Borussia Mönchengladbach – VfL Bochum 5:2 (2:0)Goals: 1:0 Nathan Ngoumou (29th), 2:0 Julian Weigl (35th, penalty kick), 3:0 Rocco Reitz (72nd), 3:1 Philipp Hofmann (75th), 4:1 Jordan ( 78th), 4:2 Keven Schlotterbeck (89th), 5:2 Franck Honorat (90th + 6th)
It took a while for this game to even start – and that was due to the rush on the streets. Yes, that’s right, a lot of people wanted to see this NRW duel from the gray area of the league. So many that massive traffic jams had formed around the Gladbach stadium. When the ball rolled after a ten-minute delay, the audience experienced a game with early traffic in front of the goals: Bernardo’s goal in the opening phase was conceded by the video referee for handball. Speaking of poking: In an almost identical scene, Borussia took the lead. A fumbled goal by Ngoumou after a corner, where almost everyone in the confused VfL defense failed to attempt a clearance.
The guests’ frustration continued: After Ordets kicked Koné, the VAR intervened again – there was a penalty for Gladbach, Julian Weigl made it 2-0. Rocco Reitz finally made it 3-0 with a header when Ngoumou appeared in front again and crossed sharply.
The fact that it was an entertaining afternoon finally became apparent when four more goals were scored: First Hofmann shortened the gap with a Kullertor, then Jordan made it 4-1 with a diving header – Gladbach’s Honorat responded to Bochum’s Schlotterbeck’s 4-2 with the 5: 2 in stoppage time. It all fit in wonderfully with a Gaudi kick with plenty of unleashing. Borussia is now leaving the traffic jam at the bottom of the table: in the table it goes from 15th to eleventh place.
VfB Stuttgart – 1. FC Cologne 1:1 (0:0)Goals: 1-0 Enzo Millot (53rd), 1-1 Eric Martel (62nd)
The next VfB win was nothing: Eric Martel (left) scores to make it 1-1 for Cologne.
(Photo: Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty)
The Stuttgart audience had to wait a very long time, until the 53rd minute, before they saw the sweet passes that put VfB close to the Champions League places. Chris Führich danced across the field: He dribbled up the left side, played a one-two with Hiroki Ito, and passed the ball to Enzo Millot, who only had to push it into the goal. It was the opening goal for VfB against Cologne, who had recently suffered a series of blows, including a 0-1 defeat against Bremen.
But instead of continuing to drive the ball calmly through the ranks, VfB indulged in an untypical collective lack of concentration shortly afterwards: After a corner, the ball landed at Linton Maina, who passed it to Eric Martel at the second post, who in turn finished completely freely. The equalizer electrified Cologne, who defended cleverly, stopped the Stuttgart game and were lucky that Millot was denied by keeper Marvin Schwäbe in the 68th minute. Stuttgart tried its luck until injury time, striker Serhou Guirassy, who was unsuccessful this time, dragged in balls from midfield. But more than a draw was not possible for VfB.
SV Werder Bremen – SV Darmstadt 98 1:1 (1:1)Goals: 1:0 Christoph Zimmermann (8th, own goal), 1:1 Julian Justvan (33rd)
There’s no such thing: Darmstadt’s Tim Skarke (left) has two goals subsequently disallowed against Werder Bremen.
(Photo: Carmen Jaspersen/dpa)
Darmstadt had only collected two meager victories since promotion until this weekend. But even deep down in the table there was still a small spark of hope because one of these victories against Werder had been achieved. And on Saturday the light continued to glow until the last minute. Because Darmstadt initially made up for a deficit in the 33rd minute of their appearance in Bremen, a serious mistake. Werder lost the ball on the halfway line, Matthias Bader played across the pitch to Julian Justvan on the edge of the penalty area – and he shot towards the goal corner to make it 1-1; The fact that the ball was deflected no longer mattered.
The Darmstadt own goal from the 8th minute was equalized. Defender Christoph Zimmermann rushed after Justin Njinmah, got to the ball with the tip of his foot, but directed it past his own keeper and into the net. But Darmstadt didn’t give up – and by the break they had even shot on goal three times as often as Bremen.
And Darmstadt, bottom of the table, remained the dominant team and ran with the courage of desperation. In the final phase, coach Torsten Lieberknecht’s team had victory on their feet twice – but a goal from Tim Skarke did not count because of offside (78′). Seconds before the end, Skarke even scored again after a serious mistake by Werder’s goalkeeper Michael Zetterer. Video evidence was used again – this time Skarke had apparently touched the ball with his hand beforehand. So only one point remained as a result – and the spark of hope glows a little weaker.
1. FC Union Berlin – 1. FC Heidenheim 2:2 (2:1), Goals: 0:1 Nikola Dovedan (3rd), 1:1 Robin Gosens (44th), 2:1 András Schäfer (45th + 2nd), 2:2 Jan-Niklas Beste (71st)
The game has been turned around in the meantime: András Schäfer ensures that Union takes the lead at half-time, but in the end it is only enough for a 2-2 draw against Heidenheim.
(Photo: Andreas Gora/dpa)
As the half-time break began, many of those involved in the Alten Försterei stadium must have rubbed their eyes: Shortly before, Robin Gosens had punished an inconsistent Heidenheim defensive action with the score at 1-1, and just two minutes later András Schäfer simply pulled away after winning the ball from a good 20 meters: his deflected shot also landed in the goal. Union Berlin had turned the game around – and nobody really knew why. Heidenheim took the lead early in the game: a failed header from Union defender Kevin Vogt became an assist for Nikola Dovedan, who cleverly scored his first Bundesliga goal.
In the second half it was a fast-paced but also error-filled pinball game: winning the ball here, losing the ball there, with many toxic duels in between. Both teams failed to consistently finish their transition moments. As with the first goal conceded, it was also a high ball in Heidenheim’s 2-2 draw that made the Union defense look sloppy: Eren Dinkçi’s release from his own half landed at the feet of Jan-Niklas Beste, who passed the ball over Frederik Rönnow lobbed into the goal. The Union keeper had ventured out of his box half-heartedly. In the end it was a fair draw.