Bundesliga Round 32 in Pictures
Bundesliga Round 32 in Pictures
Ribery back in form against Bremen
Roundly criticized for his performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League, Franck Ribery was back at his best against Werder Bremen. The fleet-footed Frenchman tied defenders in knots as Bayern came back twice to record a 5-2 win. Fans will be hoping he takes a bit of momentum with him on Tuesday.
Leverkusen well positioned for fourth
A few weeks ago no one would have given slumping Leverkusen a chance of taking points off Dortmund, but the Werkself played well in their 2-2 draw in Saturday's late match. Leverkusen grabbed the lead twice in the match and could have booked all three points. But a draw keeps them in pole position in the race for the Bundesliga's fourth Champions League spot.
Wolves and Freiburg split the points
Freiburg came back twice to earn a 2-2 draw against the Wolves, whose bid for the Champions League hit a bump in the road. After the match, Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking praised Freiburg for having "developed into a good team." Freiburg coach Christian Streich praised Wolfsburg for having "developed into a strong team." Guess they're mates.
Mainz continue Nuremberg slump
Nuremberg remain stuck in second-to-last place, and even the drastic move of firing their coach three rounds before the season end doesn't seem to be enough to shake things up. The Club sleepwalked to a 2-0 defeat in Mainz. They look a good bet to suffer a record eighth relegation from the Bundesliga.
Braunschweig stay rock bottom
If ever cellar-dwellers Braunschweig had a chance to pick up three points, it was away to Hertha Berlin. The team from the German capital had yet to win a home match in 2014 and possessed the worst record of the second half of the season. But Braunschweig weren't equal to the task and lost 2-0. The future does not look bright.
Hoffenheim and Frankfurt draw
The highlights of this match are easy to list. In the 85th minute, Frankfurt keeper Kevin Trapp saved a Roberto Firmino penalty. A few ticks of the clock later, Hoffenheim striker Anthony Modeste got red-carded. The match ended 0-0. Nuff said.
Stuttgart and Hannover fail to score
If Stuttgart manage to stay up this season, they may look back fondly on this 0-0 draw with Hannover. After all, one point can make all the difference. In any case, that's the only reason anyone will look back fondly on this snoozefest.
Hamburg suffer damaging defeat in Augsburg
René Adler has become a poster boy for Hamburg's dire season. In his team's 3-1 loss in Augsburg on Sunday, the keeper was helpless to keep out the first two goals, as the left side of his defence was overrun. And to complete his misery, he managing to punch the third goal into his own net. Hamburg now look very unlikely to escape the bottom three.
Mönchengladbach record rare away win versus Schalke
In Sunday's late match, Patrick Herrmann (left) scored the lone goal in Gladbach's 1-0 win in Gelsenkirchen. It was the Foals' first away victory against Schalke in 22 years. As if that weren't enough cause for celebration, the result means that Gladbach are a lock for the Europa League and still have an outside chance at the Champions League.