Champions Bayern Munich beat Schalke 04 3-1 yesterday to climb back into second place and cut the gap on Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund to five points. Goals from Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry after a Schalke own goal lifted the Bavarians, who bounced back from last week’s loss to Bayer Leverkusen and face Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16 later this month, to 45.
Dortmund are on 50 points after wasting a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Hoffenheim earlier yesterday. Borussia Moenchengladbach dropped to third on 42 after losing 3-0 to visiting Hertha Berlin.
Jeffrey Bruma’s own goal on his Schalke debut put the hosts ahead before Ahmed Kutucu, making his first Bundesliga start for Schalke after scoring in the German Cup in midweek, levelled in the 25th.
But the 18-year-old’s joy was cut short when forward Lewandowski struck two minutes later to Bayern ahead once more. Schalke, last season’s runners-up, came close to another equaliser early in the second half but Serge Gnabry killed off their hopes when he wrong-footed keeper Ralf Faehrmann with a clever header from a Lewandowski bicycle kick. Schalke dropped to 13th on 22 points, seven above the relegation zone.
Earlier, Dortmund inexplicably surrendered a three-goal lead in the second half to draw 3-3 against Hoffenheim after completely dominating for more than an hour. The league leaders have only themselves to blame for the draw that comes just days before Wednesday’s Champions League last-16, first leg against Tottenham Hotspur in London.
Jadon Sancho, in the absence of Dortmund captain Marco Reus, took control for the hosts in the first half, firing in to give them the lead and slicing through the hapless Hoffenheim defence at will. The England international then set up Mario Goetze for Dortmund’s second goal before combining with Goetze to set up Raphael Guerreiro for an easy tap-in in the 66th.
Sancho almost got a second goal in the 75th but his low shot hit the post and bounced clear before the hosts stepped off the gas, allowing Ishak Belfodil to cut the deficit in the 75th. Pavel Kaderabek then rose above his marker to head in with seven minutes left and set up a nervous finale.
The visitors’ memorable comeback was completed when Belfodil headed in a free kick in the 87th. “It was very bitter after a very good first half with Sancho playing an outstanding game,” said Dortmund assistant Edin Terzic, standing in for head coach Lucien Favre at the news conference after the Swiss missed the game with the flu. “We lost possession far too often in the second half.”
Dortmund scorer Goetze said they made far too many mistakes, especially after such a dominant first hour. “When you lead 3-0 at home and then you play a 3-3 then it obviously is extremely bitter,” Goetze told reporters. “That should never have happened. Especially after such a performance for large parts of the game and after a strong first half.”
Bundesliga results
Borussia Dortmund 3 (Sancho 32, Goetze 43, Guerreiro 66) Hoffenheim 3 (Belfodil 75, 87, Kaderabek 83); RB Leipzig 0 Eintracht Frankfurt 0; Borussia Moenchengladbach 0 Hertha Berlin 3 (Kalou 30, Duda 56, Selke 76); Hanover 2 (N. Mueller 45+5, 77) Nuremberg 0; Freiburg 3 (Grifo 37, Petersen 70, Waldschmidt 88) Wolfsburg 3 (Roussillon 11, Weghorst 63, Steffen 75); Bayern Munich 3 (Bruma 12-og, Lewandowski 27, Gnabry 57) Schalke 1 (Kutucu 25)
Dortmund are on 50 points after wasting a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Hoffenheim earlier yesterday. Borussia Moenchengladbach dropped to third on 42 after losing 3-0 to visiting Hertha Berlin.
Jeffrey Bruma’s own goal on his Schalke debut put the hosts ahead before Ahmed Kutucu, making his first Bundesliga start for Schalke after scoring in the German Cup in midweek, levelled in the 25th.
But the 18-year-old’s joy was cut short when forward Lewandowski struck two minutes later to Bayern ahead once more. Schalke, last season’s runners-up, came close to another equaliser early in the second half but Serge Gnabry killed off their hopes when he wrong-footed keeper Ralf Faehrmann with a clever header from a Lewandowski bicycle kick. Schalke dropped to 13th on 22 points, seven above the relegation zone.
Earlier, Dortmund inexplicably surrendered a three-goal lead in the second half to draw 3-3 against Hoffenheim after completely dominating for more than an hour. The league leaders have only themselves to blame for the draw that comes just days before Wednesday’s Champions League last-16, first leg against Tottenham Hotspur in London.
Jadon Sancho, in the absence of Dortmund captain Marco Reus, took control for the hosts in the first half, firing in to give them the lead and slicing through the hapless Hoffenheim defence at will. The England international then set up Mario Goetze for Dortmund’s second goal before combining with Goetze to set up Raphael Guerreiro for an easy tap-in in the 66th.
Sancho almost got a second goal in the 75th but his low shot hit the post and bounced clear before the hosts stepped off the gas, allowing Ishak Belfodil to cut the deficit in the 75th. Pavel Kaderabek then rose above his marker to head in with seven minutes left and set up a nervous finale.
The visitors’ memorable comeback was completed when Belfodil headed in a free kick in the 87th. “It was very bitter after a very good first half with Sancho playing an outstanding game,” said Dortmund assistant Edin Terzic, standing in for head coach Lucien Favre at the news conference after the Swiss missed the game with the flu. “We lost possession far too often in the second half.”
Dortmund scorer Goetze said they made far too many mistakes, especially after such a dominant first hour. “When you lead 3-0 at home and then you play a 3-3 then it obviously is extremely bitter,” Goetze told reporters. “That should never have happened. Especially after such a performance for large parts of the game and after a strong first half.”
Bundesliga results
Borussia Dortmund 3 (Sancho 32, Goetze 43, Guerreiro 66) Hoffenheim 3 (Belfodil 75, 87, Kaderabek 83); RB Leipzig 0 Eintracht Frankfurt 0; Borussia Moenchengladbach 0 Hertha Berlin 3 (Kalou 30, Duda 56, Selke 76); Hanover 2 (N. Mueller 45+5, 77) Nuremberg 0; Freiburg 3 (Grifo 37, Petersen 70, Waldschmidt 88) Wolfsburg 3 (Roussillon 11, Weghorst 63, Steffen 75); Bayern Munich 3 (Bruma 12-og, Lewandowski 27, Gnabry 57) Schalke 1 (Kutucu 25)
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