Bayern Munich is back at the top of the Bundesliga table for the time being. Jamal Musiala and Sadio Mané lead the record champions to a win against FSV Mainz. Bayer Leverkusen is slipping deeper and deeper into the crisis. Stuttgart rewards itself with last-minute drama. VfL Bochum goes down in Wolfsburg.
Champion Bayern Munich has regained the lead in the Bundesliga for at least one night. Thanks to the convincing 6:2 (3:1) against FSV Mainz 05, coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team overtook Union Berlin (23 points), who are hosting Borussia Mönchengladbach on Sunday, with 25 points. Munich had not been in first place since the fifth matchday. Serge Gnabry paved the way for the sixth competitive win in a row with an early 1-0 (5th), then Jamal Musiala completed one of Bayern’s many good combinations (28th). Shortly before the break (43rd), Sadio Mane initially failed with a penalty kick (according to video evidence) on FSV keeper Robin Zentner, but converted the margin.
The guests were never discouraged: Silvan Widmer reduced the penalty before the break (45.4) after Jonathan Burkardt had failed a few moments earlier (45.3) with a penalty kick (according to video evidence) from Sven Ulreich. The Munich team continued to dominate the second half, in which Leon Goretzka (58′), substitute Mathys Tel (79′) and ex-Mainzer Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (86′) scored. Marcus Ingvartsen (82nd) ??shortened after an Ulreich mistake.
Bayern once again played without the ailing Manuel Neuer (shoulder) and Thomas Müller (hip) – both will probably also be absent on Tuesday (9 p.m. / Prime Video) against Inter Milan in the last group game of the Champions League. Nagelsmann once again relied on the last tried and tested eleven. Mainz, who are strong on the road and who had to replace the sick Danny da Costa as well as Dominik Kohr (gastrointestinal), were under a lot of pressure from the start. The Munich team combined quickly against the close-knit defense of the guests. The result was the lead through the well-disposed Gnabry, who converted a cross from Mane. Musiala’s goal also came from one of these nimble pass relays.
The guests never let themselves be discouraged by the goals they conceded, they presented pleasant and dangerous attacks and could have shortened the lead in the first half even before Widmer’s goal. However, aluminum got in their way twice: first Burkardt hit the crossbar from five meters out, then Jae-sung Lee hit the post with a follow-up shot (32′). Mainz’s courage was only rewarded shortly before the break, but then Bayern picked up the pace again and continued to dominate the game despite a few changes. In fact, the Munich victory could have been even better: Choupo-Moting (54th) and Musiala (63rd) also hit the wood.
VfB Stuttgart got back on the road to success against FC Augsburg and gained some air in the bottom of the table. The team of interim coach Michael Wimmer won the Swabian duel 2:1 (1:1) and thus revived the initial euphoria under Wimmer after the 0:5 beating at Borussia Dortmund a week ago.
After two wins early in his tenure, the 42-year-old continued to build arguments in favor of staying beyond the winter thanks to goals from Serhou Guirassy (15′) and Waldemar Anton (190′) and Waldemar Anton (90′) and the resulting third win in four games. On the way to their second win of the season, the Stuttgarters had also shown their ability to take things and were not impressed by Florian Niederlechner’s early deficit (4th).
The Cannstatters made life difficult for the guests from Augsburg with a fighting and playful performance. In the end, the win was forced: Anton scored and then doubled over in pain on the pitch. Coach Enrico Maassen’s FCA went without a win for the fifth game in a row. The “broad chest” demanded by Maaßen was immediately noticeable when Niederlechner used the first big opportunity to make Augsburg’s dream start. Dan-Axel Zagadou carelessly let the striker escape, who then skilfully lifted the ball over Florian Müller into the Stuttgart goal.
A mixed game developed, many fouls disturbed the flow of the game extremely – but the second goal was quickly scored. Borna Sosa found Guirassy with a strong cross on the second post, who, like Niederlechner, converted his team’s first chance into a countable goal. VfB remained the more active team, Augsburg relied on the counterattack as they did last time. The different game systems provided good entertainment in addition to the fewer interruptions compared to the initial phase. But Mergim Berisha (21′) for FCA, Stuttgart’s Pfeiffer (22′, 33′) and above all Silas (45′) failed to send their team into the break with a lead.
The trainers were only partially happy with the sometimes wild first half, but the game calmed down when the whistle was restarted. Both teams tried to form a more compact defense, which played into Augsburg’s cards in particular. However, VfB remained the more active team in the second half. However, Niederlechner scraped Wataru Endo’s header off the line (69′). Augsburg had problems getting free in the final phase – and not only when Pfeiffer hit the crossbar (86th) but was very lucky. Anton’s 2:1 was well deserved.
RB Leipzig celebrated an important success in the race for international places and thus exacerbated the crisis at Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. Coach Marco Rose’s team beat Real Madrid 2-0 (1-0) four days after the Champions League triumph against the Werkself, who are still stuck in the bottom of the table. Christopher Nkunku (32nd) and Timo Werner (83rd) scored the goals for Leipzig, who now have 19 points and are unbeaten in nine competitive games. After the win, RB can go into the duel against Shakhtar Donetsk for a place in the round of 16 in the premier class on Wednesday (6.45 p.m. / DAZN).
At Leverkusen, the situation is still serious with only nine points from twelve games, in the Champions League the team coached by Xabi Alonso also has to worry about participating in the Europa League against Club Brugge on Tuesday (6.45 p.m. / DAZN). After the long-term absence of goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi (torn cruciate ligament), RB coach Rose also had to do without substitute keeper Janis Blaswich (calf problems). Örjan Nyland, who was signed just three weeks ago, was between the posts for him.
Florian Wirtz, who is back in part of the team training after a cruciate ligament tear, was still absent from Leverkusen. Striker Patrik Schick returned to the bench after suffering from adductor problems. In front of 45,958 spectators in the Red Bull Arena, the teams started out rather cautiously and in control, with neither side creating any great chances in the relatively balanced early phase. However, Leipzig then looked for the way forward, Werner tried to find Nkunku in the penalty area, but Bayer keeper Lukas Hradecky (18th) prevented the cross pass.
A little later, Nkunku failed in the penalty area, first against the visitors’ defense and then again against Hradecky (20′). Nevertheless, there was usually little speed in the game, in which the teams largely neutralized each other. After a free-kick taken by Dominik Szoboszlai, Nkunku finally gave Leipzig the lead with a header. RB then gradually gained the upper hand, but the Saxons rarely became really dangerous. There was little to see from Leverkusen offensively. After the break, David Raum shot straight to the finish, but did not pose any major problems for Hradecky (48′). Leipzig initially defended consistently, even if Leverkusen were now more offensive. Daley Sinkgraven’s attempt was parried by Nyland (61′), on the other side Hradecky prevented a higher deficit after a shot by Werner (63′).
Sixth away game, sixth defeat: Even under the new coach Thomas Letsch, the sporting misery of VfL Bochum continues on foreign pitches. The table penultimate lost at VfL Wolfsburg 0: 4 (0: 2) and is therefore still in a direct relegation zone.
The Lower Saxony, who remained unbeaten in the sixth competitive game in a row, set the course for victory in the first half. Felix Nmecha (27th) scored the lead after a cross from captain Maximilian Arnold. Eight minutes later, Ridle Baku raised after Patrick Wimmer’s preliminary work. 13 minutes after the restart, Felix Nmecha made it 3-0, again with a header. Substitute Jonas Wind (80th) made the final score.
In front of 24,037 spectators, the Wolves’ second home win was more than deserved, even at this level. The visitors were clearly inferior for the entire 90 minutes and could have been more clearly behind at half-time. Wimmer stumbled in the 15th minute in a promising position, but a shot by Poland’s Jakub Kaminski (40th) was blocked at the last second. In this phase, Letsch tried in vain to push his team to be more offensive. VfL goalkeeper Manuel Riemann was not at all satisfied with the people in front of him and vented his anger loudly on several occasions.
Even after the change of sides, there was hardly any change in the basic balance of power – on the contrary: the hosts became more and more dominant and also improved playfully against increasingly resigned Bochumers. The one-sided game was decided after the third goal at the latest. In the final phase it was all about keeping the already bitter defeat within limits for the guests. But the North Germans kept up the pressure and didn’t give the Bochumers, who were accompanied by 3000 fans, a breather.
