Bundesliga Matchday 15 - Round-up
Bayern snatched top spot back from Leipzig with victory over Darmstadt, Dortmund shook off an early red card to hold Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg finally won at home. Read all about it in our round-up of Matchday 15!
How did your Official Fantasy Bundesliga side fare on Matchday 15? Find out here!
Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1-2 FC Ingolstadt 04
Bayer 04 Leverkusen slumped to a costly defeat in their final home match of 2016. A listless first-half display saw them trailing at the break thanks to an expertly taken headed from USA international Alfredo Morales, and a second yellow card for Charles Aranguiz just after the break left them with a mountain to climb. Admir Mehmedi forced in an unlikely equaliser but Almog Cohen’s calm finish took Ingolstadt up to 16th above Hamburger SV and gave new coach Maik Walpurgis a third win in five games.
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RB Leipzig 2-0 Hertha Berlin
RB Leipzig bounced back strongly following their shock defeat to FC Ingolstadt 04 to despatch Hertha Berlin with a clinical display at the Audi Sportpark. Timo Werner had the easiest of chances for his ninth of the season following great work by the irrepressible Naby Keita, although the livewire Guinean was forced off by a knock at the break. Leipzig were not put off their stride, with Willi Orban doubling the lead with a firm header, meaning the east Germany club went back to the top of the table for at least 24 hours.
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Watch: Emil Forsberg thought Leipzig should have won by more
SV Werder Bremen 1-1 1. FC Köln
Anthony Modeste could not get on the scoresheet for the fourth game in a row, but the French striker played a big part in giving 1. FC Köln the lead at SV Werder Bremen. His shot squirmed under Jaroslav Drobny’s body, leaving Artjoms Rudnevs an easy tap-in, but the hosts were level before the break through Serge Gnabry’s swerving shot into the net. Neither side could force a winner, with Werder probably the happier of the two with a point, which edged them further away from the relegation zone.
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Watch: Serge Gnabry says a tactical shift helped Werder back into the game against Köln.
FC Augsburg 1-0 Borussia Mönchengladbach
FC Augsburg gave Manuel Baum the perfect start to his time in charge at the WWK Arena, edging out Borussia Mönchengladbach in a tense encounter. Both keepers were virtual spectators for much of the match as two hard-working sides cancelled each other out. Mahmoud Dahoud had gone closest to scoring with a rasping shot over the bar, and Gladbach were left to rue that missed opportunity when Martin Hinteregger glanced a clever header just inside the post with 15 minutes left to end Augsburg’s run of four without a win.
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1. FSV Mainz 05 v Hamburger SV
Danny Latza scored for the first time in the Bundesliga, but not content with that the 26-year-old midfielder went on to bag a hat-trick that gave 1. FSV Mainz 05 a fine win over Hamburger SV. Bobby Wood had given Hamburg the lead, but Latza equalized after latching on to a mistake by Douglas Santos. Latza doubled his tally early in the second half and he made it three with a rocket of a shot to seal three points, boosting Mainz ahead of their derby meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt next Tuesday.
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Watch: Latza reflects on his stunning hat-trick.
FC Schalke 04 1-0 SC Freiburg
FC Schalke 04 coach Markus Weinzierl was forced to name a youthful side due to a string of injuries affecting his squad, but his young charges showed no fear and took the game to SC Freiburg. Yevhen Konoplyanka and Sead Kolasinac went close, but when the home side went ahead it was very much against the run of play, Florian Niederlechner rounding Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann. But the Royal Blues dug deep, and Konoplyanka levelled with a magnificent header that earned his side a share of the spoils.
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TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 2-2 Borussia Dortmund
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund kicked Matchday 15 off in thrilling and dramatic style at the WIRSOL Rhein-Neckar arena. Mark Uth put the hosts ahead inside three minutes but Dortmund hit back quickly with an equalizer from Mario Götze. Sandro Wagner’s header restored Hoffenheim’s lead on 20 minutes, and Marco Reus was sent off for a second yellow card just before the end of a breathless first half. The game picked up where it had left off after the break when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang grabbed his 16th of the season, but despite plenty of chances for both sides, each eventually had to settle for a point.
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Watch: Christian Pulisic hails Dortmund's spirit