Champions Bayer Leverkusen have prevented another setback in the Bundesliga. The double winner from last season won the home game against 1. FC Heidenheim 5:2 (2:2) despite being 0:2 behind. Leverkusen's gap to league leaders FC Bayern, who beat FC Augsburg 3-0 on Friday, is already nine points.
Bayern's closest rival so far, RB Leipzig, suffered another setback. The Saxons lost 3:4 (2:1) at TSG Hoffenheim and are now eight points behind the top of the table. The strong Hoffenheim team gave their new coach Christian Ilzer three points on their debut.
Borussia Dortmund extended its impressive home series with a 4-0 (2-0) win against SC Freiburg and celebrated its sixth win in its sixth league home game. The heavily weakened runner-up VfB Stuttgart prevailed 2-0 (0-0) against bottom-placed VfL Bochum.
Three goals from Patrik Schick
Leverkusen fell 2-0 behind against Heidenheim thanks to goals from Niklas Dorsch (10th minute) and Mathias Honsak (21st). Thanks to a double strike from Exequil Palacios (30th) and Patrik Schick (32nd), Bayer equalized before the break. After the break, Schick scored twice more (52nd/71st). Granit Xhaka scored the final point (82nd).
BVB got off to a dream start and took an early 1-0 lead thanks to a goal from Maximilian Beier (7th). Felix Nmecha (40th), Julian Brandt (66th) and Jamie Gittens (77th) increased. The absence of striker Serhou Guirassy, who was ill, was not noticeable for Dortmund. For Freiburg, Patrick Osterhage was sent off with yellow-red (63rd) and Junior Adamu with red (90th+3).
Wild game in Sinsheim
Leipzig took the lead three times in Sinsheim thanks to Willi Orban (15th), Antonio Nusa (19th) and an own goal from Stanley Nsoki (67th). Hoffenheim were able to equalize through Adam Hlozek (17th), Tom Bischof (50th) and again Hlozek (82nd). Jacob Bruun Larsen finally scored the winning goal for TSG (87th).
In Stuttgart, national player Chris Führich (53') and substitute Justin Diehl (78') became the match winners for VfB with their goals. (dpa)
