Berlin (AP) – FC Bayern didn’t let FC Schalke 04 surprise them in their last match before the World Cup. The Bundesliga leaders won 2-0 (1-0) in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday and, thanks to goals from Serge Gnabry (38′) and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (52′), went into the break with a comfortable shock absorber. With 34 points, Bayern are six clear of RB Leipzig, who initially rose to second place in the Bundesliga.
The cup winner said goodbye to the World Cup and the winter break with a 2-1 (1-0) win at SV Werder Bremen. Thanks to the fourth consecutive victory, Leipzig have 28 points under the guidance of Marco Rose.
The tied teams of 1. FC Union Berlin (3rd) and SC Freiburg (4th/27th each) will meet on Sunday, as will Eintracht Frankfurt (5th/26th) against 1. FSV Mainz 05 (12th/18th). Borussia Dortmund (6th/25th) had to lose touch with Bayern after beating Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-2 on Friday night at the start of matchday 15.
Victorious Hertha
Hertha BSC (15th/14th) left the relegation table with a 2-0 (1-0) win against 1. FC Cologne. VfB Stuttgart slipped to 16th place with the same number of points, the Swabians lost 0:2 (0:1) at Bayer Leverkusen. VfL Wolfsburg defeated TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 2-1 (1-1). The penultimate VfL Bochum side celebrated their first away win with a 1-0 (0-0) draw against FC Augsburg. The matches were partly accompanied by protests against the World Cup in Qatar, which will start next Sunday and last until 18 December.
It soon looked as though the Saxons would win again, having gone to Bremen with three in a row. Andre Silva took the lead in the 13th minute. But coach Marco Rose’s team failed to follow suit. A slightly deflected shot by Christian Groß (57th) equalised. Xaver Schlager (71st) brought Leipzig back to the lead and eventually to victory.
The Wolfsburg series holds
It also worked for the Wolfsburg team with a fourth consecutive league win. Coach Nico Kovac’s team in Sinsheim fell behind for the first time. Christoph Baumgartner (42nd) gave Hoffenheim the lead just before the break. In the long stoppage time of the first half, teammate Ozan Kabak (45′ + 4′) scored an own goal before Ridle Baku (56′) doubled the lead for the guests of Lower Saxony and the happy success.
Pros Hertha BSC ended their earnings slump with three defeats in a row. This Sunday’s general assembly can come. Against the 1. FC Köln in the 24th official match in 106 days, Wilfried Kanga (9th) and Marco Richter (54th) scored for Sandro Schwarz’s team.
Instead of Hertha, VfB Stuttgart slipped into relegation. Interim coach Michael Wimmer’s battered side lost to Leverkusen thanks to goals from Moussa Diaby (30) and Jonatha Tah (82). VfB thus set a negative club record: for the first time in an entire calendar year they went winless on the road in the Bundesliga.
VfL Bochum is only one point worse than VfB. Christopher Antwi-Adjei scored the promoted side’s third win of the season with a goal in the 58th minute.
