Featured Game – Stuttgart 2-3 Borussia Dortmund

After a humiliating 5-1 defeat in their own back yard in the reverse fixture, Borussia Dortmund sought revenge against newly promoted Stuttgart. The hosts however have been far from the relegation battle this season and may have even exceeded the expectations of their American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, as they fight to get into the European places in their first campaign back in the Bundesliga. The victory at the Signal Iduna Park in December epitomised Stuttgart’s play as their fast counterattacking football blew away a disjointed home defence. Therefore, there was every chance that they could close the gap to their visitors in the table from four points to just one. This was just a week after Dortmund failed to reduce the deficit to Eintracht Frankfurt in the race for the Champions League, but now their focus had to switch to preserving their current position in a Europa League spot. It all seemed a bit underwhelming for such a great club, whose real ambition is to be fighting for the title.

They say though that great teams start from the back. Xavi, Iniesta and Messi could not have had the success they did in their unrivalled Barcelona side without Puyol and Piqué holding the fort behind them and this has been Dortmund’s key issue this season. Despite having a vast array of attacking talent, Borussia have struggled at the other end and Stuttgart were able to take advantage of a specific area of frailty just seventeen minutes in. Balls into the box have wreaked havoc in recent times, with the defenders all too aware of this fact, but still unable to do anything about it. The panic caused by high crosses was on display against Frankfurt in the game prior as the mere presence of opposition forwards made Nico Schulz divert the ball into his own net. This time however, it was the Stuttgart striker who pounced on a lofted ball to the far post. Borna Sosa had provided the service for Stuttgart’s winner away to Werder Bremen, albeit another own goal, but he repeated the feat in this contest to claim his seventh assist of the season, setting up two-metre tall Sasa Kalajdzic for a looping header. Many would not have been able to reach the cross, but the Austrian used all of his lengthy frame to do so, arcing his effort over Dortmund goalkeeper Marvin Hitz into the far top corner. In a relatively even game up until this point, it was a simple aerial superiority that put the home side ahead.

It stayed that way until very early in the second half, when Dortmund flicked the switch and came out of the blocks absolutely flying. Two quick-fire goals to turn the game on its head in just seven minutes showed exactly why their attack is thought so highly of. Firstly, with roughly sixty seconds of the second period played, Jude Bellingham grabbed his first Bundesliga goal after Mahmoud Dahoud laid the ball off to him on the edge of the penalty area. The seventeen-year-old from Birmingham struck a fierce shot low towards the corner and it brushed the fingers of the despairing keeper before nestling in the back of the net. The disappointment of the opening stages disappeared in an instant and the away side were back level, but they did not stop there. The increased intensity remained and when another flowing move ended up with ball falling to the feet of Marco Reus on the left of the eighteen-yard box, there was little doubt as to the end result. After unbelievably going fourteen games without scoring in the Bundesliga, Borussia’s German captain netted with a trademark side-foot finish into the far bottom corner. Reus is a player plagued with injuries, but currently fit, and with his team desperate for him to stay that way for a decent length of time, he has all the attributes to steer the Gelbschwarzen towards a fruitful end to the campaign.

However, his task with remain difficult if defensive issues are not addressed soon. The size of the problem may mean that it will have to be tackled in the summer and through purchases in the transfer market, but the type of scared defending that was showcased by Mateu Morey to let Stuttgart back into the game has to be eradicated. He loss of possession in the middle of the park sparked a quick move from the hosts with the Dortmund back line reeling. Short on numbers after being caught cold with quick turnover, space was not of the premium as first Kalajdzic raced forward with the ball at his feet before he laid it off to Tanguy Coulibaly, who then played the killer ball for Daniel Didavi on the left of the attack. Players of this quality cannot be allowed any kind of room, but when left with acres of green grass, Didavi exemplified his technique with a slotted finish past Hitz to equalize with twelve minutes of normal time to play. Scrambling defenders on the goal line were simply too late to stop the game going level once more.

Hence, the visitors needed someone to step up to the plate and they made a double substitution to introduce both Brandt and Hazard to the tie. However, it was an earlier substitute who would make the telling difference. Teenager Ansgar Knauff had surprisingly started against Manchester City in the Champions League in midweek and was brought on for Marco Reus to try and have an impact in this game. This he certainly did, producing arguably the best of the five goals just a couple of minutes after the match had been levelled again. Starting on the left, the young midfielder cut inside onto his favoured right foot and bent a shot past Gregor Kobel, who had been beaten in similar fashion for the third time. But with multiple defenders around him, this made Knauff’s attempt even more impressive. After netting in just his third Bundesliga game, Knauff has made sure that he is included in the substantial list of young talent at Borussia Dortmund. His goal won Dortmund all three points and keeps them in fifth place for now, and importantly extending the gap between the sides in the standings. Nevertheless, there are a group of teams still hot on the heels of Dortmund and it will be interesting to see whether the pressure will tell towards the end of the season.

The Games Keep Coming

Eintracht Frankfurt 4-3 Wolfsburg

A game between two of the top four could be assumed to be a tight and cagey affair, with limited chances and a focus from both sides on not giving their opponent any help. However, the circumstances for this clash were peculiar, because the gap to the teams below the Champions League spots was a substantial seven points with just seven games to play, therefore both Frankfurt and Wolfsburg are sitting pretty, and it would surely take a major slip-up for either to relinquish their places in next season’s elite European competition. Due to this, the contest had a strangely relaxed feel and quickly opportunities arose for both teams. This rapidly became a fantastic Bundesliga spectacle. The scoring started early, with Ridle Baku cutting in from his right-wing position to curl in a left-footed shot on six minutes, but the lead was short-lived as Daichi Kamada levelled the game up quickly afterwards. Then it was the home side’s turn to go ahead, with Luka Jovic firing in from close range to claim his fourth Eintracht goal since returning to Germany on loan from Real Madrid. Frankfurt have adopted very attacking line-ups in recent games, often starting both Jovic and Silva up top, however against a stronger opponent in Wolfsburg, they were repeatedly exposed going the other way arguably due to this offensive set-up. Nevertheless, no switch in tactics came from either side at half time, perhaps with both coaches feeling that their sides could simply out-score the other. Hence, the frantic pattern continued. Inside a minute of the restart, the game was equalized once more through Wolfsburg chief threat in front of goal Wout Weghorst. With the number of chances created throughout for the visitors, it was purely a matter of time before the big Dutchman got his name on the score sheet. The same could be said for André Silva, who has even more Bundesliga goals than Weghorst this season and some good work on the left flank provided the Portuguese striker with yet another successful strike. Importantly, the next goal also came for Frankfurt, which handed them a two-goal advantage and put some much-needed daylight between the sides, however the identity of the scorer was an unpredictable one. Former Huddersfield Town man Erik Durm is far from renowned for his goal-scoring exploits, but the 28-year-old has had an interesting career so far, having first broken through at Borussia Dortmund before going on to be part of the 2014 World Cup winning squad, although Durm did not play a single minute of the tournament. The German netted his first Frankfurt goal here though to put his side 4-2 up. Still with half an hour to go, Wolfsburg looked to change the game in order to get something out of it and their introduction of Maximillian Philipp did at least haul one goal back with five minutes left. Although the forward did not actually touch the ball when a cross was swung in from the left-hand side, his presence in the box caused Brazilian defender Tuta to react and he inadvertently diverted the ball past his goalkeeper and reduced the deficit to a solitary goal once more. Eintracht Frankfurt were able to hold on regardless in this crazy game and they maintain their lead over Dortmund in fifth spot in the table, but the main takeaway from the contest was that the Bundesliga is simply a joy to watch.

Köln 2-3 Mainz

With so much on the line in the fight for survival, few predicted that this match would turn out to be the fast-paced entertainment that it ultimately was. The confidence shown by Mainz in this game could be explained by their recent status as one of the form-sides in the division and facing strugglers Köln would have instilled belief in the away side. However, the hosts surprisingly matched the intensity and attacking intent of their opponents, seemingly prepared to go all-out in the hope of gaining a vital three points. Köln even continued this approach after going behind early on to a Jean-Paul Boëtius strike that found the roof of the net after flashing past Timo Horn in goal. A need to get back into the game is potentially what sparked such a display from the home team, but their route to an equalizer did not come without a slice of fortune. A supposed handball, given after a VAR review, gave Ondrej Duda the chance to convert from the penalty spot, however the decision seemed harsh on Phillipp Mwene who was adjudged to have handled the ball after it was fired at him from close range and the wing-back was even booked for the offence. Nevertheless, Duda stroked the spot kick home and Köln were level just before the break. However, it was not too long afterwards that they took the lead for themselves. On the hour mark, a set-piece was delivered to the far post by home captain Jonas Hector and Tunisian international Ellyes Skhiri turned the ball into the net for 2-1. An uncharacteristic resilience had been shown by the hosts that had not only seen them turn the game around, but also they had dominated possession and created a plethora of opportunities. It is only a lack of clinical finishing that they may have rued at the end of the game, and a persistent leakiness at the back, as Mainz clawed their way back into the tie. Shortly after Skhiri’s go-ahead goal, Karim Onisiwo stepped up to notch again for the visitors. In truth, he was simply required to provide the final touch to a sweeping Mainz move that was more than aided by a sizeable area of the final third left unmarshalled for the away team to work in. As both sides searched for a winner, spaces remained open at the back at it was eventually Mainz who capitalised in stoppage time, with another move down the left flank culminating in a fine finish from Leandro Barreiro. The Luxembourgian midfielder’s nice first touch and toe-poked arrowed strike into the corner handed the away side a priceless victory that sees them climb a full five points above their opponents, who reside second bottom in the automatic relegation place. The precarious position for Köln is not helped by the fact that they are on a dire winless run and must visit sixth-placed Leverkusen in Matchday 29 with just six games left to play.

Rest of the Round-Up

Arminia Bielefeld 1-0 Freiburg

A big win for Bielefeld. After not registering a home victory since January, the three points came as a welcome relief against a tough opponent in Freiburg. Although the goal did come via Baptiste Santamaria own goal, Arminia will not care one little bit.

Werder Bremen 1-4 RB Leipzig

The Red Bulls ran rampant in Bremen and the Norwegian striker that turned out to be one of the week’s best performers was in fact not Erling Haaland for once, but instead Alexander Sørloth. After seeming to be heading for a comfortable mid-table finish, four straight losses and the teams below them picking up have seen Werder slowly get dragged into the relegation dogfight, and they now sit just four points above Bielefeld in the play-off spot.

Hertha Berlin 2-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach

A 13th minute red card for visiting keeper Yann Sommer was invaluable to the capital club as it helped on their way to gaining a great point against Europa League hopefuls Gladbach. The first goal of the game, and Santiago Ascacibar’s first in the Bundesliga after 73 games, took a slight deflection but was still the pick of the four strikes.

Bayern München 1-1 Union Berlin

Two dropped points by Bayern could be crucial in the title race, but what would have pleased coach Hansi Flick is seeing teenager Jamal Musiala net a top goal after some fancy footwork in the box. On the other hand, the late equalizer scored by Danish substitute Marcus Ingvartsen, provided by the ever-tenacious Robert Andrich, allowed RB Leipzig to close the gap at the top to five points.

Schalke 1-0 Augsburg

An early goalkeeping error from Rafal Gikiewicz let Suat Serdar smash home from no more than a yard out to give Schalke just their second win of the season. The victory keeps the greatest of escapes still mathematically possible and the belief in the Schalke camp will only dwindle when the points needed are officially too many.

Hoffenheim 0-0 Bayer Leverkusen

After an entertaining weekend of action jam-packed with drama and goals at both ends of the table, the Bundesliga scriptwriters must have forgotten that there was still a Monday night game to be played. This was a drab affair to say the least, but one would expect that the individual quality of some of the Leverkusen players would have been enough to conjure up something, however any desire seemed to be lacking for the entire 90 minutes.

A Few Words On… Jude Bellingham

Born just outside of Dudley in the English West Midlands, Jude Bellingham is fast becoming one of the Bundesliga’s most promising young players. Despite being only seventeen years of age, Bellingham has already featured twice for the senior England team after impressing since a summer switch from Championship side Birmingham to join Borussia Dortmund. The German side’s array of young talent attracted Bellingham and caused him to elect to play for them over the likes of Manchester United, who were also interested in the midfielder. However, Dortmund did have to fork out an initial £25 million fee, the most expensive ever for a seventeen-year-old, in order to persuade Birmingham to part with their young starlet. After gradually playing more and more throughout the course of the season, down to a combination of more mature and accomplished performances from the Englishman but also a number of injuries to other midfield players, Bellingham has become a common name on the Dortmund starters’ sheet, however he still was searching for his premier goal for his new club. After being so cruelly denied this accolade against Manchester City in the Champions League in the midweek prior, where Bellingham had found the net only for the goal to be controversially ruled out, he did finally get his wish at the weekend away in Stuttgart. Just after half time, with the score line currently favouring the home team 1-0, the youngster collected the ball from fellow midfielder Dahoud, before sweeping his effort into the bottom corner. It was a fine finish that demonstrated his obvious natural ability and technique, and the goal was massively important in sparking a great second half display from Dortmund that saw them claim all three points at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. Jude Bellingham may not be hammering in the number of goals that Erling Haaland is, but he is certainly another young player to keep an eye on and he performs such a vital midfield role already for Borussia Dortmund.

What to Look Forward to Next Matchday

RB Leipzig vs. Hoffenheim

Wolfsburg vs. Bayern München

Augsburg vs. Arminia Bielefeld

Union Berlin vs. Stuttgart

Freiburg vs. Schalke

Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Eintracht Frankfurt

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Köln

Borussia Dortmund vs. Werder Bremen

Mainz vs. Hertha Berlin

With Leipzig hosting Hoffenheim, who are on a poor run of form at the moment, on Friday night, there is every chance for the team in second place to pile the pressure on Bayern München before the champions meet with Wolfsburg the next day. The clash between the teams third and first respectively at the Volkswagen Arena has the potential to mirror the goal fest that was Wolfsburg’s meeting with Eintracht. Like in that game, both teams possess fierce front lines and may pay more attention to scoring goals than they do to preventing them at the other end, therefore this tie could be an absolute classic.