Leverkusen with a goal from Granit Xhaka and Dortmund achieved clear home wins in the 11th round of the Bundesliga. Stuttgart wins thanks to Swiss assists. Leipzig loses.
With Gregor Kobel returning to goal for BVB after missing three games, Dortmund also won their eighth home game of the season with a 4-0 win against Freiburg. In the Bundesliga they have now scored 15 of their 19 points in front of their own crowd. Maximilian Beier and Felix Nmecha, who are getting better and better, scored before the break, and Julian Brandt made it 3-0 with a free kick in the second half.
German champions Leverkusen had more trouble than Dortmund in their 5-2 home win against Heidenheim because two defensive errors allowed the outsiders to take an early 2-0 lead. Exequiel Palacios and Patrik Schick twice ensured the turnaround in the 52nd minute. The ever so efficient Schick completed his hat trick with 4-2 before Granit Xhaka scored with a beautiful shot from the edge of the penalty area to make it 5-2. The Swiss national team captain, who celebrated his second goal of the season with clear signs of pregnancy, was awarded a second scorer point for the assist to make it 1-2.
The gap between Leverkusen and Dortmund on the leader Bayern Munich, who beat Augsburg 3-0 on Friday, remains large at nine and ten points respectively. And Leipzig is now eight points behind Munich. Marco Rose's team lost 3-4 at Hoffenheim after leading three times. With goals from Adam Hlozek (82') and Jacob Bruun Larsen (87') from 2:3 to 4:3, the hosts rewarded themselves late for their good performance on coach Christian Ilzer's debut.
Stergiou and Rieder are convincing
Leonidas Stergiou surprisingly made his first appearance of the season with VfB Stuttgart right from the start in the 2-0 home win against Bochum. The 22-year-old defender had to take a break for several months and do some rebuilding work due to inflammation in his back vertebra. His last Bundesliga appearance was in mid-May. Stergiou managed to return to the Bundesliga. The former St. Gallen player was secure at the back as a right-back and assisted Chris Führich in the 1-0 win. Substitute Fabian Rieder prepared Justin Diehl's 2-0 with his first touch of the ball.
Telegrams and table:
Borussia Dortmund – Freiburg 4:0 (2:0). – 81,365 spectators. – Goals: 7. Beier 1-0. 40. Nmecha 2-0. 66. Brandt 3-0. 77. Gittens 4:0. – Comments: 63rd yellow-red card against Osterhage (Freiburg). 93. Red card against Adamu (Freiburg, assault). Borussia Dortmund with Kobel.
Hoffenheim – Leipzig 4:3 (1:2). – 28,023 spectators. – Goals: 15. Orbán 0:1. 17. Hlozek 1:1. 19. Nusa 1:2. 50. Bishop 2:2. 67. Nsoki (own goal) 2:3. 82. Hlozek 3:3. 86. Bruun Larsen 4:3.
VfB Stuttgart – Bochum 2:0 (0:0). – 59,000 spectators. – Goals: 53. Führich 1:0. 78. Diehl 2:0. – Comments: VfB Stuttgart with Stergiou (until 85th) and Rieder (from 77th). Bochum without Loosli (not in the squad).
Wolfsburg – Union Berlin 1:0 (0:0). – 23,861 spectators. – Goal: 71. Baku 1-0. – Comments: Wolfsburg with Zesiger (from 93rd).
Bayer Leverkusen – Heidenheim 5:2 (2:2). – 29,103 spectators. – Goals: 10. Dorsch 0:1. 21. Honsak 0:2. 30. Palacios 1:2. 32. Send 2:2. 52. Send 3:2. 71. Send 4:2. 82. Xhaka 5:2. – Comments: Bayer Leverkusen with Xhaka.
The other games of the 11th round. Friday: Bayern Munich – Augsburg 3-0. – Saturday: Eintracht Frankfurt – Werder Bremen 6.30 p.m. – Sunday: Holstein Kiel – Mainz 05 3.30 p.m. Borussia Mönchengladbach – St. Pauli 5.30 p.m.
1. Bayern Munich 11/29 (36:7). 2. RB Leipzig 11/21 (18:9). 3. Eintracht Frankfurt 10/20 (26:16). 4. Bayer Leverkusen 11/20 (26:18). 5. Borussia Dortmund 11/19 (22:18). 6. SC Freiburg 11/17 (13:15). 7. VfB Stuttgart 11/16 (21:19). 8. Union Berlin 11/16 (9:9). 9. Werder Bremen 10/15 (17:21). 10. Wolfsburg 11/15 (20:18). 11. Borussia Mönchengladbach 10/14 (15:14). 12. Mainz 05 10/13 (15:14). 13. Hoffenheim 11/12 (17:22). 14. Augsburg 11/12 (13:23). 15. Heidenheim 11/10 (15:20). 16. St. Pauli 10/8 (7:12). 17. Holstein Kiel 10/5 (12:25). 18. Bochum 11/2 (10:32).
