Hertha BSC – 1. FC Cologne 2: 0 (1: 0)Goals: 1-0 Kanga (9th), 2-0 Richter (54th)
A German left-back with World Cup experience was injured in Berlin on the last matchday before the World Cup break – but this has no effect on Hansi Flick’s squad: After all, Marvin Plattenhardt has not had an international match since a less than glorious performance in the 0-1 draw against Mexico in 2018 more denied. Against Cologne he left the field with groin pain in the first half. Before that he had prepared the 1-0 with a pretty perfect cross by a header from Wilfried Kanga. The Berliners leave the relegation zone with the win.
At FC, on the other hand, fears of fighting relegation this season are growing. Also because coach Steffen Baumgart’s team missed three best chances to equalize in the first half in Berlin. Sargis Adamyan shot over the empty goal from the six-yard box.
Werder Bremen – RB Leipzig 1: 2 (0: 1)Goals: 0: 1 André Silva (13th), 1: 1 Great (57th), 1: 2 Schlager (71st)
Bremen’s fans put their striker in an awkward position. “Werder fanaticism instead of World Cup patriotism,” they wrote on a banner – combined with the demand that the 26.11. to get to the Weser Stadium. Then the Werder women will play against Freiburg. But Niclas Füllkrug can’t, the next day he plays with Germany against Spain in Qatar.
At the end of the year with Werder, the best German striker in the Bundesliga remained without a goal, for Bremen only Christian Groß scored with a deflected shot, but that was not enough for points. Leipzig was significantly better, took advantage of two well-created chances and won the fourth game in a row. RB lost last in mid-September. The result is second in front of Freiburg and Union Berlin, at least overnight.
FC Augsburg – VfL Bochum 0: 1 (0: 0), goals: 0:1 Antwi-Adjei (58th); Special incident: Berisha (Augsburg) misses a hand penalty (61.)
The Augsburg location is a few nuances removed from the glittering football world in Qatar, but that doesn’t have to mean anything. Because the duel with VfL Bochum was about other attributes, some of which are valued: honest craftsmanship, the good old relegation battle – football that tastes of hardship. Well, who likes it. Accordingly, in the first half, both teams only managed just under 60 percent of their passes to the goal, in short: It was an excellent game in Augsburg.
On the other hand, it’s no surprise that the clubs with the fewest shots on goal in the league and the worst pass rates met. This resulted in a game with the entertainment value of a vise vernissage, the meager crescendo of which was a goal from Bochum’s Antwi-Adjei. An Augsburg penalty from Berisha also got a few floors too high, which was fitting for this afternoon.
Bayer Leverkusen – VfB Stuttgart 2: 0 (1: 0)Goals: 1-0 Diaby (30′), 2-0 Tah (82′)
Leverkusen has a new quality: the team can now punch like boxers. She picks up the pace briefly and strikes, in a moment of the opponent’s inattention. Five strong minutes in the first half were enough for the lead this time, which also succeeded in a very respectable way. Moussa Diaby appeared as the Leverkusen variant of Lionel Messi. The 23-year-old Frenchman dribbled spectacularly past four Stuttgarters, three more came his way, so he simply took a quick shot and scored, with Waldemar Anton helpfully deflecting the ball.
In the second half, both teams largely neutralized each other, there were a few yellow cards – and finally a goal. Jonathan Tah tackled the ball in the six-yard box to make it 2-0. This was the third win in a row for Leverkusen. Xabi Alonso’s work is slowly starting to take hold with this talented Bayer team who were previously in trouble. And VfB? Didn’t win away from home in all of 2022. A record, but not a great one.
1899 Hoffenheim – VfL Wolfsburg 1: 2 (1: 1)Goals: 1: 0 Baumgartner (42nd), 1: 1 Kabak (45th + 4, own goal), 1: 2 Baku (56th)
18,000 viewers saw rustic fare for 42 minutes, followed by two scenes that increased the entertainment value. Hoffenheim met first, who probably thought to themselves: why make it complicated when it’s easy. Corner, flank, header. Goal. Christoph Baumgartner stood perfectly and nodded the ball into the net like textbooks. Then Wolfsburg proved that fighting in overtime is worth it. In the fourth additional minute of the first half, Sebastiaan Bornauw rose, first TSG goalkeeper Oliver Baumann parried the ball, but Hoffenheim’s Ozan Kabak bounced the ball back like a pinball, a funny goal, 1:1.
The Wolfsburg leadership was completely different. Nothing was left to chance. Goalkeeper Koen Casteels initiated a counterattack with a throw, just over the left, then just to the right, Ridle Baku picked up the ball, a hook – and cheers. Wolfsburg climbs in the table, of course. It was the fourth win in a row.