Bundesliga SRL Round-Up | Werder Bremen shock Schalke, Eintracht Frankfurt drop points and more
In an exciting and equally entertaining Bundesliga weekend, the German top flight proved to be worth itās weight in goal as it doled out a brilliant Saturday. Schalkeās loss to Werder Bremen despite being two goals ahead was the pick of the lot but Bayern Munich and the rest were just as exciting.
Freiburg 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Possibly the most boring SRL game that one could have ever watched, nothing proved that as much as the first half did. Eight shots were taken in total with only three finding the target and that practically defined the game. Leverkusen did manage to put two of their four shots on target and even found the net with one but the goal was the best and only interesting moment of the first half.
The trend continued in the second half as Freiburg proved to be tougher opposition than anyone would have imagined at one end but struggled to do the job going forward. It meant that once Leverkusen doubled their lead in the 75th minute, the game was as good as over despite the hosts taking three more shots on goal. However, the fact that Freiburg had 60 dangerous attacks as compared to Leverkusen's 54 did shock a few fans and critics alike.
Bayern Munich 3-1 Fortuna Dusseldorf
Few people would have given Dusseldorf a chance in the game but after the first half, the away sideās performances would change a lot of minds. Somehow, Bayern Munich were second best for the entire first half with them taking just four shots on goal and they struggled to impose themselves onto their visitors. Instead, Dusseldorf found a way to overcome their problems and somehow walked into the half-time break as the better side and with a one goal lead.
But something changed at that half-time talk as the tables turned and the Bavarians came out all guns blazing. Less than seventeen minutes into the second half, the hosts had not only fired the same number of shots as they managed in the first half but had also equalised. 12 minutes later and Bayern had doubled their lead as Dusseldorf struggled to hold their own against a potent and clinical Bavarian offense. That wouldnāt change until the final whistle with the hosts adding one more to their tally before the full-time whistle blew.
Hertha Berlin 1-0 Augsburg
It was always going to be a tough game for Augsburg from the first kick of the ball and their performance on the night proved as much. Not only that, their form coming into theĀ clash proved that the game would be even tougher for them with them winning just two out of their last five games and losing the rest. Berlin, on the other hand, had three wins with them dropping points in the other two and they started the game brilliantly, riding on their two consecutive wins.
A goal in the opening ten minutes would be the only one scored despite nine shots taken from both sides although Augsburg would only contribute to three. That wouldnāt change in the second half but you canāt fault their efforts. The away side picked up their game in the second half with six more shots from the away side from 58 dangerous attacks in total but it would prove to mean absolutely nothing.
Mainz 05 1-2 Hoffenheim
A tough first half by anyoneās standards but despite 12 shots on goal from either side, only three found the target which is one of the reasons why the first half ended goalless. However, as mentioned above, it wasn't because of a lack of effort but instead the absence of clinical shooting from either side which shocked a few given Hoffenheimās form. The away side walked into the game with three wins in their last five games with Mainz winning just the one.
Things, however, changed in the second half as the half-time talk proved to be a catalyst for both sides although the game did take some time to ignite. But 15 minutes into the second half and the hosts exploded with five shots on goal although none of them ever found the target. That would hurt Mainz in the end, with Hoffenheim scoring twice in the space of six minutes. However, Mainz did manage to pull one goal back two minutes before full-time but it left them with far too much work to do and they failed to overcome the one goal barrier despite four minutes of added time.
Schalke 04 2-4 Werder Bremen
For a club that were budding title challengers before the winter break, Schalkeās drop of form has been startling for many. Especially their form in the last five games with the hosts losing four out of their last five games and it isnāt that Bremen are in good shape. The away side are sitting in the relegation zone with three draws, one loss and one win in their last five games. However, despite that, Schalke had some hope in the opening half as they walked into the half-time break ahead by one goal.
That is despite 13 shots on goal and the second-half transformed things. While Schalke did double their lead four minutes into the second half, that goal proved to lit a fire under Werder Bremen. They changed everything about themselves in the second half and it worked as they pulled one goal back, ten minutes after Schalke scored. The equaliser found the net 17 minutes later and thirty minutes into the second half, Bremen were two goals ahead. That shocked the Royal Blues and they simply couldnāt find their way back into the game after that four-goal salvo.
Wolfsburg 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
It was a game of the moments and taking your chances. Both sides most certainly did not have their shooting boots on despite the first half ending with 12 shots on goal. However, only four found the target with FrankfurtĀ taking three of them although we did see two goals scored. Wolfsburg opened the scoring in the 26th minute after looking very dangerous with Frankfurt equalising five minutes before the half-time break.
That momentum would continue well into the second half with Wolfsburg taking the lead again in the 51st minute but Frankfurt equalised four minutes later. The away side would score the last goal of the game although that certainly did not stop the shots from flying in.Ā The remainder of the second half saw ten more shots fly across the goal but maybe the fact that not a single one hit the target is why neither side managed to score again.