Bundesliga Matchday 9: The One Before the Pokal

Teams coming off of Europe played to win, top end fights, and Freiburg with Fire.

Freiburg is always picked for relegation, but the fact is they are fighters. Funny how they did so well against Borussia Monchengladbach, 3-1, at the Schwarzwald Stadion. It is a small club on a small budget with a manager whose as classic and maverick as managers of yore.

Freiburg plays in a tiny old school stadium, slated to be replaced, and they use it to earn points that they shouldn’t. BMG has been a monster this season and yet they went down south and came out with a bloody nose. This team is reconstructed every year with players who’ve not come off in their recent stints. They perform in the Black Forest and then they are sold for big bucks. If you’re a romantic then you’ve found your club.

Bayer Leverkusen lost to FC Zurich in Switzerland but perhaps Werder Bremen should have been warned. A 6-2 destruction of the northern club occurred and their chance to move to second in the Bundesliga was also demolished.

The first half was the worst nightmare for any fan of the Green and White. Bayer with first half goals from Kevin Volland, Julian Brandt, and Karim Bellarabi got off on the perfect start. Bremen responded with a two-goal, three-minute salvo; but three more goals from Alesander Dragovic and a brace from Kai Havertz to sealed it up for Die Werkself.

Borussia Dortmund looked to be well and truly in the drivers seat. That was, until they ran out of steam against Hertha Berlin in a dramatic 2-2 thriller.

Jadon Sancho was brilliant with a pair of goals coming off a dazzling display in a midweek Champions League match. A 91st-minute equalizer from Solomon Kalou to finish his brace was the perfect moment for the rather fantastic season for Hertha as they finish the weekend sixth in the table.

Elsewhere in the Bundesliga:

Bayern Munich conceded a goal to Mainz, their first in over a month, in their 2-1 victory as they made it three straight wins in all competitions since the international break.

Sebastian Haller scored his sixth goal of the season as his 92nd-minute equalizer gave Eintracht Frankfurt a 1-1 draw to maintain their position in the table at seventh.

Hoffenheim won in a battle of southern teams quite comfortably, 4-0, over woeful Stuttgart who can’t do anything right.

FC Augsburg found themselves Lady Luck as they visited Hannover and came away 2-1 winners to move into a three-way tie for ninth in the table.

Wolfsburg found themselves visiting Dusseldorf and coming away with a 3-0 victory.

RB Leipzig and Schalke 04 played out to a 0-0 draw that left all with more to be desired.

Bundesliga POTW: Get a brace and have it scored as late as possible against league leaders, yeah its Solomon Kalou.