The Bundesliga Matchday 18 was played, with important surprises that could be decisive, after a defeat for Bayern Munich and a victory for Bayer Leverkusen that allowed them to extend their lead.
Xabi Alonso’s team continues to have a dream season, and if a week ago it was Argentinean Exequiel Palacios who gave them the victory on the hour, now it was the turn of Ecuadorian Piero Hincapie, who put the final 2-3 over RB Leipzig in the 90+1 minute.
For their part, Bayern Munich lost 0-1 at home to Werder Bremen, a team that is fighting to avoid relegation, giving Leverkusen a chance to escape.
Round 18 – Games
Heidenheim 1-1 Wolfsburg
Freiburg 3-2 Hoffenheim
Bochum 1-0 Stuttgart
Darmstadt 2-2 Frankfurt
Koln 0-4 Dortmund
Leipzig 2-3 Leverkusen
Bayern 0-1 Bremen
Monchengladbach 1-2 Augsburg
Bundesliga Matchday 18: Red Bull Leipzig 2-3 Bayer Leverkusen
When and Where?
Saturday, January 20th, 12:30 pm ET at the Red Bull Arena
Moneyline odds:
Leipzig 2.45
Bayer Leverkusen 2.65
Draw Offs:
3.60Â
Where can I watch it?
Star+ and Paramount+
It was the most attractive duel of the weekend, and it did not disappoint. It was an electric match from the beginning between the first and the fourth, and it started with the home team winning early, just after 7 minutes, with a great personal play by Xavi Simons, who turned inside the box and shot just inside the base of the post.
Leipzig dominated the first half, but were unable to increase the lead and paid dearly for it, because just at the beginning of the second, at 47th, Alejandro Grimaldo’s center from the left crossed the entire area and found Nathan Tella alone, who pushed the ball in for the 1-1 draw.
It was a back-and-forth game, and from a Leverkusen corner, Xavi Simmons won the ball back and was quick off the mark. The Dutchman opened the ball up for Dani Olmo, who first played a great pass to Loïs Openda, who also shot first-time to score a great goal and make it 2-1.
It seems that Xabi Alonso learned from that mistake and told his players not to make any more set plays on corner kicks, but to take the crosses, and so came the goals and the comeback. First, it was Jonathan Tah in the 63rd, heading in a corner from the left, and then it was Piero Hincapie, with his foot, from a corner kick from the right at 90+1 minutes.
Leverkusen now have 48 points and a seven-point lead over Bayern, while Leipzig remain in fourth place with 33.
Bundesliga Matchday 18: Bayern München 0-1 Werder Bremen
When and where?
Sunday, January 21st, 10:30 am at the Allianz Arena
Moneyline odds:
Bayern München 1.11
Werder Bremen 26
Draw Offs:
13Â
Where can I watch it?
Star+ and Paramount+
The surprise of the weekend came from the Allianz Arena. Bayern München, who had 22 shots, 7 of them on goal, and ten corners in their favor, could not overcome the resistance of Michael Zetterer, best man of the game, and lost 0-1 to Werder Bremen.
Ole Werner’s team, which is fighting to avoid relegation, managed to take the lead with a great goal by Mitchell Weiser, who made a good move inside the box and shot past Manuel Neuer, who stood like a statue.
Bayern will play a postponed game against Union Berlin during the week and hopes to cut the lead over Bayer Leverkusen, thus remaining only 4 points behind in the Bundesliga title race.Â
Bundesliga Matchday 18: Bochum 1-0 Stuttgart
When and Where?
Saturday, January 20, 09:30 AM ET at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion
Moneyline odds:
Bochum 3.78
Stuttgart 2.01
Draw Offs:
3.96Â
Where can I watch it?
Star+ and Paramount+
Another surprise was Bochum’s 1-0 win over Stuttgart, in another of the duels between the teams at the top of the table fighting against those close to the relegation zone.
The home side took revenge for the 5-0 thrashing they suffered in the first game of the season. Precisely, on that occasion, Serhou Guirassy and Silas Katompa Mvumpa scored doubles, and today, both are playing in the African Cup of Nations. The goal was what Stuttgart lacked, as it attacked many times but could not beat Manuel Riemann, the star of the night.
Bochum’s goal came in the 50th minute after a defensive mistake that Matúš Bero took advantage of to score his first goal in the Bundesliga after arriving this season from Dutch side Vitesse.
The home club now has 20 points, nine ahead of the relegation teams, while the visitors are in third place with 34.
Bundesliga Matchday 18: Köln 0-4 Dortmund
When and where?
Saturday, January 20th, 9:30 am ET at the RheinEnergieStadion
Moneyline odds:
Köln 4.41
Dortmund 1.78
Draw Offs:
4.36Â
Where can I watch it?
Star+ and Paramount+
Borussia Dortmund returned to their good style of play and crushed Köln by 0-4, although at times it was not so clear-cut.
Even though Dortmund took an early lead in the 12th minute with a shot by Donyell Malen after a pass from Julian Brandt from a corner kick, the home side had a couple of clear chances to equalize but failed to do so.
In the second half, Jadon Sancho, who is regaining his form, won a very dubious penalty that Niclas Füllkrug converted into a goal. The game was already decided at that point.
Just 3 minutes after the penalty, Malen appeared again, after a great pass from Ian Maatsen, to make it 0-3 at 61′, while Youssoufa Moukoko would push the ball in stoppage time after a cross from Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and thus decreed the final 0-4.
Edin Terzic’s men are in fifth place with 33 points, the same as Leipzig, who have a better goal difference, and one point behind Stuttgart. Meanwhile, Köln is at the bottom with only 11 points.
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