The highlight of matchday 21 was no doubt VfL Wolfsburg's dramatic 5-4 win away to Bayer Leverkusen. It was the hosts' first home defeat of the season. The victory means Wolfsburg didn't lose ground on table-toppers FC Bayern München, who impressed with an 8-0 thumping of Hamburger SV in the Allianz Arena. Borussia Mönchengladbach secured crucial points in their bid to qualify for the Champions League by winning the Rhine derby against 1. FC Köln 1-0. FC Augsburg suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of SV Werder Bremen, while bottom-side VfB Stuttgart dropped points in injury time, losing 2-1 away to Hoffenheim.
Wolfsburg got off to a good start in BayArena, taking the lead in the sixth minute. An unmarked Bas Dost headed the opening goal home from Vieirinha's cross. Naldo scored the second 17 minutes in from a long-range free kick, before Dost bagged his second of the day with the outside of his boot 12 minutes later.
The hosts fought back after the break. Heung-Min Son scored twice, in the 57th and 63rd minute, but Wolfsburg added another soon after: Dost finished a counterattack to restore their two-goal lead. Leverkusen were unwilling to accept defeat though and Son completed his hat trick. Karim Bellarabi then finished off a solo run to equalise in the 72nd minute, much to the joy of the home crowd. Leverkusen’s Emir Spahic was sent off with less than ten minutes remaining though and Wolfsburg used the opportunity to clinch a late victory. Dost crowned a perfect day by bagging his fourth goal in injury time.
Historic defeat for Hamburger SV
It took the table-toppers from Munich a while to get going in their meeting with HSV, but after Thomas Müller converted a penalty 21 minutes into the game, they finally seemed to find their stride. Two minutes later, Mario Götze tapped in a rebound to double the lead. Arjen Robben bagged goals either side of the break, before Müller notched his second of the game after 55 minutes. Robert Lewandowski increased the goal tally to half a dozen moments later. Franck Ribery and Götze rounded off the result with another goal each. It was Hamburg's heaviest ever defeat in the Bundesliga.
Mönchengladbach's Borussia-Park staged the 82nd Rhine derby between Gladbach and 1. FC Köln. The hosts struggled to find a way through Köln's tight defence and needed an injury time header from Granit Xhaka to seal the win.
Bremen continue their run
Werder Bremen carried their momentum of a four-game winning streak into their encounter with FC Augsburg. Assani Lukimya's diving header put the hosts ahead in the 16th minute, but Ragnar Klavan levelled things up only five minutes later. Bremen soon regained control of the match though. Franco Di Santo’s penalty and goal right on the stroke of half time by Theodor Gebre Selassie decided the game in SVW's favour. Tobias Werner pulled one back for Augsburg in the second half, but it was too little, too late to deny Bremen a fifth consecutive win.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim won their southern derby against VfB Stuttgart thanks to a last-minute strike by Germany international Sebastian Rudy. First-half goals by Roberto Firmino and Gotoku Sakai had the match heading towards a draw. Stuttgart remain at the bottom of the table following the defeat, while TSG have moved closer to the Europa League places following defeats for Leverkusen and Augsburg.
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The highlight of matchday 21 was no doubt VfL Wolfsburg's dramatic 5-4 win away to Bayer Leverkusen. It was the hosts' first home defeat of the season. The victory means Wolfsburg didn't lose ground on table-toppers FC Bayern München, who impressed with an 8-0 thumping of Hamburger SV in the Allianz Arena. Borussia Mönchengladbach secured crucial points in their bid to qualify for the Champions League by winning the Rhine derby against 1. FC Köln 1-0. FC Augsburg suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of SV Werder Bremen, while bottom-side VfB Stuttgart dropped points in injury time, losing 2-1 away to Hoffenheim.
Wolfsburg got off to a good start in BayArena, taking the lead in the sixth minute. An unmarked Bas Dost headed the opening goal home from Vieirinha's cross. Naldo scored the second 17 minutes in from a long-range free kick, before Dost bagged his second of the day with the outside of his boot 12 minutes later.
The hosts fought back after the break. Heung-Min Son scored twice, in the 57th and 63rd minute, but Wolfsburg added another soon after: Dost finished a counterattack to restore their two-goal lead. Leverkusen were unwilling to accept defeat though and Son completed his hat trick. Karim Bellarabi then finished off a solo run to equalise in the 72nd minute, much to the joy of the home crowd. Leverkusen’s Emir Spahic was sent off with less than ten minutes remaining though and Wolfsburg used the opportunity to clinch a late victory. Dost crowned a perfect day by bagging his fourth goal in injury time.
Historic defeat for Hamburger SV
It took the table-toppers from Munich a while to get going in their meeting with HSV, but after Thomas Müller converted a penalty 21 minutes into the game, they finally seemed to find their stride. Two minutes later, Mario Götze tapped in a rebound to double the lead. Arjen Robben bagged goals either side of the break, before Müller notched his second of the game after 55 minutes. Robert Lewandowski increased the goal tally to half a dozen moments later. Franck Ribery and Götze rounded off the result with another goal each. It was Hamburg's heaviest ever defeat in the Bundesliga.
Mönchengladbach's Borussia-Park staged the 82nd Rhine derby between Gladbach and 1. FC Köln. The hosts struggled to find a way through Köln's tight defence and needed an injury time header from Granit Xhaka to seal the win.
Bremen continue their run
Werder Bremen carried their momentum of a four-game winning streak into their encounter with FC Augsburg. Assani Lukimya's diving header put the hosts ahead in the 16th minute, but Ragnar Klavan levelled things up only five minutes later. Bremen soon regained control of the match though. Franco Di Santo’s penalty and goal right on the stroke of half time by Theodor Gebre Selassie decided the game in SVW's favour. Tobias Werner pulled one back for Augsburg in the second half, but it was too little, too late to deny Bremen a fifth consecutive win.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim won their southern derby against VfB Stuttgart thanks to a last-minute strike by Germany international Sebastian Rudy. First-half goals by Roberto Firmino and Gotoku Sakai had the match heading towards a draw. Stuttgart remain at the bottom of the table following the defeat, while TSG have moved closer to the Europa League places following defeats for Leverkusen and Augsburg.
