Arturo Vidal broke the deadlock for Bayern at Ingolstadt, as the champions moved seven points clear at the top of the table. - © © gettyimages
Arturo Vidal broke the deadlock for Bayern at Ingolstadt, as the champions moved seven points clear at the top of the table. - © © gettyimages

The top five talking points from Bundesliga Matchday 20

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The Bundesliga action continued at a thrilling pace on Matchday 20, but which were the biggest stories to emerge from the weekend?

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As ever, bundesliga.com was on hand to round up five stories to have tongues wagging across the continent...

49,999 and counting...

Matchday 20 kicked off with 23 goals required to reach the milestone mark of 50,000 Bundesliga goals. Only 22 turned up, which means that the goal count stands tantalisingly at 49,999 ahead of Matchday 21. All eyes will be on Friday's curtain-raiser between FC Augsburg and Bayer 04 Leverkusen, when – barring a repeat of their 0-0 draw on Matchday 4 – somebody will etch their name in the history books. The smart money would probably be on Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, who has three goals in his last two outings – but Bundesliga history has shown that anything is possible. Could Bernd Leno or Marwin Hitz clock up the 47th goal scored by a 'keeper? There's only one way to find out – so make sure you don't miss it. 

Watch: Chicharito hails Leverkusen's team effort after their 3-0 win over Frankfurt:

Bayern tighten their grip

Things could hardly have gone better for FC Bayern München this weekend. Not only did they grab an eighth win in nine league outings – even if they left it rather late at FC Ingolstadt 04 – they also made the most of a collective stumble from the chasing pack to increase their lead at the top of the table. The champions are now seven points clear of RB Leipzig, and 14 ahead of third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt. It may only be mid-February, but it looks increasingly likely that Carlo Ancelotti's side will seal a fifth consecutive title, and improve their record haul to a remarkable 26 Bundesliga crowns.

Watch: Arjen Robben discusses a 'special' win for Bayern at Ingolstadt:

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Buoyant Boyd shines against former club Dortmund

Of the 22 goals scored in the Bundesliga this weekend, none will have had greater significance than Terrence Boyd's opener for SV Darmstadt 98 against Borussia Dortmund. Not only was it his first Bundesliga goal, and not only did it come against his former side, but it also marked the end of a miserable couple of years for the German-born American forward, who was out of action for almost two years because of a knee injury. Boyd was never really given a shot at Dortmund, spending a year with the reserves before moving onto SK Rapid Wien and RB Leipzig. He joined Darmstadt during the January transfer window, and could be just the man Torsten Frings needs as Die Lilien – who have just won for the first time since October – fight to stay in the Bundesliga.

Watch: Boyd 'relieved' to have finally netted his first Bundesliga goal:

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Papadopoulos on Cloud 9

It is rare to see a central defender sporting the No. 9 shirt, and yet it appears to be a perfect fit for Hamburger SV's Kyriakos Papadopoulos, who joined on loan from Bayer 04 Leverkusen in January. The Greek international has played a key role in HSV's recent resurgence, scoring the only goal in their 1-0 victory over his parent club, before striking again this weekend against RB Leipzig, where he spent the first half of the season on loan. Having made just one appearance for the Bundesliga newcomers before being sidelined with a knee injury, the 24-year-old is back to full fitness and looks ready to help Hamburg steer clear of the drop zone. And don't bet against him netting further goals for HSV – he is their No. 9, after all.

The race for Europe hotting up nicely

While Bayern look set to add another Meisterschale – or Bundesliga shield – to their collection this season, the race for the European places remains gloriously undecided. Second-placed Leipzig admittedly have a head-start on the rest – they're seven points clear of Frankfurt - but they have just lost back-to-back outings, and this will be their first experience of the end-of-season scrap. There are then five teams within three points of each other – Frankfurt, Dortmund, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Hertha Berlin and 1. FC Köln – all of whom conspired to lose on Matchday 20. SC Freiburg are three points behind Köln – just ahead of Leverkusen and a resurgent Borussia Mönchengladbach – while FC Schalke 04 and 1. FSV Mainz 05 are within eight points of sixth place. Strap yourselves in – it promises to be a bumpy ride.

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Click here for a round-up of all the Matchday 20 action.