FC Bayern Munich – FSV Mainz 05 6: 2 (3: 1), Goals: 1: 0 Serge Gnabry (5th minute), 2: 0 Jamal Musiala (28th), 3: 0 Sadio Mané (43rd), 3: 1 Silvan Widmer (45th + 4), 4: 1 Leon Goretzka (58′), 5-1 Mathys Tel (79′), 5-2 Marcus Ingvartsen (82′), 6-2 Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (86′)
“The table constellation alone motivates us,” Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said before the game: a win against Mainz and Munich would – temporarily for one night – take back the table lead that they had recently made available to Union Berlin on loan. However, Mainz were also motivated: “If you’re not looking forward to this task, you’re in the wrong place,” said Bo Svensson, preparing his team for the difficult guest appearance in the Munich Arena. Svensson had good things to say: he is the only one in Bundesliga history who had a positive record against the record champions both as a player (3/2/2) and as a coach (2/0/1) – before the game. As a coach, it’s balanced now: two wins, two defeats, with the 2:6 (1:3) on Saturday afternoon being one of Mainz’s weaker performances against Bayern.
The stories of the game? First you could learn something about goal-oriented double passes: Gnabry on Mané, Mané on Gnabry, Gnabry completed, 1:0. Musiala to Choupo-Moting, Choupo-Moting to Musiala, Musiala complete, 2-0.
Then the basic course “How do I shoot really bad penalties – and still score?” Mané, previously knocked down himself, placed his penalty half-up and half-left – no wonder Zentner parried; then Mané sunk the margin, 3:0. Shortly afterwards there was a big palaver: Bayern keeper Ulreich claimed to have touched the ball with his fingertips before he used all his physical strength to knock Burkardt off his feet – but still a penalty. Burkardt then shoots up and slaps in the middle, right into Ulreich’s…exactly: fingertips. Not with a follow-up shot, but after the following corner Mainz scored a goal, Widmer scored it with a header.
The second half: Goretzka heads the ball into the Mainz goal to make it 4-1; Substitute Tel raises to 5-1; after a blunder by Ulreich, Ingvartsen scores the second Mainz goal; Choupo-Moting scores to make it 6-2. At least for the time being, the Munich team grabs the lead in the table – but it’s hard to believe that it was just what motivated them. After all, FC Bayern is FC Bayern and not the Süd-Giesing volunteer fire brigade.
Christopher Nkunku on the ground: Leverkusen didn’t always have Leipzig under control that well.
(Photo: Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
RB Leipzig – Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2: 0 (1: 0), Goals: 1-0 Christopher Nkunku (31st), 2-0 Timo Werner (81st)
90 minutes of football plus stoppage time – and then a game like this is decided on the basis of just a few scenes. First there was this fateful double scene in the first half: A foul just before the Leverkusen penalty area: Hincapie tackles Szoboszlai, he hits the ball – but also clears Szoboszlai. Free kick and yellow card against Hincapie, Szoboszlai free kick, Nkunku header, 1-0 for RB Leipzig. That’s it for a while; otherwise the audience in Leipzig saw a rather weak game. At some point Leverkusen pushed for an equaliser, but then Timo Werner made an appearance, 2-0. What remains? RB Leipzig is still the best home team in the league. And Xabi Alonso, the great Xabi Alonso, has slipped to the relegation place as a coach of Bayer Leverkusen.
Wataru Endo from VfB Stuttgart tries against Augsburg’s Carlos Gruezo – there were some such tight scenes in the country this afternoon.
(Photo: Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images)
VfB Stuttgart – FC Augsburg 2: 1 (1: 1), Goals: 0: 1 Florian Niederlechner (4th), 1: 1 Serhou Guirassy (15th), 2: 1 Waldemar Anton (90th)
So today home game against the so-called disgusting Augsburger – those combat troops from Bavarian Swabia that no one ever wants to play against. But the people of Stuttgart wanted to play! In any case, they hadn’t created as many scoring chances as on this Saturday afternoon for a long time. Unfortunately, they only started after the 4th minute – by then it was already 1-0 for Augsburg after a goal by Niederlechner: Niederlechner had made Zagadou look bad and converted cool. But Guirassy equalized in the 15th minute with a header – and then the Swabian Swabians did a lot to finally secure their second win of the season. However, it was not until the stoppage time of the second half before the big celebration erupted in Stuttgart: Tomas prepared excellently with the heel, Anton hit him in – and got a cramp while shooting. Substitution but won.
Wolfsburg’s Felix Nmecha (2nd from right) can also do that: score goals. Lukas’ brother is currently immensely important for VfL.
(Photo: Swen Pförtner/dpa)
VfL Wolfsburg – VfL Bochum 4: 0 (2: 0), Goals: 1-0 and 3-0 Felix Nmecha (28′, 58′), 2-0 Ridle Baku (35′), 4-0 Jonas Wind (80′)
VfL Bochum has a problem: Unlike last season, they are stuck deep down in the table and if you look for reasons, you quickly end up with a certain statistic. Nothing goes abroad. VfL have not yet scored a point on their tours of the republic, so surprise home wins, such as the recent win against league leaders Union, are of little help. In Wolfsburg, the game of coach Thomas Letsch’s team was characterized not only by innocence, but also by an acute fall of lust on the defensive. This led to four Wolfsburg goals with almost no resistance and a one-sided game. Interesting: Felix Nmecha, Lukas’ younger brother, scored his first Bundesliga goals with a header – after coach Niko Kovac said in the 2-2 win against Leverkusen last week: “He was our best man”. So someone has a so-called run.