Derby winners and relegation fights. Plenty and more in the Bundesliga round up of match day 29.
First and foremost is the Nordderby. Each club, Werder Bremen and HSV, started the season poorly and they fired their coach. Now each finds themselves playing much better and not such a doom and gloom feel. Bremen will be wondering how they are in touching distance of Europe after a 2-1 victory in the 106 edition of the derby.
HSV figured that after an early goal from Michael Gregoritsch that there would be a victory on hand. German international Max Kruse headed home an equalizer before the half to shift the momentum back towards Bremen. Each team had a flurry of chances but with the end to end nature any team who conceded would feel despondent and with his second ever goal Florian Kainz found the derby winner.
The win puts Bremen a point away from Europe. Hard to believe when in the first five match days that they were rock bottom of the league.
Borussia Dortmund, still emotionally reeling from the bombing attack on the team bus, came out and scored early to seal a victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. Perhaps more importantly is the fact that Marco Reus scored a few minutes into his comeback from injury. This squad could make a comeback against Monaco midweek but the way that Dortmund responded after a Frankfurt equalizer showed backbone. There is all to play for in a few days in Monaco and qualification for the Champions League has some serious distance from the chasing teams.
Hoffenheim played Borussia Monchengladbach to one of the games of the week 5-3 in a match that could not have been more open. Kerem Demirbay and Adam Szalai both scoring a brace was able to combat the fight shown from the Foals. TSG and BMG both have been chasing European competition and for Hoffenheim sets up a massive round 32 match vs Dortmund to decide who goes to next season Champions League group phase.
Elsewhere in the Bundesliga
Wolfsburg took advantage of a late first half own goal to put on the hurt to relegation threatened Ingolstadt, 3-0 with goals from Yunus Malli and Mario Gomez.
A first half pair of goals lead to FC Augsburgs first win in months. FC Koln continues their inconsistency showing they might not be ready to play in Europe next season.
In a matchup of the European chasing promoted sides RB Leipzig sealed Champions League football with a 4-0 drubbing of SC Freiburg.
Bayern wanted to forget Real Madrid at home and visit Leverkusen and return to winning ways. Didn’t happen. Bayer fought with 10 men to a respectable 0-0 draw that should hopefully have taught the champions a defensive lesson.
Darmstadt said to ‘The God of Death’, also known as mathematical relegation, Not Today. A memorable 2-1 victory was celebrated like a victory in a cup final. After this win over Schalke 04 the Lilies have earned all 18 points at home this season.
Mainz 05 has been in a tail spin for a while but briefly gained some mojo back after a 1-0 victory over Hertha Berlin.
Player of the Week
Sokratis: Kept things solid at the back and came up with no doubt the goal of the month if not the season. As a defender you do not pull a goal like that off every day.
