Bundesliga Round 29 in Pictures
Bayern and Dortmund both rack up big wins in the first weekend of play after they progressed to the Champions League semi-finals.
Bayern roll past Nuremberg
If anyone thought that Bayern would suffer a Champions League hangover at home to Nuremberg in the Bundesliga, they were sadly mistaken. Despite making nine (!) line-up changes, Munich cruised past their neighbors by a score of 4-0.
Dortmund shellack Fürth 6-1
Dortmund's number 10 Mario Götze missed a host of great opportunities in his team's Champions League tie against Malaga. But he put two goals past Greuther Fürth in a match that illustrated the difference between a champion and a team going down to division two.
Son brace sparks Hamburg to 2-1 win in Mainz
Where would Hamburg be without strriker Heung-Min Son? Probably in the thick of a relegation battle. Instead, thanks to a upset victory in Mainz, the hot-and-cold Northern Germans still have a decent chance of qualifying for Europe.
Hoffenheim celebrations dampened by late Wolfsburg goal
Hoffenheim thought they had booked their second win in a row and earned three valuable points in their fight against relegation, when an Andreas Beck striker put them ahead 2-1 in Wolfsburg. But the joy was premature. Wolfsburg went on to equalize 2-2, and Hoffenheim make up no ground on fifteenth place and safety.
Draw with Düsseldorf frustrates Bremen
Try as he might, Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf can't seem to get his players to pay attention right from the start. The Northern Germans conceded goals immediately after both the opening and the second-half whistles and needed a lot of luck, including an own goal by Düsseldorf, to secure the 2-2 final result.
Leverkusen and Schalke battle to a 2-2 draw
Leverkusen will be upset about about letting a two-goal advantage go to a late Schalke fight-back. But upon reflection, the Bundesliga's third-best team will be satisfied at having kept their nearest challengers for the final automatic Champions League berth at a distance. Leverkusen lead Schalke by four points with five rounds left to play.
Freiburg continue their Cinderella season against Hanover
Every year critics predict that the small southern German side will struggle to stay in division one, and every year Freiburg prove their detractors wrong. If the season were to end now, these Bundesliga minnows would be playing in the Europa League. On Friday, they handed Hanover a 3-1 defeat.
Stuttgart get first Bundesliga home win of 2013
Stuttgart's relegation worries are pretty much buried after they beat a listless Mönchengladbach side 2-0. The man of the match was Christian Gentner, who scored the second goal, and Stuttgart's attack looked much more incisive than it had of late. With 36 points, the Southern Germans probably only need a couple of results to stay up.
Augsburg beat Frankfurt to earn crucial points
2-0 was the final score in this encounter, although except for some poor finishing, including a blown penalty, Augsburg could have scored a lot more. Dong Won Ji, though, had no problems finding his range. He scored a brace as Augsburg moved into pole position in the race for 16th place and the end-of-seaon playoff.