Bundesliga Round 16 in Pictures
Bayern Munich sealed the much-coveted "fall championship" on Saturday (14.12.2013). Their 3-1 win at home to Hamburg ensured they go into the winter break at the top of the table.
Christmas No. 1
Bayern Munich cruised to victory over Hamburg in the Allianz Arena on Saturday. After the two Marios - Mandzukic and Götze - put them 2-0 up, they switched to auto-pilot. That allowed Pierre-Michel Lasogga to pull one back in the 87th minute, only for Xherdan Shaqiri to guarantee three points with a stoppage-time strike.
Dortmund pegged back
Dortmund's 2-2 draw away at Hoffenheim was not a bad result in the context of their Champions League exertions, and they showed real guts to recover from a 2-0 deficit. But ultimately it was another disappointing result in their stuttering Bundesliga campaign.
Nuremberg STILL winless
Nuremberg's 10th draw in 16 Bundesliga matches was the bitterest of them all: 3-0 up at half time against a floundering Hanover, the Bavarian side still contrived to concede three in the second period - one courtesy of a scandalous refereeing decision. The record for the longest winless streak at the start of a season is now well and truly broken.
Stalemate in Mainz
Fourth-placed Mönchengladbach missed a chance to overtake Dortmund by failing to get beyond a 0-0 in Mainz. But after a turgid, tactical encounter, both sides seemed happy with the point.
Augsburg trounce Braunschweig
Augsburg showed newly promoted Braunschweig what they've learned in their two seasons in the top flight, rocking the struggling bottom club with a convincing 4-1 win that put them eighth in the table.
Wolfsburg close gap on Champions League
Wolfsburg are just three points off a Champions League qualification spot after a scintillating 3-1 victory over Stuttgart in Saturday's evening game. The Wolves rode their luck in the first half, with Timo Werner's goal wrongly disallowed for the visitors, but they ultimately made better use of their chances.
Hertha streak ahead
Nothing illustrates the topsy-turvy fortunes of the Bundesliga better than the fact that Hertha Berlin's 3-2 win over Werder Bremen on Friday night was considered unduly close rather than a glorious victory. The promoted Hertha continue their formidable form and are now challenging for European places, while Bremen languish in the nether reaches of the table.
Schalke beat Freiburg
Schalke got the win they needed against floundering Freiburg on Sunday, though the performance was less than convincing. One own-goal and a penalty were enough to seal a 2-0 victory.
Frankfurt rock Leverkusen away
Eintracht Frankfurt shocked second-placed Leverkusen in Sunday's evening game. Eintracht, winless in ten Bundesliga games going into the match, surprised their hosts with a cheeky quick free-kick and then held on to seal a precious three points.