Wednesday April 21, 2021
Gladbach playful 2-0 lead
Dortmund wins because Reus takes off for the flight
VfL Wolfsburg will definitely play in the European Cup next season, that is already certain after the 30th matchday. Much points to the Champions League – which is now out of reach for Gladbach. Borussia Dortmund celebrates thanks to a questionable penalty, which Haaland then even awards.
VfB Stuttgart – VfL Wolfsburg 1: 3 (0: 2)
VfL Wolfsburg has impressively stopped its small series of defeats in the Bundesliga and can continue to dream of the premier class. The team of coach Oliver Glasner deservedly prevailed 3-1 (2-0) at promoted VfB Stuttgart and is fully on the Champions League course four games before the end of the season. The Wolves successfully defended third place in the table thanks to hits from Xaver Schlager (13th), striker Wout Weghorst (29th) and Yannick Gerhardt (65th). For Stuttgart, Philipp Förster (26th) missed a hand penalty, the connection of Gonzalo Castro (90th + 2) came too late.
Wolfsburg coach Glasner switched his defense to three positions after conceding seven goals against Bayern Munich (2: 3) and Eintracht Frankfurt (3: 4) – as many as in the previous 13 games. VfB coach Matarazzo meanwhile swapped five players, with an average age of 23 years it was the youngest Bundesliga starting eleven of the season. The “young wild ones” from Stuttgart also had their first big chance.
But striker Sasa Kalajdzic could not use the disorientation of the Wolfsburg defense and failed from eleven meters from Koen Casteels completely free. On the other side, Gregor Kobel first stood out against Josip Brekalo (12th), but shortly afterwards the VfB goalkeeper had no chance against Schlager’s powerful shot from 22 meters.
With the lead in the back, the Glasner-Elf dominated the action, but the Stuttgart got the great opportunity to equalize. John Anthony Brooks touched the ball with his hand after a cross from Roberto Massimo in the penalty area, but Förster miserably missed the discussion-worthy penalty. First the 26-year-old failed on the outstanding Casteels, he put the margin over the gate. In return, Weghorst did better. The Dutchman headed a cross from Brekalo from close range to his 20th goal of the season. In the second round, the guests controlled the game before Gerhardt made the decision with a placed shot.
Werder Bremen – 1. FSV Mainz 05 0: 1 (0: 1)
Werder Bremen is shaking tremendously: The Hanseatic team around coach Florian Kohfeldt set a frustrating negative club record in the basement duel with Mainz 05 and are deeper and deeper in the relegation swamp. The 0: 1 (0: 1) defeat against the competition meant the sixth defeat in a row, never before have Bremen lost so often in a row in the league. Mainz, unbeaten six games, overtook Werder.
The guests took advantage of an individual mistake by Milos Veljkovic in their early opening goal from Adam Szalai (16). Karim Onisiwo failed after the slip of the Werder defender to keeper Jiri Pavlenka, but his strike partner was there to dust off. The alleged equalization of Joshua Sargent (44th), which referee Marco Fritz withdrew because of an alleged foul on goalkeeper Robin Zentner, caused discussion.
Werder’s coach had set his team offensively with Niclas Füllkrug and Milot Rashica in the lead and was hoping for a penalty after just four minutes. But Ludwig Augustinsson fell too easily for the referee team. Mainz survived the first major pressure with good division and duel strength. Bremen were hit hard by the deficit and only got their first real opportunity to equalize in the 31st minute through Füllkrug, Hundreds in the 05 goal reacted strongly. Pavlenka also had to prove himself, including against Leandro Barreiro (35th).
At the beginning of the second half Werder were very lucky, Szalai hit the lower edge of the crossbar from the spin (48th). Then it went back and forth. Maximilian Eggestein (58th) had the chance to equalize, but Mainz could also have added through Onisiwo (60th). So it remained tight until the final phase.
Borussia Dortmund – 1. FC Union Berlin 2: 0 (1: 0)
Good luck, a present and new hope: Borussia Dortmund has defeated Union Berlin and is entering the pioneering Champions League duel at VfL Wolfsburg with a tailwind. The 2-0 (1-0) after a wrong penalty decision gives BVB a realistic chance to significantly reduce the five points deficit on Saturday – and then move past. There are four points on Eintracht Frankfurt. Marco Reus (27.) laid the foundation for the third win in a row in the margin after a penalty that he himself had taken very questionably. Raphael Guerreiro (88th) made the decision. Union, on the other hand, has to get used to the idea of going empty-handed at the end of a very strong season.
BVB trembled at first, and after just twelve seconds. Emre Can lost the ball in his own penalty area, and Marcus Ingvartsen flicked against the bottom edge of the crossbar. From there the ball jumped clearly in front of the line.
Referee Daniel Schlager helped BVB with a penalty that shouldn’t have been given: Reus tried hard to contact Union goalkeeper Andreas Luthe, the minimal contact was not the cause of the case. The captain pushed the ball over the line after Erling Haaland’s missed shot. The Norwegian was now visibly angry, but also missed his next big chance (35th).
Dortmund pushed for the decision – with Jadon Sancho, who made his comeback after an hour after a protracted injury and immediately caused a stir. Due to BVB negligence, Union stayed in the game without being able to exert great pressure itself. The hope remained for a single action or a standard. And it came: Max Kruse lifted the ball over the wall to the inner post (66th). The trembling began for Dortmund, which Guerreiro only ended.
TSG Hoffenheim – Borussia Mönchengladbach 3: 2 (0: 2)
After a strangely lethargic appearance, Borussia Mönchengladbach gave away the victory they believed to be safe and important points in the race for a European Cup place. Despite a two-goal lead, this year’s Champions League participant lost 2: 3 (2: 0) at the recently ailing TSG Hoffenheim. Gladbach is four points behind a Europa League rank. Andrej Kramaric (48th and 65th) and Ihlas Bebou (60th) scored for the Kraichgauer, who were able to get a three-point after five encounters without a win. Alassane Plea (25th) and Valentino Lazaro (45th + 1) were successful for Borussia.
Christoph Baumgartner missed the chance to take the lead for the severely weakened Hoffenheim team in the third minute. Far too little came from Borussia. The goal by Plea fell out of nowhere and upset the Hoffenheim terribly because they wanted to have seen a foul on Kramaric beforehand. The referee Daniel Siebert, who was nominated for the European Championship finals shortly before the kick-off, assessed the scene, in which he certainly had not made a clear wrong decision, but differently.
Six minutes after the deficit, Ihlas Bebou had equalizer for TSG on the foot, but the attacker only hit the post. Skov was also unable to use another good opportunity (39th). The team from Gladbach did better, using their second chance to score a second goal.
Right at the beginning of the second round, Kramaric rewarded TSG for their effort. Bebou and again Kramaric followed suit, the Gladbachers were completely out of the role. Only in the final phase did the guests get stronger again. Patrick Herrmann’s alleged equalization in stoppage time was not given due to a clear offside position.
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