Matchday 12 bulletins
Cologne - FC Bayern München extended their lead at the top of the Bundesliga table to seven points with a routine victory over TSG 1899 Hoffenheim at the Allianz Arena, while second-placed VfL Wolfsburg slumped to their first defeat in seven after a narrow loss at FC Schalke 04 on Saturday.
Monday 24 November
Borussia Dortmund were held to a draw at SC Paderborn 07 in a game which saw Marco Reus carried off with an ankle injury. Borussia Mönchengladbach were beaten at home by Eintracht Frankfurt, and Bayer 04 Leverkusen recorded an impressive 3-1 win at in-form Hannover 96.
bundesliga.com brings you all the reaction to this weekend's Matchday 12 encounters...
Saturday results:
FC Bayern München 4-0 TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
FC Schalke 04 3-2 VfL Wolfsburg
Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-3 Eintracht Frankfurt
1. FSV Mainz 05 2-2 SC Freiburg
Hannover 96 1-3 Bayer 04 Leverkusen
SC Paderborn 07 2-2 Borussia Dortmund
1. FC Köln 1-2 Hertha Berlin
Sunday results:
Hamburger SV 2-0 SV Werder Bremen
VfB Stuttgart 0-1 FC Augsburg
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Don't forget to vote for your Matchday 12 Player of the Week right here. This week's candidates are FC Bayern's Arjen Robben, Schalke 04's two-goal hero Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Dortmund's Gabonese speed demon Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. You can also choose your Goal of the Week on our FANZONE page, but remember to check out this week's shortlist on our YouTube channel first!
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Di Matteo's attention turns to Chelsea clash
After
on Matchday 12, FC Schalke 04 will be hoping to pick up where they left off against English Premier League leaders Chelsea FC in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. The Royal Blues are currently second in Group G, but can ill afford to drop points against the west London outfit with Sporting Clube de Portugal and NK Maribor breathing down their necks.
Honour for Augsburg's Klavan
After helping Augsburg to a
on Sunday, more joy followed for Ragnar Klavan today when the centre-back was voted Estonian Footballer of the Year 2014. Well done, Ragnar!
Relief for Wolf and Werder
Raphael Wolf was unfit to fish the ball out of the back of his net after injuring his knee while trying to prevent Artjoms Rudnevs from putting Hamburger SV ahead in the
on Sunday. Losing their goalkeeper for the coming games would have added to Bremen's injury woes, but fortunately they had some good news to report to their followers on Monday:
Foals duo on recovery road
Martin Stranzl and Christoph Kramer were sorely missed by Mönchengladbach in their
to Frankfurt on Saturday, but there was good news for the Foals today as the pair resumed light training:
Matchday 12 was full of talking points, new milestones, records and impressive numbers. We at bundesliga.com have gone through all the weekend's action with a toothcomb to bring you the most pertinent information in our list of last weekend's big stories, and for those of you hungry for an even more detailed analysis, our statistical overview is just for you!
+++ BREAKING NEWS +++
Armin Veh has announced his resignation as VfB Stuttgart head coach following the bottom-of-the-table club's
to FC Augsburg.
to find out more...
Perfect weekend for Bayern
With a
over Hoffenheim, their fiercest rivals all struggling for points and midfield schemer Bastian Schweinsteiger returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, there wasn't much more Bundesliga leaders FC Bayern could have hoped for on Matchday 12:
Victory could hardly have tasted sweeter for Hamburg as the Red Shorts beat arch rivals Werder Bremen to pick up their third win of the season on Sunday. “These points are incredibly important and you could see that in the reaction of the fans,“ admitted skipper Rafael van der Vaart, citing his side's "belief" as crucial to their success. Click here to find out what else the Dutch playmaker and some of the other key players had to say in the wake of the nerve-wracking Nordderby…
Reus: 'I'll be back'
Marco Reus just sent out this tweet, two days after learning he will
will miss the rest of the calendar year
having suffered an ankle injury in Dortmund's 2-2 draw at Paderborn:
Sunday 23 November
Thanks for joining bundesliga.com on this most exciting of Matchdays. We'll be back first thing tomorrow to keep you updated on the fall-out and reaction from the weekend and build up to the week's UEFA Champions League clashes involving Bayern, Dortmund, Schalke and Leverkusen.
In the meantime, don't forget to vote for your player of Matchday 12!
With so much action taking place around the Bundesliga on Matchday 12, you'd be forgiven for feeling slightly breathless trying to keep up with it all. In order to keep you on top of your German football news, bundesliga.com has rounded up the biggest stories to have emerged from the weekend here. Read on to find out the latest from a struggling Dortmund, a high-flying Bayern, and home-loving Schalke and plenty more...
FC Augsburg emerged victorious in the Mercedes-Benz Arena after a closely-fought Swabian derby against VfB Stuttgart. Die Fuggerstädter came out on top after a second-half penalty from skipper Paul Verhaegh, recording only their second away win of the campaign in front of some fervent travelling support. The hosts' Daniel Schwaab saw red in the first-half and Armin Veh's men are still propping up the table. You can read bundesliga.com's match report here.
They left it late, but Hamburg eventually sealed a 2-0 victory over northern rivals Bremen at the Imtech Arena. Artjoms Rudnevs' second-half strike and a late own goal by Werder keeper Raphael Wolf secured the three points for Josef Zinnbauer's men, who climb above Bremen and out of the relegation zone as a result of Sunday's Nordderby success. Viktor Skripnik's side, however, remain in the bottom three.
Hamburger SV have beaten SV Werder Bremen 2-0 in the 101st Nordderby...
Bundesliga 2 leaders FC Ingolstadt's unbeaten run in 2014/15 finally came to an and at 1. FC Nürnberg's Grundig Stadion on Sunday as Rene Weiler's side recorded a 2-1 victory over their fellow Bavarians, despite being reduced to ten men in the second half. Javier Pinola was dismissed for a dangerous tackle after the restart, but der Club held on for all three points. Elsewhere, Karlsruher SC beat FC Erzgebirge Aue 1-0 and RB Leipzig humbled FC St. Pauli 4-1.
Swedish international midfielder Pierre Bengtsson, who currently plies his trade with FC Kobenhavn in the Danish first division, will join 1. FSV Mainz 05 in January. The Nullfünfer are currently coached by former FC Nordsjaelland boss Kasper Hjulmand, who knows Bentsson from his time with the Farum-based club. The 26-year-old, who made 20 appearances for Sweden's Under-21s, won his only cap for the full international side back in 2011.
Dortmund have confirmed that Marco Reus will miss the rest of the calendar year after tearing ligaments in his ankle in Saturday's draw with Paderborn. The midfielder, who went down clutching his right ankle following a heavy challenge by Marvin Bakalorz at the Benteler Arena, has been plagued with ankle problems in recent months, having been forced to miss the 2014 World Cup and a large chunk of the 2014/15 Bundesliga season with similar injuries.
Winter, but no break...
FC Bayern's players are put through their paces after their 4-0 victory over TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Saturday
Not only Borussia Dortmund fans are holding their breath this morning, hoping for some good news from the clinic where Marco Reus is being treated - all fans of the Bundesliga will be hoping his apparent ankle injury is not as serious as feared. We will bring you the outcome of a scan and a prognosis on Reus' condition as soon as it is known, so don't go away!
Saturday 22 November
That about wraps it up for bundesliga.com's live updates for today. Tomorrow we've got the northern derby between Hamburger SV and SV Werder Bremen to look forward to, as well as VfB Stuttgart vs. FC Augsburg, but we'll finish by saying get well soon to Marco Reus. Borussia Dortmund, the Bundesliga and all football fans need a player of his gifts on the pitch and not on the treatment table - hopefully tomorrow brings good news.
"Get well soon Marco! You will come back stronger!"
says former FC Bayern München and germany midfielder Toni Kroos.
Köln's Anthony Ujah must have felt like he'd gone from hero to zero in the Billy Goats home defeat to Hertha this evening. After scoring the equaliser - his fourth goal of the season - he then missed an opportunity to take the lead when he hit the bar and then diverted a free-kick into his own net for the Berliners's winning goal. "That's football," he said dejectedly at full time. "I'm a bit sad right now but we have to look forward and focus on the next game."
Mkhitaryan backs Reus return
There can be no doubting that today was one of the most entertaining in the Bundesliga in many a matchday, but you're almost left with a sour taste in the mouth after that injury to Marco Reus. The Germany international's withdrawal was perhaps the turning point at Paderborn today and Ilkay Gündogan wondered afterwards if a Bundesliga side has ever had a worse second half than BVB today. Read his full comments here.
Schalke were also one of the big winners on Matchday 12 after they saw off an in-form Wolfsburg side, and two-goal hero Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting believes the result could be a turning point in their season. "This was an important step for us," said the 25-year-old. "We showed the fans we can play good football and and we played really well today." For more post-game reaction from Gelsenkirchen, head here.
Things couldn't have gone much better for FC Bayern against Hoffenheim this afternoon. Four goals, a clean sheet and a defeat for VfL Wolfsburg took them seven points clear, but the biggest news was the return of their inspirational midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger. The 30-year-old made his first competitive appearance since the World Cup final and was "delighted with the reception" he received. Read more post-match reaction from the Allianz Arena here.
Dortmund's 2-2 draw with Paderborn was overshadowed by a serious-looking injury sustained by Marco Reus at the Benteler-Arena. The Germany midfielder was on the receiving end of a heavy challenge from Marvin Bakalorz during the second half, and immediately went down clutching his ankle. The 25-year-old was forced to miss the 2014 World Cup - and sit out a large chunk of the 2014/15 season - with a similar injury and is likely to be sidelined for another few weeks at the very least.
Let's take a look at the Bundesliga table then...
Official line-ups:
For all the official Bundesliga line-ups ahead of the 14:30 GMT/15:30 CET kick-offs head on over to the
Bundesliga's official Twitter account
to find out who is lining up for your side. We'll be back with you after all the action has taken place. ENJOY THE ACTION!
Yellow mini-Wall:
Everyone loves a good underdog story and in the 2014/15 campaign no team fits that bill better than SC Paderborn 07, who welcome the mighty Borussia Dortmund and their travelling fans to the Benteler Arena. There may only be 1,600 of them, but they'll still make quite the racket!
What a silly question!:
Put simply FC Bayern, yes, yes we are! After a two-week break who isn't!? There's nothing better than a Bundesliga weekend brimming with high-calibre encounters. Just under two hours remaining until the first whilstles are blown around the grounds.
King Kev taking nothing for granted:
Belgian international
has been in
this season and VfL Wolfsburg's standing in second-place can largely be attributed to the influential playmaker. With the Wolves eyeing a top-four finish, their UEFA Champions League pedigree will certainly be tested when they visit the
.
Now we all know we love a good rambunctious fan bursting onto a football pitch in their birthday suit, but don't go getting too excited because bundesliga.com's exclusive infographic is covering things from a different, more flattering, angle. As we enter the Matchday 12 action there are variety of active streaks in play that may or may not make it through the weekend so take a look to see what to keep your eyes open for on Saturday afternoon.
BVB out to maintain upswing:
It's been a tough old start to the 2014/15 campaign for Borussia Dortmund, but in SC Paderborn 07 they are set to
with a side boasting a similarly high-octane style of play which should lead to a fascinating encounter. An early goal at the Benteler-Arena could produce plenty of fireworks in front of goal. As neutrals we'll keep our fingers crossed for a high-scoring result!
Wolves at the Veltins:
FC Schalke 04's away form may be costing them valuable points, but on home soil under new head coach Roberto Di Matteo, the Royal Blues are yet to drop points in all competitions. However, having beaten
and
, the Gelsenkirchen outfit now face their
on home turf in the form of a VfL Wolfsburg side in the midst of a
.
FC Bayern bullish:
FC Bayern München are the only side TSG 1899 Hoffenheim have yet to beat in the top tier since earning promotion back in 2008 and the record titleholders appear confident that they'll be able to keep it that way
.
Yes, the wait is nearly at an end. It's been a long two weeks, but the Bundesliga is finally back! There may have been no encounter under the Friday night lights, but we're all the better for it on Saturday with a jam-packed schedule boasting seven fixtures that will undoubtedly have widespread implications at the top of the standings. Stay with us right here on bundesliga.com for all the build-up...
Friday 21 November
That about does it for our live updates for Friday. It's been a quieter day without any top-flight acton this evening on account of the international break, but don't worry, this is just the calm before the storm. We've got seven games in total for you tomorrow, with Bayern, Dortmund, Schalke and Leverkusen all in action, plus Gladbach and Wolfsburg in the mix as well. Remember: miss it, miss out!
Dante keen
Bayern centre-back Dante can hardly wait for the Bundesliga action to resume after a two-week hiatus due to the international break:
FC Bayern’s waylaid David Alaba is aiming for a return to the first team in January next year. "My knee is looking good right now and it feels fine," the injured left-sided specialist, who damaged ligaments in his side's Champions League win against AS Roma on 5 November, told fcb.de today. Click here to find out what else the two-time Austrian Sportsman of the Year had to say about his planned comeback…
Schweinsteiger's delight
After being named in a Bayern matchday squad for the first time this season following almost four months on the sidelines with injury, midfield strategist Bastian Schweinsteiger was understandably happy ahead of the Bundesliga leaders' home clash against Hoffenheim:
Tomorrow #FCBTSG it is good to be back! #Comeback #FCBayern
Ein von Bastian Schweinsteiger (@bastianschweinsteiger) gepostetes Foto am Nov 11, 2014 at 8:49 PST
Whet your appetite for the weekend yet further by delving into our Watch page. There we have reels of exclusive video content - including the highlights of every single Bundesliga match this season - as well as a preview of the 101st northern derby between Hamburg and Bremen, an in-depth look at the unplayable Thomas Müller and a review of former Hoffenheim keeper Tim Wiese's foray into the world of professional wrestling...
Schalke boast a 100 per cent home record under Roberto Di Matteo, while Wolfsburg have won their last six. Something has to give at the Veltins Arena on Saturday.
It's a foggy day in Bremen as Werder prepare for Sunday's Nordderby
Make your way over here to read our preview on Schalke's clash with in-form Wolfsburg. Roberto Di Matteo is still without a handful of first-team regulars for Saturday's game at the Veltins Arena, while his opposite number Dieter Hecking is likely to field the same XI that beat Hamburger SV last time out.
Who wouldn't miss a player of Philipp Lahm's calibre?
The Nordderby between Hamburger SV and SV Werder Bremen has seen plenty of drama, controversy and sadness over the years – check out what we think are the top 10 northern derby moments by clicking on the video below...
Don't miss 1. FC Köln's clash with Hertha Berlin on Saturday evening (kick-off 18:30 CET), wherever you are...!
New Werder Bremen head coach Viktor Skripnik has breathed fresh life into die Grün-Weißen since his appointment at the end of October. Werder are currently on a three-game winning streak, having beaten Chemnitzer FC in the DFB Cup, and 1. FSV Mainz 05 and VfB Stuttgart in the league. On Sunday, they travel to northern rivals Hamburger SV for the 101st Nordderby. With both currently in the bottom three, neither side can afford to lose this one.
Nicklas Bentner is gearing up for Saturday's trip to the Vetlins Arena...
After a run of five straight league defeats, Dortmund finally got back to winning ways against Gladbach on Matchday 11. This weekend, Jürgen Klopp's charges visit a Paderborn side currently five points ahead of die Schwarz-Gelben, but BVB are determined to build on their victory against the Foals by recording another three points against Andre Breitenreiter's men. For everyone connected with Dortmund, their season starts now.
Click here for our exclusive preview of the record titleholders' clash with fifth-placed 1899 Hoffenheim, who have lost their last two games in the league. The two sides shared the points in a six-goal thriller the last time they met, and this weekend's encounter looks set to be another corker...
Former Hannover 96 star Szabolcs Huszti was a hero of a special kind in a five-goal thriller between Hannover 96 and Bayer Leverkusen in the 2012/13 season. Find out what happened by clicking on the video below...
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been working hard ahead of Dortmund's trip to Paderborn - as has his coach...
It's been a busy week in the Bundesliga, despite the two week-international hiatus: Philipp Lahm has been sidelined for three months, FC Bayern have paid off their Allianz Arena debts and the league's joint-top scorer Franco Di Santo has been ruled out of Sunday's Nordderby with HSV through injury. There's no Friday night game this weekend, but there's plenty to look forward to on Saturday and Sunday. It'll be worth the wait, promise.