Leon Goretzka is missing FC Bayern for four months, on the 28th matchday of the Bundesliga the national player celebrates a dream comeback: starting XI, goal, victory. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen defeated Felix Magath’s Hertha BSC. VfB Stuttgart is stuck in the basement.
SC Freiburg – FC Bayern Munich 1: 4 (0: 0)
With comeback goalscorer Leon Goretzka, FC Bayern has taken the next step towards their tenth championship title in a row. Even if the Munich team struggled for a long time at SC Freiburg, the leaders of the table finally managed a convincing 4:1 (0:0). With 66 points now, the record champion is not missing much until the next bowl. Freiburg, on the other hand, had to accept a setback in the fight for participation in the European Cup due to light snowfall.
After Goretzka made it 1-0 (58′), Freiburg’s record goalscorer Nils Petersen equalized just one day after his contract was extended again (63′). It was his 100th competitive goal in the SC jersey. Serge Gnabry, who also came on as a substitute, put Bayern back in the lead (73′) before Kingsley Coman decided the game (82′). In injury time, Marcel Sabitzer increased (90 + 6). There had been a lot of excitement about Sabitzer’s substitution because Bayern were outnumbered for a few seconds.
It became dangerous for the first time after a corner. Dayot Upamecano, who had moved up, headed over the goal of SC goalkeeper Mark Flekken (13th). On the other side, Lucas Höler was a few centimeters short of getting his toes to the ball (18′). The standard strength of the Breisgauer had probably gotten around to Munich. Julian Nagelsmann’s players avoided dead balls from Freiburg in the Munich half until the 31st minute. With 20 goals they are the most dangerous team in the league in this category. But with the first corner kick Manuel Neuer was the winner in a duel with Roland Sallai and with a free kick just before the break the German number one did not even have to intervene against Schlotterbeck.
In the second round, both teams met each other the way Streich had wished – on an equal footing. The first negligence was then promptly punished. Goretzka headed in after a free kick. But Freiburg had an answer ready. Petersen scored less than 20 seconds after coming on, once again living up to his reputation as the best joker since the Bundesliga was introduced.
In a hectic phase, Gnabry put Bayern back in the lead, Kingsley Coman made the decision. The substitution of the French caused confusion. Only after a long discussion was the game started again. But the eight-minute stoppage time was no longer the turning point from SC’s point of view, on the contrary: Sabitzer put the end.
Bayer Leverkusen – Hertha BSC 2: 1 (2: 1)
Hopeful Felix Magath had to accept a setback in the relegation battle when he came back as head coach on the coaching bench at Hertha BSC. Two weeks after his debut win against TSG Hoffenheim from the home office, the 68-year-old lost with the Berliners to third-placed Bayer Leverkusen 1-2 (1-2) and his team is still stuck in the relegation zone. The weakened Bayer team, who previously won only once in five competitive games, consolidated third place in the table and underpinned their claim to participate in the Champions League. In front of 23,557 spectators in the BayArena on Saturday Lucas Alario (35th minute) and Karim Bellarabi (40th) scored for Bayer, Vladimir Darida (42nd) scored for the visitors.
Magath, who admitted before the game he was a little nervous ahead of the first appearance, had made two changes despite announcing he had no reason to change. The loss of Marvin Plattenhardt, who was in good form recently, was painful. Maximilian Mittelstädt took his place in the team, as did Darida.
But after a quarter of an hour, the Berliners had to accept the next setback. Goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow was unable to continue playing due to injury and was replaced by Marcel Lotka. The 20-year-old, who played for Bayer Leverkusen in his youth, made his fourth appearance in the Bundesliga and saved Hertha from going behind after a shot by Karim Bellarabi (21′).
After a training camp in East Westphalia, Magath equipped his team with a compact defense and set about unsettling the favored but weakened Leverkusen team with pinpricks. However, this was only partially successful. The hosts had more shares in the game and, despite a few failures, were better occupied individually.
Center forward Alario took advantage of this, scoring the 1-0 with a remarkable right-footed shot into the top left corner from a tight angle. It was the Argentinian’s 40th Bundesliga goal and Bayer’s 100th goal against Hertha in the Bundesliga. Bellarabi made it 2-0 with a low shot five minutes later before Darida almost leveled the score.
Eintracht Frankfurt – Greuther Furth 0:0
Eintracht Frankfurt messed up the dress rehearsal for the duel with FC Barcelona and left important points in the fight for renewed Europa League participation. In front of 50,500 spectators, coach Oliver Glasner’s team couldn’t get more than a 0-0 draw against SpVgg Greuther Fürth, who bottomed out in the Bundesliga, and missed a great opportunity after the competition made a mistake.
Promoted Fürth got the second away point this season, but in the remaining six games of the season they can hardly be saved from relegation from the Bundesliga. In the wet and cold 2006 World Cup arena, which was allowed to be used to capacity for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, the guests proved to be brave and compact defending opponents. The spent pyrotechnics and loud firecrackers from the fans attracted much more attention in the first few minutes than the Eintracht offensive, which initially only had a fall from Rafael Borré in the penalty area. After reviewing the video evidence, there was no penalty whistle.
The away winless Franconians even dared to go on the offensive, Kevin Trapp was only able to defuse the conclusion of the former Frankfurter Branimir Hrgota with full physical effort. After that, little happened for a long time, a goal by Jesper Lindström (29th) was disallowed because of a clearly visible handball when referee Bastian Dankert took the ball with him. Before the break, Fürth goalkeeper Andreas Linde thwarted an early lead for the hosts, who only wanted one win in the fight for Europe, with several brilliant acts. Ansgar Knauff (41st) and twice Lindström (42nd/44th) did not finish precisely enough to overcome the Swedish keeper of the newly promoted team who was signed in the winter.
Even after the change, things only went in one direction: Frankfurt played, Fürth defended. But there were no brilliant ideas and, more often, the necessary precision. With 20 minutes to go, the hapless Daichi Kamada volleyed a Filip Kostic cross, but the Japanese shot wide and was substituted immediately afterwards. But Glasner’s jokers around attacker Goncalo Paciencia didn’t do any better and failed again and again against the outstanding Linde. There was a moment of shock shortly before the end when Fürth’s Marco Meyerhöfer had to be carried off the field on a stretcher.
TSG Hoffenheim – VfL Bochum 1: 2 (0: 1)
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim suffered the next setback in the race for a place in the Champions League and were duped twice against VfL Bochum by the congenial duo of Takuma Asano/Manuel Riemann. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß’s team lost to the newly promoted team 1:2 (0:1). The Japanese Asano scored after a wide ball from goalkeeper Riemann (28th and 59th minutes).
The guests also annoyed the Kraichgau team with the man-marking ordered by coach Thomas Reis, for which national player David Raum equalized in the meantime (54th). In front of 15,014 spectators in Sinsheim, Bochum made another big step forward in the relegation battle: The gap to the relegation place with Arminia Bielefeld is nine points.
Two weeks after the cup-throwing scandal in the aborted home game against Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfL showed a courageous and disciplined performance. After the last so disappointing 0: 3 at Hertha BSC, the harmless Hoffenheim could not prove again that they are ready for the premier class.
Arminia Bielefeld – VfB Stuttgart 1: 1 (0: 1)
Arminia Bielefeld missed an important win against relegation rivals VfB Stuttgart and remains behind the Swabians in the table. Coach Frank Kramer’s team still managed to win a lucky 1-1 (0-1) after falling behind and climbed past Hertha BSC to the Bundesliga relegation zone. In front of 26,011 spectators on the Bielefelder Alm, Sasa Kalajdzic gave the Stuttgart guests the lead in the 25th minute with a hand penalty. Florian Krüger (59th) equalized for Arminia.
VfB started energetically and had the first chance early on. Chris Führich shot over the Bielefeld goal from a promising position (3rd). Then, however, initially the Bielefeld took over the command. The hosts were quicker in midfield and kept coming forward quickly, especially down the left flank.
In the 4-0 defeat at FSV Mainz 05 last matchday, Arminia conceded three penalties – and the bad luck from penalties continued. Patrick Wimmer cleared after a corner with his upper arm and referee Patrick Ittrich pointed to the point according to the video images. VfB goalscorer Kalajdzic converted confidently. The goal almost out of nowhere took the momentum from Bielefeld. Stuttgart successfully kept the ball away from their own goal and had chances to improve themselves.
Even after the change of sides, Stuttgart remained more dangerous and better. However, Tiago Tomás failed to make a preliminary decision (54th). Just as surprising as the lead for VfB, Krüger managed the emotionally acclaimed equalizer. The game was now more open, both teams played for the decisive goal. The best chance was missed by Stuttgart’s Konstantinos Mavropanos, whose header was deflected against the post by the strong Ortega.
In the final phase, a collision caused a moment of shock. After colliding with team-mate Alessandro Schöpf, Bielefeld striker Fabian Klos had to be carried off the field on a stretcher.