Bundesliga Matchday 16 Roundup
There was a big shock to start the penultimate matchday before the winter break, while another side continued their quiet surge up the table. All the latest from matchday 16 in the Bundesliga.
Gladbach 2-0 Nuremberg
Somehow, Nuremberg failed to score inside the opening six minutes (see picture above) and eventually paid for it. After Denis Zakaria's header was hacked off the line, Thorgan Hazard dinked a penalty over the bar. The Belgian made up for it though, tapping in Ibrahima Traore's perfect, low cross at the back post. Alassane Plea added a second late on to give Gladbach their 11th straight home win.
Wolfsburg 2-0 Stuttgart
The Wolves quiet climb up the Bundesliga team continued after a comfortable home win against Stuttgart. Early pressure eventually led to the opening goal from Josuha Guilavogui diving header. Stuttgart set up Wolfsburg for their second, with Wout Weghorst neatly dribbling and scoring inside the box. The home side had chances to score more in the second half, but didn't as Stuttgart disappointed.
Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-0 Borussia Dortmund
BVB's 15-game undefeated streak came to a surprise end as the hosts executed a perfect game plan. Dodi Lukebakio raced in behind the defense and finished superbly, and then Takashi Usami missed a glorious chance to double the lead. It didn't matter though, as Jean Zimmer hit a sweet strike in the second half. Paco Alcacer made history with his header, but it was too little, too late.
Hertha Berlin 2-2 Augsburg
In a game that went back and forth, Martin Hinteregger headed Augsburg into the lead. Hertha then scored two quickly. Mathew Leckie finished off a neat team move and then Ondrej Duda poked home a rebound. Eight minutes later, Koo Ja-cheol equalized. A quiet second half saw the game finish level, a result that leaves Hertha just outside the top six, Augsburg stay just up above the relegation zone.
Bayern Munich 1-0 RB Leipzig
After struggling for most of the game, Bayern Munich got the winner they needed. RB Leipzig were the better team for large parts of the game but Franck Ribery, who came on as an early substitute due to a Serge Gnabry injury, dribbled past two Leipzig players in the box to score Bayern's winner in the 83th minute. The gap to Borussia Dortmund now stands at six points.
Werder Bremen 1-1 Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim were unbeaten in their last eight games and they continued that trend away at the Weserstadion. Julian Nagelsmann's side went ahead with a 31st minute goal from Leonardo Bittenbourt, who was celebrating his 25th birthday. But the home side equalized through a Theodor Gebre Selassie header in the 57th minute.
Mainz 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Luka Jovic cannot stop scoring. The young Serbian striker was in his element again against local rivals Mainz as he bagged two goals, taking his tally to 13 Bundesliga goals. Unfortunately for Eintracht, he had competition. Robin Quaison scored a brace of his own for the home side, keeping the score tied.
Freiburg 1-1 Hannover
Christian Streich's players were looking to bounce back after their loss to Fortuna Düsseldorf on Saturday and it was all going to plan when Luca Waldschmidt scored from the penalty spot after just three minutes, but the away side drew level through Felipe just nine minutes later as the points were ultimately shared.
Schalke 1-2 Leverkusen
It was a special night in Gelsenkirchen as Schalke commemorated the closure of the last coal mine in the Ruhr region with a moving ceremony, and the fans did their part with a special display. In footballing terms, however, this will be a night that Schalke will want to forget. The defeat means Domenico Tedesco's side are one point away from the relegation zone, while Leverkusen are up to tenth.