Bundesliga round-up: Borussia Dortmund fall even further behind pace set by RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich
Minnows Leipzig continue to set pace, while pressure was eased on Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern... and Serge Gnabry continued to impress for Bremen
THERE was more drama in the Bundesliga title race this weekend as Borussia Dortmund fell behind the pace set by RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich.
Thomas Tuchel’s side travelled to Eintracht Frankfurt and were well beaten by a team that have taken no prisoners in front of their own fans this season.
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Niko Kovac has worked wonders in a relatively short period of time by drilling an unremarkable squad of players in to one of the most efficient outfits in the German top division.
Dortmund’s defeat may take some by surprise but consider that Frankfurt have already beaten Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen and drew with Bayern at the Waldstadion this season.
Indeed, returning president Uli Hoeness made a point of disregarding Leipzig’s credentials at Bayern’s AGM on Friday when he said Dortmund were the club’s real “enemy”, yet its Ralph Hasenhüttl team that continue to allude the German champions.
On Friday the newly-promoted side travelled to Freiburg with the challenge of holding on to their lead at the top of the Bundesliga table.
Yet a goal from Naby Keita just 80 seconds in to the game and then another three from his colleagues quickly quelled any plans that the hosts may have had of springing an upset.
If Leipzig had set the pace for the weekend then Bayern did well to keep up – just – with a 2-1 win over Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena.
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In front of an increasingly disgruntled home support, Douglas Costa dragged Bayern to a vitally important win and some breathing room for Carlo Ancelotti.
Of course the game could have been turned on its head when Javi Martinez thwarted a last-minute header from Kevin Volland with his hand, in the Bayern box.
Had the referee seen the infringement then a penalty and goal would have flung the Munich support back in to a sense of deep frustration at the current league campaign.
Four draws in the remaining eight games suggests little else changed in the German top flight in the twelfth matchday, yet there were other notable factors at work.
Markus Weinzierl’s Schalke continued their slow but steady rise up the Bundesliga table with a 2-1 win over Mainz on Sunday to take them up to thirteenth and just four points off bitter rivals Dortmund.
The win was the fifth in a row for the Royal Blues and their twelfth, consecutive game without defeat in all competitions this season.
Considering they lost their first five games of the league campaign, it truly shows just how far the sleeping giants have come under their new coach if they are now within touching distance of their local rivals.
Similarly, another sure sign of revival lies in the current form of Serge Gnabry. The former Arsenal youngster scored a wonderful solo goal to claim a point for Werder Bremen in the north German derby against Hamburg on Saturday.
Although his side are by no means safe from the threat of relegation, fans of the club will take solace in the fact that five goals and an assist in 11 league games clearly shows that they have a star player in their ranks.