Bundesliga Match Day 33: Weekend Wrap-up
There were plenty of good stories from the Bundesliga this weekend, but maybe none more inspiring than the stupendous effort from VfB Stuttgart to knock off Hoffenheim and stay alive for a Europa League berth.
Stuttgart received a brilliant two-goal performance from Mario Gomez to keep its Europa League hopes alive. Gomez showed all of his veteran expertise and opportunism to carry a totally rejuvenated and hungry Stuttgart side.
To gain a Europa League berth, however, Stuttgart must win in Munich next weekend, which will not be an easy task. Stuttgart may only be one or two players away from being a top-four contender next season. With the proper investments in its roster, there could be a return to serious contention in Stuttgart.
Meanwhile, Hoffenheim, after a torrid stretch, has hit a tough patch at the worst possible time. The loss by Hoffenheim puts it own Champions League berth at risk next weekend against Borussia Dortmund, which will be one of a handful of uber-intriguing fixtures.
Schalke 04 2, FC Augsburg 1: Thilo Kehrer of the Royal Blues and Philipp Max of Augsburg exchanged goals before an own goal ultimately sealed Schalke's Champions League berth. This is a monumental achievement for Domenico Tedesco and the Royal Blues. Between the looming departure of Leon Goretzka and the Max Meyer internal squabble, there have been plenty of distractions that could have derailed the team's season, but Tedesco kept the squad pushing forward and they have truly earned the right to compete against the world's best in the 2018-2019 season.
Borussia Monchengladbach 3, SC Freiburg 1: M'Gladbach had one of those games where they looked like a team that was tenacious and ready to compete for a top six spot. Thorgan Hazard was fabulous and scored a phenomenal goal, while the Swiss connection of Nico Elvedi and Josip Drmic provided the rest of the scoring. For Freiburg, the threat of relegation is still very real. Tim Kleindienst had the goal for Freiburg, but only three points separates the squad and a playoff for relegation. With Augsburg coming up next week, Freiburg will need the timely scoring of Nils Petersen to ensure it stays in the top flight.
Mainz 2, Borussia Dortmund 1: Mainz had a remarkable effort with two goals in the first 13 minutes, while Dortmund was more yellow bed sheets than yellow wall. Mainz clinched another year in the Bundesliga thanks to goals from Bote Baku and Yoshinori Muto, while Dortmund could possibly lose its current Champions League standing. With a timely match-up against Hoffenheim, BVB finds itself in dire need of a winning effort. Max Philipp, who always seems to produce when given the opportunity for Dortmund, scored for BVB, but nothing will matter without a win or a draw next week.
Eintracht Frankfurt 3, Hamburger SV 0: Marius Wolf, Mijat Gacinovic, and Alexander Meier all found the back of the net for the Eagles, who helped drive a nail into the coffin of Der Dinosaur. Hamburger's hope to avoid relegation will come down to needing a win over M'Gladbach and a Wolfsburg loss to FC Koln. Even if those things happen, Hamburg would need to win the relegation playoff game. The Bundesliga's longest-tenured team is in serious trouble.
Bayern Munich 3, FC Koln 1: Die Roten used goals from James Rodriguez, Robert Lewandowski, and Corentin Tolisso to smother the Billy Goats. Only an own goal from Niklas Süle prevented another clean sheet by Sven Ulreich. It was also a phenomenal game from Thomas Müller, who shook off a disappointing Champions League semifinal to have a masterful effort.
Hannover 96, 3, Hertha Berlin 1: Hannover has been the "Little Engine that Could" all season in their return to the Bundesliga. The win over Hertha was the capper off of a great season. Martin Harnik, Salif Sane, and Niclas Fullkrug paced the Hannover effort. Fullkrug has been a consistent force all season. It should be interesting to watch how Hannover evolves in the offseason and if it can build from this foundation.
RB Leipzig 4, Wolfsburg 1: Leipzig finally looked like itself again (albeit weeks too late!) and used two goals from Ademola Lookman and one each from Timo Werner and Jean-Kevin Augustin to push aside the Wolves. Werner was an absolute terror for Leipzig and could be rounding into a fine form as the World Cup draws near.
Bayer Leverkusen 0, Werder Bremen 0: Leverkusen had yet another let down and is killing itself. This is a team that should have qualified for the Champions League by now, but is barely grasping on to a Europa League berth.
This week's record: 4-5
This season's (terrible) record: 54-63
With perfect record next week, we can finish .500! YAY...the strove to be mediocre is REAL!
Note: Predicted ties count as a win if correct and as a loss if there is a winner; conversely if a game is predicted to have a winner but ends in a tie, it will count as a loss.
