Brandt hits with his back
With the seventh win in the seventh league game in 2023, Borussia Dortmund took the lead in the Bundesliga for at least 26 hours. Coach Edin Terzic’s team earned a deserved 1-0 (1-0) win at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, a candidate for relegation on Saturday. National player Julian Brandt (43rd minute) scored the goal of the day in front of 30,150 spectators in the sold-out Sinsheim stadium – including national coach Hansi Flick. This puts BVB three points ahead of their title rivals before the hit on Sunday (5.30 p.m.) between FC Bayern Munich and Union Berlin.
At the crisis club from Kraichgau, new coach Pellegrino Matarazzo conceded his third defeat in a row since taking office, even though his team showed a lot of improvement. Hoffenheim thus matched the club record of twelve games without a win from 2008/09, when TSG under Ralf Rangnick fell from first place in their debut season in the upper house and slipped down to relegation place 16.
Hertha BSC pays for Niederlechner and wins against FC Augsburg
Former Augsburg Marco Richter has guided Hertha BSC to an important victory in the fight against relegation. On matchday 22, Richter initiated the 2-0 (0-0) home win over FC Augsburg with his opening goal in the 61st minute. Dodi Lukébakio (69th) scored the second goal on Saturday in front of 40,522 spectators in the Berlin Olympic Stadium.
Florian Niederlechner was also there, despite a clause that was actually agreed when the change was made. “I got the green light earlier this week, so it wasn’t a big issue for us. That’s why Florian is on the pitch from the start,” said Hertha’s coach Sandro Schwarz on “Sky” before kick-off in the Olympic Stadium. Hertha apparently had to pay a certain amount for a match against Augsburg, which Schwarz also indirectly confirmed. When asked whether Niederlechner had to deliver today in view of the clause, he replied: “That wouldn’t be so wrong, definitely.”
Werder back on track: Füllkrug initiates victory against VfL Bochum
Niclas Füllkrug remains Werder Bremen’s sporting life insurance. The national striker’s 14th goal of the season initiated an important 3-0 (2-0) home win against VfL Bochum on Saturday, which enabled the promoted team to stay out of the relegation battle. Werder now has an eleven-point lead over VfL, who are extremely weak this time in penultimate place. Bremen scored 23 of their 30 points in games in which Füllkrug scored at least once.
Füllkrug extends the lead: the top scorers in the Bundesliga
In front of 42,100 spectators in the Wohninvest Weserstadion, the 30-year-old scored the 1-0 for Werder in the 29th minute. Niklas Schmidt (41st) and Marvin Ducksch (59th) extended this lead. The preparatory work for the first two goals came from Anthony Jung, who had just extended his contract with Bremen this week.
1. FC Köln loses at VfL Wolfsburg: ex-professional Gerhardt scores
A homegrown player from Cologne has probably ended 1. FC Köln’s dream of another season in the European Cup. Yannick Gerhardt, who trained at FC, scored the early opening goal in the fourth minute of the 2-0 (1-0) win in Cologne, laying the foundation for VfL Wolfsburg’s fifth away win. Captain Maximilian Arnold added a penalty kick (68th).
The Lower Saxony thus consolidated seventh place, which will probably be enough to get into the Conference League at the end of the season. Cologne, who represented the Bundesliga in the smallest European Cup this season, could have come within a point of VfL if they won. After the second defeat in 2023 and the second in a row without a goal of their own, there are now seven points. Coach Steffen Baumgart also stated before the game that he did not want to attack seventh place, but only look at staying up in the league.
RB Leipzig wins top game against Eintracht Frankfurt
RB Leipzig is back in the title race. After seven attempts without a win, the German Cup winners again managed a three-pointer against Eintracht Frankfurt and, at least overnight, jumped to fourth place in the table. At 2:1 (2:0) Marco Rose’s team showed a convincing performance, especially in the first half.
In front of 47,069 spectators in the sold-out Red Bull Arena, Timo Werner (6th minute) gave the Saxons an early lead against the Europa League winner with a stumbled goal. Then he played for Emil Forsberg (40th) to make it 2-0. Djibril Sow (61st) shortened for Frankfurt, who only woke up in the second half. With 42 points, Leipzig is keeping up with the top trio. Eintracht had to accept a setback in the fight for the “premier class” places and remains in sixth place with 38 points.
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