Bayer Leverkusen – 1.FC Cologne 2:0
Impatiently fans have been waiting for this derby along the Rhine River and so for Cologne it was a short trip just over the bridge to the other side of the river. The main focus was on Cologne’s manager Christoph Daum who returned to Leverkusen on his 55th birthday eight years after his cocaine saga with the club. Cologne was defensively well organized and made it hard for Bayer to get too close to the goal. In the second half Leverkusen created more pressure and after a corner kick it was Manuel Friedrich who scored the first goal. Greek international Gekas made it 2:0 from the spot. Tight game with Bayer being slightly better. Deserved win even though Cologne could have gotten away with a draw on a luckier day.
Bayern Munich – VfL Wolfsburg 4:2
Five minutes before halftime it all looked as if Klinsmann will face bigger trouble than ever when his team was 0-2 behind on home soil but Ribéry’s goal right before halftime gave the fans some hope. Wolfsburg looked sharp during the first half and had clinical finishing. A quality that they lacked during the second half and so Bayern became stronger with every minute and turned the game around. Klose played an impressive game setting up three goals. Wolfsburg will be disappointed with the unfortunate loss and have to realize that there is still a way to go to be a real top team in the league. Bayern is the winner of the day with Bremen and Schalke only winning one point and Hamburg losing.
FC Schalke 04 – Arminia Bielefeld 0:0
An easy win was predicted before the game but Schalke could not get past Bielefeld’s superb goalie Eilhoff who played a fantastic game and stopped every ball from crossing the goalline. Bielefeld played a defensive tactic only looking too keep the score goalless while Schalke launched one shot after the other but in the end all in vain. Despite having played well, the result leaves a bitter taste for the home fans who are hoping for their first title after more than fifty years of waiting. Arminia gladly takes this unexpected point for their battle against relegation and will build on this performance in their next match.
Hanover 96 – Werder Bremen 1:1
Werder Bremen once more only drew a game. After sharing points with Dortmund last week, they also draw in Greece in the Champions League during the week and it was no different in Hanover. Former Bremen player Schultz scored the goal for 96 with a powerful header after a corner kick before in form Portuguese international Hugo Almeida equalized for Bremen after a nice combination. In the second half Rosenberg had the best chance to win the three points but the Werder striker from Sweden found his close range shot stopped by Hanover’s goalie Fromlowitz to his own very surprise. What looked like an easy goal ended being Bremen’s last big chance to avoid a draw.
Energie Cottbus – Eintracht Frankfurt 2:3
Under fire Frankfurt manager Funkel must have felt like he needs to look for a new job after only fifteen minutes. Bottom table host Cottbus quickly scored a 2-0 lead with both goals scored by Rangelov. Former Frankfurt player Skela was denied a third goal when his freekick was stopped right before the line by Frankfurts Nikolov. It proved to be the turning point of the game. Frankfurt’s game got better while Cottbus became more nervous during the game. An incredible second half and good team spirit helped Frankfurt to turn the game around and win important points that allows them to take a deep breath. Energie looks deeper in trouble than ever this season and it looks as if a miracle is needed in Cottbus in order to avoid relegation. Five points out of nine games give little hope and they will soon need to step it up before it is too late.
Borussia M‘gladbach – Karlsruher SC 1:0
Hans Meyer’s return as manager of Borussia was a sweet one. He seemed to have brought back the luck to his team that has been missing the entire season. His return to the club was celebrated by many fans and he thanked them with an important win over Karlsruhe. KSC was the better team during the first half but failed to score a goal. M’gladbach played nervously and hectic but got better after their skipper Paauwe took the lead for the host with a fine low drive that was unstoppable for Miller. Gladbach still has lots of work to do in order to be prepared for their next match but the three points were a great start for Meyer. Karlsruhe will be disappointed coming home with empty hands which puts them under pressure again for their next home fixture.
VfB Stuttgart – VfL Bochum 2:0
Two late goals by starstriker Mario Gomez decided this poor game in Stuttgart. After having played poorly in Sevilla during the week, the home crowd was expecting a better performance but was deeply disappointed by their team. Bochum defended well and only occasionally tried to launch a counter attack. Their discipline in the defense was almost rewarded. Ten minutes before the end, they still had their point in both hands but a double salvo by Gomez made sure that the points remained in Stuttgart. Despite having won the game, the performance was not convincing to most and VfB will have to sharpen up if they really want to be serious contenders for the top spots in the Bundesliga.
Borussia Dortmund – Hertha BSC Berlin 1:1
A game with little highlights ended in a fair 1-1 draw which earns both teams a point which will certainly help Hertha more. Dortmund failed to convince in front of their home fans and found no means to put pressure on Hertha’s goal in the first half. Berlin controlled the game and took the lead after Cicero scored from the spot. In the second half, Borussia became stronger but still without creating too many chances. A little surprising was their equalizer after a corner kick when skipper Sebastian Kehl scored with a powerful header. Dortmund will be disappointed with only three wins out of nine games while Hertha is in a comfortable sixth position in the league.
1899 Hoffenheim – Hamburger SV 3:0
It was supposed to be the top game of the weekend when second Hoffenheim hosted table leaders Hamburger SV. Hoffenheim are the surprise team this season and they came up with another shock win finishing off HSV with a clear result. Hamburg was left without a chance in the first half when Hoffenheim scored all their three goals. Ibisevic once more was amongst the goalscorers and their attack seems to be unstoppable at this season. In only nine games, 1899 has already scored 24 goals which makes three on average. Hamburg had to give up their top position and will be very disappointed with the result. Hoffenheim once more played an impressive game and fans are curious to find out what more that little team from the Hoffenheim village is capable of.
