Dortmund gained ground in the title race despite dropping points in Frankfurt. That was because Bayern Munich, the defending Bundesliga champions, suffered a surprise result in Leverkusen.
Stuttgart 2-2 Freiburg
Florian Niederlechner's injury time strike earned Freiburg a draw and denied Stuttgart a priceless win. The visitors took an early lead through Janik Haberer, but the hosts turned the game on its head in the final 15 minutes, through strikes from Emiliano Insua and Daniel Didavi. Stuttgart had Mario Gomez sent off late on for an elbow and then conceded at the death when Niederlechner tapped in.
Augsburg 3-0 Mainz
Alfreo Finnbogason scored a hat-trick as Augsburg disposed of Mainz in ruthless fashion. Finnbogason scored twice from the spot in the first half and added a third after the break on a snowy Sunday afternoon in Bavaria. It was the Icelandic striker's first goals since November, and helps drag them four points clear of the relegation playoff place. The defeat is Mainz's first in five games.
Schalke 0-2 Gladbach
Even though Alexander Nübel was sent off in the second half, Schalke still looked good for a point. That was until, with five minutes to go, Christoph Kramer's deflected half-volley ended up in the top corner. In the end, a game that looked likely to end in a draw for a long time was won by the smarter side. Florian Neuhaus added a second late on to add gloss to the scoreline.
Leverkusen 3-1 Bayern Munich
The home side came to play on Saturday, blowing the defending Bundesliga champions away in the second half. Leon Goretzka gave the visitors an early lead with his fourth goal in three games, but Leon Bailey, Kevin Volland (pictured) and Lucas Alario all scored to give Leverkusen their first home victory of 2019 and under Peter Bosz.
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Borussia Dortmund
Marco Reus put the Bundesliga leaders ahead in the first half after linking up with Raphael Guerreiro. But Luka Jovic (third from left) leveled the score moments later, using all of his 1.81-meter (5-foot-11) frame to score the equalizer. The two sides shared the points in the end, marking just the fifth occasion this season in which Dortmund have dropped points.
Hannover 0-3 RB Leipzig
Leipzig tightened their grip on the fourth Champions League place with a comfortable win against Hannover. Marcel Halstenberg (left) scored the opener from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time and captain Willi Orban added two second half goals — the second a bullet header from a corner — to secure three points. It also meant defeat for Thomas Doll in his first game in charge of Hannover.
Hoffenheim 1-1 Fortuna Düsseldorf
Andrej Kramaric (left) converted a penalty, his ninth goal of the season, to give the home side a first-half lead. But Rouwen Hennings equalized shortly after the break, heading in a Kevin Stöger lob. The two sides settled for a draw in the end, leaving Hoffenheim still winless at home in 2019.
Nuremberg 1-1 Werder Bremen
Mikael Ishak celebrated his late equalizer with Nuremberg's loyal supporters. Johannes Eggestein had put the visitors in front, but Ishak slotted home a spectacular effort to level the score four minutes from time. The 1-1 result ended a six game losing streak for "Der Club," but they have still not won a game since September 2018.
Hertha Berlin 0-1 Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg snatched an important away victory on a wet, snowy day in Berlin's Olympic Stadium. Wout Weghorst (pictured) tapped in the only goal of the game, his seventh in the Bundesliga. The Wolves have won four of their last six games and remain in contention for a Europa League spot.