Borussia Dortmund – Eintracht Frankfurt 4: 0 (3: 0), Goals: 1-0 Jude Bellingham (19′), 2-0 and 4-0 Donyell Malen (24′ and 66′), 3-0 Mats Hummels (41′)
Four goals, everyone in the stadium was pretty sure that would be enough this time. A week ago in Stuttgart, three wasn’t enough for BVB to win a game, despite having a majority and leading in overtime. Which once again plunged Dortmund into a creative crisis.
But during the week, sports director Sebastian Kehl courageously spoke of the championship as a goal. The defeat of FC Bayern in Mainz in the afternoon gave the Dortmunders the next opportunity to lead the table. And when Donyell Malen made it 4-0 in the 66th minute, it really couldn’t go wrong. “Only BVB will be German champions,” chanted the people in the stadium. In any case, the team now has it in their own hands in the remaining five games.
The clear victory reflected the balance of power. Eintracht is hardly reminiscent of the team that stormed into the Champions League round of 16 a few months ago, Frankfurt has not won eight league games in a row. And Dortmund didn’t necessarily have a lot of chances, but they played with impressive determination and great confidence in winning. It was 6:7 at half time after shots on goal, 3:0 after goals. Bellingham made it 1-0 at the end of an attack that seemed to be pulled like a string after a nice turn into the corner. Malen’s first goal, which began with a goalkeeper Gregor Kobel’s goal kick, also found the ball in front of the Frankfurt goal in just a few moments. And the 3-0 through a header by Mats Hummels fell in the middle of Eintracht’s last urge phase. The rest was black and yellow anticipation for the coming weeks.
FSV Mainz 05 – FC Bayern Munich 3: 1 (1: 0)Gates: 0-1 Sadio Mane (29′), 1-1 Ludovic Ajorque (65′), 2-1 Leandro Barreiro (73′), 3-1 Aaron Martin (79′)
Ludovic Ajorque scored the 1-1 and thus initiated the turnaround in the game against Bayern.
(Photo: Matthias Schrader/AP)
After losing the cup and the Champions League, FC Bayern is well on the way to squandering its last chance of winning a title this season. After an unbelievable performance in the second half, Bayern deservedly lost 3-1 at Mainz 05 and now have to hope for a blunder from BVB again.
Thomas Tuchel had changed the team in four positions and offensively brought in Alphonso Davies for the left flank, as well as Thomas Müller and Sadio Mané in the center of attack, defensively Josip Stanisic was allowed to play on the right in the back three. The coach’s idea was torpedoed after six minutes when Davies retired with a muscle injury. That’s how Noussair Mazzroui made his comeback, but that didn’t change the early superiority of Munich. The first good chance was missed by Thomas Müller (13′), whose shot was blocked by Silvan Widmer in dire need. After an offside goal (14th), Mané then made it 1-0 (29th), the Senegalese only had to nod off a cross from Joao Cancelo, who had taken over the left wing from Davies. Jamal Musiala with a header and Cancelo missed the 2-0 – and Mainz? Had an opportunity to equalize out of nowhere just before the break when Jae-sung Lee sent a fine pass alone through Karim Onisiwo towards Yann Sommer, but the Austrian slipped in the penalty area. A scene that was representative of the great uncertainty of the Munich team, who, despite their overwhelming superiority, always gave the impression of being good for a goal at any time.
What was to come true quickly: first the at least unlucky Müller (55th, 59th) missed two chances, then Mané did not bring the ball under control in front of Mainz keeper Robin Zentner before the defense could not clear a free-kick cross. Lee’s shot slapped Sommer forward and Ludovic Ajorque headed into the top corner (65′). And immediately chaos broke out in the Bayern defense: Ajorque extended a long shot by Zentner with a header to Onisiwo, who easily shook off Stanisic and crossed it to the completely free Leandro Barreiro: 2: 1 (73rd). Just six minutes later, Bayern’s defense was completely aimless again, this time the beneficiary was Aaron Martin, who scored 3-1 on the left corner of the penalty area.
The substitutions of Mathys Tel for Müller, Serge Gnabry for Musiala and Leroy Sané for Mané fizzled out without effect, Bayern are facing difficult times.
Hertha BSC – SV Werder Bremen 2: 4 (0: 2), Goals: 0:1, 0:2 and 0:3 Marvin Ducksch (6th, 27th and 51st), 0: 4 Mitchell Weiser (63rd), 1: 4 Jessic Ngankam (68th), 2: 4 Dodi Lukebakio (79th, penalty kick)
Marvin Ducksch scored three goals.
(Photo: Teresa Kroeger/Nordphoto/Imago)
Saturday, sun, 23 degrees – off to the capital! The Bremen fans had obviously noticed that the Olympic Stadium offers a wonderful amount of space and bought tickets for this first real spring game, between 20,000 and 25,000 green-whites are said to have been there, at least it was a Hertha home game for the third time this season sold out. The trip was worth it. Marvin Ducksch scored after just six minutes, Hertha’s back four was not up to par. 21 minutes later, Christian Groß had too much space in the cross and Ducksch too much space in the header.
If Hertha relied on a change of coach effect, then it fizzled out in record time. Pal Dardai, Hertha coach for the third time, brought in Kevin-Prince Boateng at the break, but Ducksch scored his third goal of the day just six minutes later. It was fitting that Mitchel Weiser’s fourth goal was preceded by a completely unsuccessful interaction between Agustin Rogel and goalkeeper Oliver Christensen. The two goals in the final phase should make Pal Dardais already difficult mission easier, at least morally. You also need “luck” to stay in the class, said the new coach when he was introduced. He might be right.
VfL Bochum – VfL Wolfsburg 1: 5 (0: 3), Goals: 0:1 and 0:4 Mattias Svanberg (10th and 56th), 0:2 Jakub Kaminski (21st), 0:3 Patrick Wimmer (33rd), 1: 4 Moritz Broschinski (69th), 1: 5 Luca Waldschmidt (77th)
Cynics might debate which of the three early Bochum goals conceded was the easiest for Wolfsburg? The first goal by Mattias Svanberg, when not only Patrick Wimmer was watched friendly on the cross, but was never disturbed? Jakub Kaminski’s second goal, when Wimmer was unstoppable in midfield even with a foul? Or the third, when Wimmer again had no opponent? His shot was still deflected, but that was one of the few relieving facts in a half-time that was used from Bochum’s point of view.
On the plus side, Philipp Hofmann hit the outside of the post and Ivan Ordets had a good header chance – and the Bochum crowd continued to support his team. After a brief struggle at the beginning of the second half, Stöger lost the ball after a blunder, and the fact that Svanberg’s shot was so unlucky from the parrying VfL goalkeeper Manuel Riemann and Wolfsburg only sunk a penalty in the follow-up shot suited the Bochum day. VfL not only loses the game, but also further ruins the goal difference in the tight relegation battle.
TSG Hoffenheim – 1. FC Cologne 1: 3 (0: 2), Goals: 0:1 Florian Kainz (18th, hand penalty), 0: 2 Davie Selke (39th), 0: 3 Jan Thielmann (90 + 2), 1: 3 Kasper Dolberg (90 + 4)
Like Bremen, Cologne were also keen to travel, an estimated 8,000 made their way to Sinsheim and took advantage of the fact that Hoffenheim did not use their ticket contingent in their own stadium. Schalke had also actually provided an additional home game. Before the game, the referee had to be changed at short notice – Benjamin Brand suffered an allergic shock and was replaced by the fourth official, Robin Braun.
And Braun immediately had to make one of the most difficult decisions in modern football: penalty or not. John Anthony Brooks turned into a cross from Florian Kainz and hit the ball with his slightly spread arm. natural movement? Intention? Braun looked briefly at the screen and decided on a penalty, Kainz converted. Shortly thereafter, Davie Selke scored his second goal of the season and Cologne fans could google “best pub Sinsheim” to celebrate the three points that probably finally steered the club out of the relegation battle. For Hoffenheim it is the first setback after the upward trend after the move to Pellegrino Matarazzo.