Uberprufung Der Bundesliga: Dortmund and Bayern back to winning ways, Hannover top for 48 hours

Gameweek 4 of the Bundesliga saw the big guns finally start firing. There were big wins for Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund at home. The shock of the weekend initially came when Hannover beat Hamburg on Friday night to go top of the tree, temporarily at least. There were away wins for Augsburg and Schalke, and draws between Red Bull Leipzig and Borussia Moenchengladbach, and Hoffenheim and Hertha Berlin. It was a weekend full of goals, with 28 scored overall, and plenty of entertainment to boot.

Hannover 96 2-0 Hamburg

The action started on Friday night when Hannover welcomed Hamburg to the HDI-Arena. Hamburg have had a patchy start to the season, whereas Hannover have settled in well to life back in the top flight – which was to carry on in this game. It took until the 50th minute for Martin Harnik to break the deadlock from close range for Andre Breitenreiter’s side. The game was sealed 8 minutes from time when a set piece fell to Ilhas Sedou 12 yards, who converted to win the game and send Hannover to the summit.

Eintracht Frankfurt 1-2 Augsburg

Both sides went into this game on the back of impressive wins last time out. Frankfurt walked away from Gladbach with a 1-0 win, whilst Augsburg battered Cologne 3-0 at home thanks to a hat-trick from Alfred Finnbogason. The Iceland international would start this game but it would be Philipp Max who gave the away side the league with a well placed free kick after 20 minutes. The next goal came in the 76th minute, when it looked as if Caiuby had put the game beyond Frankfurt with a right footed shot from outside the box. That was until Jonathan De Guzman’s cross was met by the head of Luka Jovic who pulled a goal back with 11 minutes to go. It was a nervy finish for Augsburg but they managed to hold out and procure all 3 points.

Bayern Munich 4-0 Mainz

Few would have given Mainz any chance of getting anything from their meeting against Bayern usually. However Mainz’s home against Bayer Leverkusen last week and Bayern’s loss in Hoffenheim would have given the visitors some hope going into this one. That hope was quashed after 11 minutes when Thomas Muller gave the home side the lead from inside the box. It wouldn’t be long until Arjen Robben was played in by Joshua Kimmich and fired across Rene Adler to double the home sides lead 12 minutes later. Mainz managed to see out the half without further damage, but, on 50 minutes, Muller’s cross was met by the left foot of Robert Lewandowski who converted to put Bayern 3 up. Lewandowski rounded of the scoring 13 minutes from time with a well placed header.

Werder Bremen 1-2 Schalke

Bremen were underdogs going into this one, despite being the home side. This was a fact helped by their 1-1 draw away to Hertha Berlin last Sunday and Schalke’s 3-1 demolition of Stuttgart at home. It would be Bremen who would draw first blood in this one however, when Ludovic Sane scored on 20 minutes. Their lead would only last 2 minutes though. Milos Veljkovic turned into his own net to level the scores. The game looked it would peter out to the tune of a 1-1 draw, until Leon Goretzka popped up to win it for Schalke 7 minutes from time.

VfB Stuttgart 1-0 Wolfsburg

Both sides went into this game on the back of disappointing results last weekend, Stuttgart being defeated by Schalke and Wolfsburg drew 1-1 with Hannover. It would take only one goal to win though and it came for the home side. Chadrac Akolo scored it just before half time with a good finish from inside the area. Added time would amount to 9 minutes for an injury to Christian Gentner late on but Wolfsburg would not find a way through and the points would stay in the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Red Bull Leipzig 2-2 Borussia Moenchengladbach

Leipzig would have had confidence before this fixture after comfortably beating Hamburg away last week. Gladbach on the other hand will have wanted to put things right after their 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt. It was a game that would start well for the home side when Timo Werner put them ahead in the 17th minute. Gadbach were level within 10 minutes though when Thorgan Hazard equalised from the penalty spot. Jean-Kevin Augustin put the hosts back ahead on 31 minutes though when he scored a right footed shot after being played in by Naby Keita. Leipzig wouldn’t be able to hold out though and Lars Stindl rescued a point for the visitors on the hour mark. The game wouldn’t end without further incident however when Naby Keita was sent off with 7 minutes to go for a dreadful foul on Christoph Kramer, which saw the game delayed for a period.

Hoffenheim 1-1 Hertha Berlin

Sunday started with Hoffenheim looking to gain momentum from last weekend’s win over Bayern by beating Hertha Berlin, who drew at home with Wolfsburg. It was the home side who took an early lead through Sandro Wagner when he headed home from Andrej Kramaric’s cross. Hoffenheim would hold their lead until 10 minutes after half time, when Alexander Esswein turned home Marvin Plattenhardt’s cross to salvage a point for Hertha.

Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 SC Freiburg

Bayer Leverkusen were looking to avenge last week’s loss to Mainz by doing what Borussia Dortmund couldn’t – beat SC Freiburg. Their hopes were boosted when Charles Aranguiz assisted Kevin Volland, who opened the scoring after 21 minutes. Aranguiz would score himself on 29 minutes with a well hit shot from outside the box to double the home teams lead. Volland found himself on the scoresheet again 5 minutes later when he converted a corner from close range to put Leverkusen 3-0 ahead. Julian Brandt put the cherry on the cake for Heiko Herrlich’s boys 4 minutes from time, after Aranguiz slid him in from a set piece to score from the centre of the area.

Borussia Dortmund 5-0 Cologne

Both sides went into this game on the back of European defeats in North London, Dortmund losing 3-1 to Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League and Cologne by the same score to Arsenal in the Europa League. Cologne find themselves bottom of the Bundesliga and showed why when Maxi Philipp was allowed to scored, unmarked, from inside the 6 yard box 2 minutes in. It took Dortmund until added on time at the end of the half for Sokratis to double the lead from close range after Cologne failed to deal with a corner. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang scored a quick-fire double in the 59th and 60th minutes, first from the penalty spot and then a right footed shot from the corner of the area. Philipp grabbed his second of the game, and Dortmund’s fifth, to round off the scoring on 69 minutes.

Game-Week 5 Fixtures

Tuesday 19th September

Borussia Moenchengladbach vs. VfB Stuttgart (17.30)

Augsburg vs. Red Bull Leipzig (19.30)

Schalke vs. Bayern Munich

Wolfsburg vs. Werder Bremen

Wednesday 20th September

Cologne vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (17.30)

Hamburg vs. Borussia Dortmund (19.30)

Hertha Berlin vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Mainz vs. Hoffenheim

Freiburg vs. Hannover