Rivalry victories, late minute winners, and demolitions. That and more in the Bundesliga round up.
BVB 1 RB Leipzig 0
Borussia Dortmund was looking to be right back in with European qualification and possibly putting some momentum back into their season against RB Leipzig. Against the second best in the Bundesliga Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored for a big win.
BVB has not always been clicking this season. But against Leipzig there seemed to be a real swagger that was restored. That swagger, missing since the win against Bayern Munich, can do much and more going forward. With the DFB Pokal on Wednesday this was a much needed victory. For Leipzig it was a missed chance as Munich dropped points.
Bayern Munich 1 Schalke 04 1
Bayern Munich has not lost to Schalke 04 in many seasons, but this will feel like one. Robert Lewandowski scored early on in what looked a different match than match day two. That match was salvaged by a late winner. This time Schalke responded with a free kick from Naldo. 04 proceeded to hold on and look good doing so.
The big two talking points were the inability for Bayern to get another goal. Yes it was a nice moment when Philip Lahm came on for his 500 appearance for Munich. Fact is that in the double substitution yielded no positive end result. Schalke can only be proud of themselves. They visited the Allianz Arena and came away with a point. Not many can do that and each will have a different idea as they enter their quarterfinal DFB Pokal match on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Eintracht Frankfurt 2 SV Darmstadt 98 0
The relegation playoff between Eintracht Frankfurt and 1 FC Nurenburg seems forever ago. The team finished in 16 last season and after a 2-0 victory over local rivals Darmstadt today’s Eagles find themselves in third. A drastic change all due to Niko Kovac.
Torsten Frings has been merely in charge for the winter training session and three matches. With on point in the three matches and despite a decent performance by Terrance Boyd Darmstadt looks doomed. After a tense first half a penalty called was the difference maker as Japanese captain Makoto Hasebe put away the pk. With Darmstadt looking to find a needed equalizer Frankfurt countered with captain Alex Meier crossing and finding Ante Rebic for a second.
Elsewhere in the Bundesliga
Borussia Monchengladbach was looking at a 0-0 draw with upstart SC Freiburg when the dam burst. 73rd minute Lars Stindl followed by both Raffael and Patrick Herrmann scored for the Foals to generate some hope to pull away from the relegation battle.
FC Augsburg found that they were able to get the three points coming from behind. Twice being down to Werder Bremen a 93rd minute winner from Raul Bobadilla meant Bremen stays in the relegation battle.
FC Koln managed to find it deep down to pull off a winner. Anthony Modeste has been the man on the spot and from the PK spot the Billy Goats got their winner. Europe is still a possibility.
Hertha Berlin has kept up their European push as an early goal from Genki Haraguchi meant FC Ingolstadt was down.
TSG Hoffenheim has kept momentum up this season. There is not enough though in Mainz. There was not much in terms of resistance as Hoffenheim galloped to a 4-0 victory to keep up in fifth in the Bundesliga.
HSV was given a lifeline as Bayer Leverkusen has not had a good week, a 1-0 win means the relegation battle is on.
Bundesliga Player of the Week
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring the winner for BVB could be the same as when he came back from Gabon hosting the African Cup of Nations. Then at Saint-Etienne he went on an absolutely massive run which then meant that he was moving on to Borussia Dortmund
