Bundesliga Match Day 32: Weekend Wrap-Up
- May 6, 2019
- 4 min read
In the most impactful game of the weekend, Werder Bremen battled back from a 2-0 deficit to earn a 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund.
The blazing comeback from Die Werderaner put BVB four points behind Bayern Munich with two games to play. Should Bayern win next week at RB Leipzig, the Bavarians will clinch the league title. At this point, Dortmund has to be kicking itself after a multitude of squandered opportunities.
Regardless, the action started out in favor of BVB as Dortmund was powered to a commanding 2-0 lead behind goals from Christian Pulisic (6') and Paco Alcacer (41'). By the end of the first half it look as if Dortmund was going to cruise by Werder Bremen even without suspended superstar Marco Reus.
Fate, however, was not on the side of Dortmund.
Werder Bremen's Kevin Mohwald (70') and Claudio Pizarro (75') each scored to knot the game and knock the wind out of Dortmund. Pizarro, the former Bayern man, did his part to help his former team inch close to securing its 7th consecutive Bundesliga title.
The result has to be extremely disappointing for Dortmund, which looked to be in control of league at the end of the Hinrunde. Losing Reus, however, has once again proven to be just too big of a casualty for BVB to survive.
Prediction: Borussia Dortmund 2, Werder Bremen 2 (W)
(Standings courtesy of @Bundesliga_EN)
Bayer Leverkusen 6, Eintracht Frankfurt 1: Die Adler's daunting schedule finally and fully caught up with Adi Hutter's boys. Leverkusen came out flying from the jump and pounced all over Eintracht Frankfurt. A relentless offensive attack punished the weary legs of Frankfurt.
Kai Havertz (2'), Julian Brandt (13'), Lucas Alario (23' and 34'), and Charles Aranguiz (28') all found the back of the net, while Leverkusen also benefited from a Martin Hinteregger own goal. Filip Kostic (14') had the long goal for Frankfurt, which might have been better off staying home and resting.
Prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 2, Eintracht Frankfurt 2 (L)
RB Leipzig 3, Mainz 05 3: RB Leipzig is secured in third place and has clinched a Champions League berth for next season, but let this one slip away. Lukas Klostermann had a brace and Timo Werner added a goal, which staked Leipzig out to a 3-1 lead with 41 minutes left in the game (Karim Onisiwo had the Mainz goal).
Die Nullfünfer, however, did not just give up Moussa Niakhate (67') and Jean-Philippe Mateta (83') rallied M05 to preserve a draw. Mainz lived up to its billing as a tough out for anyone.
Prediction: RB Leipzig 3, Mainz 05 1 (L)
Hoffenheim 2, Borussia Monchengladbach 2: An 84th minute goal from Josip Drmic secured a crucial point for the free falling boys of Borussia Monchengladbach. Pavel Kaderabek gave Hoffenheim a lead in the 33rd minute, which was the precursor for the teams exchanging goals in the second half.
Matthias Ginter (72') tied the game before Nadiem Amiri (79') gave TSG1899 a temporary lead. Drmic's 84th minute tally ultimately gave the game its final score and help cement the fact that the final two weeks are going to be insane.
Prediction: Hoffenheim 2, Borussia Monchengladbach 1 (L)
Bayern Munich 3, Hannover 96 1: Even with a relatively close scoreline, Bayern was never under any duress. The Bavarians received goals from Robert Lewandowski (27'), Leon Goretzka (40'), and Franck Ribery (71') to seal the victory, while H96 received a penalty conversion from Jonathas (51').
In an expected move, Ribery later announced that he would be moving on from Bayern after the season. The French legend came on as a sub with his partner in crime, Arjen Robben, for some time in the second half.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 5, Hannover 96 0 (W)
Hertha Berlin 3, VfB Stuttgart 1: Vedad Ibisevic, Ondrej Duda, and Saloman Kalou helped Die Alte Dame win for the first time in eight games, while Mario Gomez (70') had the lone goal for Stuttgart.
Die Schwaben only holds a five-point advantage on Nurnberg. Der Club is set to face off with M'Gladbach and Freiburg, which now both look winnable; while Stuttgart faces Wolfsburg and Schalke.
The relegation playoff is no sure thing for Stuttgart.
Prediction: Hertha Berlin 2, VfB Stuttgart 1 (W)
Wolfsburg 2, FC Nurnberg 0: The Wolves did what they had to do and dispatched Der Club fairly easily behind goals from Felix Klaus (38') and Marcel Tisserand (78'). The win keeps Wolfsburg firmly in contention for European play. Currently in 7th place with 52 points, just two points stands between the Wolves and 4th place. Things could get very interesting over the final two weeks in the race for 4th through 7th place.
As for Der Club, it's looking like it will face relegation in what was not a good one-year stint in the top flight. Nurnberg had its moments, but not enough talent or depth to really sustain any type of momentum within the league. Sure, with two games to go and only trailing Stuttgart by five points, it's conceivable that Der Club could at least sneak into the league relegation playoff spot, but it looks unlikely even if it has better match-ups than Die Schwaben.
Prediction: Wolfsburg 3, FC Nurnberg 1 (W)
Schalke 04 0, FC Augsburg 0: For a scoreless draw, this game wasn't terrible. It wasn't barn-burner obviously, but it did have some moments of excitement. The problem was just marred by overall sloppy play. The end result ensured that both teams avoided relegation for this season, which was not always a sure thing.
Prediction: Schalke 04 2, FC Augsburg 2 (W)
Fortuna Dusseldorf 1, SC Freiburg 1: Vincenzo Grifo's penalty conversion in the ninth minute gave Breisgau-Brasilianer an early 1-0 lead, but Dawid Kownacki struck back for Fortuna Dusseldorf in the 31st minute to tie the game. The score would never change, but it was a hard-earned point for each squad.
Both teams may be in league purgatory, but both have shown moments of brilliance this season. With any luck -- and a few key acquisitions -- these could be two teams to keep an eye on next season.
Prediction: Fortuna Dusseldorf 2, SC Freiburg 1 (L)
Match day record: 5-4
Season record: 147-141
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.
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