Bundesliga round 7 in pictures
Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen were all heavy favorites at home over the weekend - would the Bundesliga front-runners get the job done? Let us walk you through the action on match-day 7.
Another Dortmund demolition job
Borussia Dortmund lead the table on goal difference - and what a goal difference. Dortmund average three goals scored per game this season so far. They improved on that mean against visitors Freiburg, winning 5-0. Marco Reus scored the first two, Robert Lewandowski bagged the next two, and substitute Jakub Blaszczkowski put the cherry on top. Freiburg are winless in seven in the Bundesliga.
Bayern do enough against old friends
Wolfsburg's Luiz Gustavo lined up against his erstwhile Bayern Munich teammates for the first time, but his new side slumped to a 1-0 defeat in Munich. Thomas Müller scored the only goal of the game as Bayern picked up three points in considerably less style than their likely title rivals Dortmund. Wolfsburg's Ivica Olic and Mario Mandzukic of Bayern both failed to score against their old clubs.
Cometh the hour, cometh the Sam
Sidney Sam, 25, has never started a season so strongly. In seven Bundesliga games, Sam has five goals and four assists for Bayer Leverkusen. Since the departure of star winger Andre Schürrle, now at Chelsea, Sam has stepped up as Leverkusen's key creator behind striker Stefan Kiessling. Sam scored the second in a 2-0 win over Hanover, audaciously finishing with the outside of his left.
Van Marwijk sneaks a debut point
Eintracht Frankfurt had more reason to rue a 2-2 draw than Hamburg's new coach Bert van Marwijk on Saturday evening. The hosts led twice, but conceded late in both halves. The point keeps Hamburg clear of the relegation zone, albeit by the narrowest of margins. New coach van Marwijk said after the game that he saw potential in his "young, creative" team.
Early Schalke lead, squandered
Kevin-Prince Boateng, playing up front with off-form Adam Szalai benched, put Schalke ahead within three minutes - and the Royal Blues stretched their lead to 2-0 and then 3-1 against Hoffenheim. But Schalke's defense disappointed again, with Hoffenheim regaining control of the game. The hosts, themselves a surprise package this season, tied the score at 3-3 - and were unlucky not to hit a fourth.
Hertha comeback vs Müller's Mainz
Nicolai Müller scored seconds into Saturday's action, promising to break Mainz's poor run of Bundesliga form and midweek German Cup elimination. But Hertha Berlin, another shock cup second-round exit, came back to win 3-1 thanks in no small part to a Mainz alumni. Sami Allagui came off the bench to score twice for Berlin, Mainz continued to look one-dimensional (or dependent on Müller) in attack.
Dark horses and Foals draw
A relegation candidate during their first two years in the Bundesliga, Augsburg have started this top-flight campaign strongly. A 2-2 home draw against the "Foals" of Borussia Mönchengladbach was another impressive result. As for Gladbach, for all the exciting attacking football this season, the club hasn't won back-to-back league games since Marco Reus and Dante left - more than a season ago.
Super-sub Drmic helps turn tie
Half-time substitute Josip Drmic had the desired impact for Nuremberg against Werder Bremen on Sunday. Brought on when his side trailed 2-1, he tied the score at 2-2 within 10 minutes on the pitch. The game, dominated in the first half by Bremen but belonging to Nuremberg after the break, ended 3-3. Goals aren't in short supply; none of the 63 Bundesliga games this season have finished 0-0.
Suttgart's usual suspects
Striker Vedad Ibisevic and playmaker Alexandru Maxim helped bury bottom-of-the-Bundesliga Braunschweig in the Sunday evening match. Maxim set up Ibisevic for the first and then scored the second himself, before Ibrahima Traore and sub Martin Harnik completed the 4-0 away win. Still without a win this season, Braunschweig controlled much of the match but lacked quality in attack.