Bayer 04 Leverkusen have taken advantage of Borussia Mönchengladbach's 0-0 draw in Frankfurt on Friday night, securing a confident 4-0 home victory against Hannover 96 on Bundesliga matchday 29. They have now moved into third place, which would ensure qualification to next year's UEFA Champions League come the end of the season. FC Bayern München responded well to their 3-1 Champions League defeat to FC Porto in midweek as they claimed a 2-0 win on the road against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – and have set themselves up with a chance to win the Bundesliga title on the next matchday.
Borussia Dortmund won their first game after coach Jürgen Klopp had announced he would leave at the end of the season, comfortably seeing off SC Paderborn 3-0. 1. FSV Mainz 05 collected vital points in the relegation battle thanks to their 3-2 victory at SC Freiburg. No goals were scored in the game between Hertha BSC and 1. FC Köln.
Brandt scores during Leverkusen win
Leverkusen took an early lead through Ömer Toprak (20') on their way to a seventh straight league victory. The centre back headed home a corner from Hakan Calhanoglu at the near post. U19 European Champion and current U20 international Julian Brandt scored Bayer's second goal (40') with a well-placed finish from the left of the box.
Brandt was also involved in the third goal, winning possession and providing Stefan Kießling with a cross, whose header was saved but Kyriakos Papadopoulos was on hand to score the rebound (49'). Kießling got his goal after the break to round off the scoring (70'). While Bayer 04 moved into third place, Hannover are in danger of slipping into the relegation zone following their twelfth straight game without a win. They are currently just two points ahead of 16th place.
FC Bayern nearly conceded the opener in Sinsheim after 30 minutes when Anthony Modeste was one-on-one with Manuel Neuer, but the World Champion kept the score level with a great save with his feet. Shortly after, the record champions took the lead through Sebastian Rode, who curled the ball brilliantly into the far corner from just inside the penalty area (38'). Robert Lewandowski came close to scoring his 17th Bundesliga goal of the season, but his shot after 49 minutes came back off the bar. An own goal by Hoffenheim's Andreas Beck was the final action of the game (90+3').
BVB easily dispatch Paderborn
Not much happened in Dortmund during the opening 45 minutes, but the hosts picked up the pace in the second half and took an early lead through Henrikh Mkhitaryan's header (48'). Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang doubled Dortmund's advantage a short time later (55') before Shinji Kagawa completed the 3-0 scoreline (80'). BVB are now just three points adrift a Europa League qualifying spot, while Paderborn remain in 16th place, with Stuttgart and Hamburg yet to play this weekend.
Mainz extended the gap between themselves and the relegation zone to a comfortable seven-point margin after Shinji Okazaki bagged a first-half brace in Freiburg (39', 45'). The hosts got back into the game through Admir Mehmedi's goal with ten minutes left to play, but U21 Germany international Yunus Malli restored Mainz's two goal lead (83'). Jonathan Schmid's goal to make it 3-2 came too late (90'+1'). Freiburg have a two point cushion over Paderborn in 16th place.
A goalless draw between Hertha BSC and 1. FC Köln meant that both teams secured a point in the relegation battle. The hosts had the better opportunities through Per-Cilian Skjelbred (30'), Valentin Stocker (49') and Genki Haraguchi (59'), but none of them managed to get past Germany U21 keeper Timo Horn.