Bundesliga Matchday 18 roundup
Bayern Munich put the pressure on Borussia Dortmund, but BVB responded. Frankfurt's trio of attackers were red hot, and Schalke got a huge result as the 2018-19 Bundesliga season restarted.
Schalke 2-1 Wolfsburg
Two goals from Daniel Caligiuri against his former club gave Schalke a much-needed win and took the heat off an under-pressure Domenico Tedesco. Captain Ralf Fährmann was dropped but Schalke didn't look back, taking the early lead thanks to a Caligiuri penalty. Elvis Rexhbecaj poked home an equalizer in the first half, but Caligiuri popped up to fire home a deserved winner in the second half.
Nuremberg 1-3 Hertha Berlin
A brace from Ondrej Duda and a great individual performance from Vedad Ibisevic gave the side from the capital a deserved win against a hapless home team. Ibisevic's smart finish was canceled out when Hanno Behrens stabbed home from close range. However, Nuremberg failed to press on in the second half, and Duda's two goals were Hertha's reward for a superior performance.
Frankfurt 3-1 Freiburg
Frankfurt's magic trio of Haller, Rebic and Jovic all scored in a blistering end to the first half that blew Freiburg away. After Haller had headed in an opener, Rebic curled in a beatuy from the edge of the box and Luka Jovic added a third as Freiburg capitulated before the break. Nils Petersen scored in the second half, but it was too late to stop a still rampant Frankfurt side.
Leipzig 0-1 Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund began the second half of the season the same way they started the first: by beating Leipzig. Axel Witsel scored the only goal of the game by striking a half volley from a corner. Leipzig couldn't manage to find an equalizer despite getting five of their 12 shots on target. The win restores Dortmund's six-point lead atop the table.
Augsburg 1-2 Fortuna Düsseldorf
Benito Raman's last-minute winner gave Fortuna their fourth consecutive win in the Bundesliga, lifting them a remarkable seven points clear of the relegation playoff spot. Marvin Ducksch's header — his first goal in the league for Fortuna — gave the visitors the lead but after goal-line technology had awarded Jonathan Schmid's free kick it looked like it might end in a draw. Then Raman struck.
Stuttgart 2-3 Mainz
Markus Weinzierl's new year started with the same old problems as Stuttgart lost at home to Mainz. Goals from Jean-Paul Boetius and Jean-Philippe Mateta gave Mainz a comfortable lead. Alexander Hack added a third, but it wasn't over. Stuttgart scored two in two minutes to set up a dramatic finale, but their comeback came up short.
Leverkusen 0-1 Gladbach
Peter Bosz returned to a Bundesliga dugout but his attacking lineup did not return him to winning ways. Gladbach took their first chance of the opening half, with Alassane Plea scoring his 10th Bundesliga goal of the season with a fine low drive to finish off a neat team move. Leverkusen huffed and puffed, but it was Gladbach who looked more like scoring a second. In the end, one proved enough.
Hannover 0-1 Werder Bremen
Andre Breitenreiter didn't get the fresh start he wanted as troubles continued for him and his Hannover side. Pockets of pressure weren't enough as Werder Bremen just about got the win they deserved. Milot Rashica tapped home a rebound from close-range after Michael Esser had kept out Martin Harnik's neat flick to score what proved to be the winner. Bremen's European dream stays alive.
Hoffenheim 1-3 Bayern Munich
Normal service resumed when the Bundesliga season restarted on Friday night as Bayern Munich beat hosts Hoffenheim by the same scoreline as the opening day of the season. A first-half brace from Leon Goretzka gave Niko Kovac's side a deserved lead and despite a late surge from Julian Nagelsmann's team, Robert Lewandowski swept home to secure the three points.