FC Bayern Munich – FC Augsburg 1:0 (0:0), Goal: 1: 0 Robert Lewandowski (82nd minute)
In Munich you know these sandwich games between two Champions League nights all too well. Of course you would have to say sandwich games, but that sounds a bit cumbersome. In any case, the goal is always the same: win with as little effort as possible, but above all nobody should get injured. In this respect, the most important scene of the first half from Munich’s point of view was when Robert Lewandowski ran reasonably smoothly again after an ankle kick from Reece Oxford. And winning has also worked out. Lewandowski scored his 32nd goal of the season from a penalty in the 80th minute, Oxford’s hand on it.
From Augsburg’s point of view, it was the unfortunate end of a game in which FCA of course paid no attention to any Champions League games and celebrated their nasty relegation football. That led to another half without a shot for Munich, and an FCA lead was also possible, but the recently shaky Bayern defense still had a foot in between. Julian Nagelsmann’s team only became more dangerous as the game went on, the Augsburg team got tired and Jamal Musiala came on. But would it have been enough without a penalty? In any case, against Villarreal it needs an increase, but that is clear to everyone anyway.
VfL Wolfsburg – Arminia Bielefeld 4: 0 (2: 0), Goals: 1: 0 and 2: 0 Lukas Nmecha (11th, 38th), 3: 0 Maximilian Arnold (43rd), 4: 0 Max Kruse (53rd)
It was the second Bundesliga game in a row in which the sporting events took a back seat from Bielefeld’s point of view. In last weekend’s draw against VfB Stuttgart, Fabian Klos had to be carried off after a violent collision with his teammate Alessandro Schöpf. Diagnosis: skull fracture. It was the second in Klos’ career that meant the end of the season for the crowd favorite and at the same time the end of his time at Arminia. He will leave the club after the season.
In Wolfsburg after almost half an hour, Bielefeld’s Cédric Brunner and his opponent Jonas Wind crashed their heads in a corner kick. Brunner fell to the ground unconscious, was treated on the field for several minutes and then carried away on a stretcher. In the half-time break there was at least a slight all-clear: Brunner was conscious again and was in the hospital for further examinations.
At the time of the injury, Arminia were already 1-0 down after a goal by VfL striker Lukas Nmecha and were clearly inferior to Wolfsburg. Given the events, it was only too understandable that this difference in performance increased as the game progressed.
The prelude to a sovereign home win under clouded circumstances: Lukas Nmecha (middle) powerful shot for Wolfsburg’s 1-0 lead.
(Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Nmecha scored his second goal before half-time, immediately afterwards Maximilian Arnold made it 4-0 with a free-kick and Max Kruse with a header. Wolfsburg, after a corona infection again with coach Florian Kohfeldt on the sidelines, managed an important win against a direct competitor in the relegation battle after three defeats in a row. After six unsuccessful games, Bielefeld remains on the relegation place with 26 points and could still be overtaken by Hertha BSC in the evening game.
1. FC Cologne – FSV Mainz 05 3: 2 (0: 1), Goals: 0-1 Jonathan Burkardt (14′), 0-2 Karim Onisiwo (55′), 1-2 Ellyes Skhiri (60′), 2-2 Dejan Ljubicic (78′), 3-2 Luca Kilian (82′) )
In Cologne, the euphoria was huge simply because the stadium was allowed to be completely filled again – and was sold out with 50,000 spectators. The atmosphere was initially dampened when Mainz took the lead. It was bitter that Jonathan Burkardt’s shot might not have gone in at all if Luca Kilian hadn’t deflected it. Mainz could have increased earlier, but waited until after the break when Karim Onisiwo couldn’t be stopped on the right.
From unlucky to comeback hero: Cologne’s Luca Kilian unluckily steered the ball into his own net at the first Mainz goal, shortly before the end of the game he scored the 3-2 winner for his team.
(Photo: Imago)
Wasn’t Anthony Modeste back in the starting XI for the hosts after a break due to illness? Wouldn’t that make a difference? did it! The top scorer directed a corner kick towards the goal with his head, Ellyes Skhiri gave it the decisive change of direction with the same part of the body – and the Cologne team were back. They took the momentum with them, became more dangerous and the most dangerous was Dejan Ljubicic with his powerful shot. The great comeback was finally rounded off by the fact that Kilian, on loan from Mainz, made amends for his previous mistake and scored the winning goal. At that point at the latest, the euphoria among all Cologne residents was even greater.
SpVgg Greuther Furth – Borussia Monchengladbach 0: 2 (0: 2), Goals: 0-1 Marcus Thuram (19′), 0-2 Alassane Pléa (24′)
Referee Tobias Stieler had to take some criticism during the week. In the game between Augsburg and Mainz, as a video referee, he did not take back a clearly unjustified penalty kick by referee Matthias Jöllenbeck in favor of FCA – even Jöllenbeck said, looking at the pictures, that he wished it had been corrected at this point.
In the match between Fürth and Gladbach, Stieler was on the field as the lead referee and had to consult his VAR Markus Schmidt. After 20 minutes, Gladbach’s Stefan Lainer pranced through the Fürth penalty area and then got caught on Timothy Tillman’s leg – Stieler didn’t whistle. It then took several minutes until the next break in the game, in which the Kölner Keller reported and instructed Stieler to watch the scene again. Ultimately, there were penalties for the guests. In terms of rules, the decision went correctly, but caused the Fürth team to frown because of the time delay.
French co-production for the Gladbach tour: Marcus Thuram (right) transforms a fine preparatory work by his compatriot Alassane Pléa.
(Photo: Harald Bremes/Imago)
Alassane Pléa converted the penalty to 0:2. Shortly before, Marcus Thuram had scored the Gladbach lead after a perfect pass from Pléa. Borussia’s victory at the bottom of the table was never in jeopardy despite an increase in performance from Fürth in the second half. For Gladbach, staying in the class should be as certain as five games before the end of the season as well as the relegation of the Franconians to the second division.