Bayer triumphs in the turbulent VAR dispute against Frankfurt
Leipzig puts the Bundesliga under pressure once more. Mainz endures a decisive defeat, voicing dissent towards Klopp. Leverkusen manages to subdue Frankfurt, with Boniface missing a penalty but eventually capitalizing on an error.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs Eintracht Frankfurt 2:1 (1:1)
Leverkusen triumphs in the Bundesliga following a strong substitute appearance from young sensation Wirtz, who subsequently assists Boniface's winning goal. Leverkusen moves up to fourth place in the standings after their 2:1 (1:1) victory over Frankfurt, subsequent to an exciting encounter on Saturday.
Robert Andrich (35.) and Boniface (72.) scored both winning goals for the Werkself, who celebrates an impressive run of victories despite Boniface's missed penalty in the ninth minute. Frankfurt took the lead thanks to a goal from Marmoush (16.) but was unable to break their 11-match losing streak at Leverkusen, slipping down to fifth place in the standings.
Alonso had preemptively warned about Frankfurt's potential danger, but Leverkusen remained the more active team in the early stages. Ankle injury-stricken Wirtz started from the bench. The Werkself was, nonetheless, dominant in the initial phases. Dina Ebimbe fouled Adli in the penalty area, but Boniface's penalty was saved by a studious Trapp, who had returned to the Frankfurt goal. The guests bounced back and displayed early offensive signs.
Marmoush's powerful attempt from afar hit the post (12.) before unsettling his opponents and establishing a 1:0 advantage. Andrich fouled Marmoush on the penalty spot, and Frankfurt converted with a confident finish from Marmoush (16.). As the game picked up speed, both teams were on the lookout for speedy attacks. After a mesmerizing combination involving Adli and Terrier, Andrich equalized in the far corner (25.). Momentarily, the game slowed down, with both sides taking a breather from the frenetic early tempo. Andrich struck the post with a powerful shot in the 35th minute (35.) Seeing their chances dwindling, Leverkusen brought on talented Wirtz in the 64th minute, and he played a pivotal role in the winning goal: his right-wing cross was not cleared by the unfortunate Trapp,allowing Boniface to head home from close range. Chaos ensued in the final minutes, with Boniface missing a header, Ekitike missing the target, Andrich striking the post, and a goal from Ekitike being cleared off the line by Bayer defender Tah (90.).
SC Freiburg vs FC Augsburg 3:1 (3:0)
With grace and precision, Freiburg continued its exceptional season start. Schuster's team managed a challenging encounter versus FC Augsburg, claiming a well-deserved 3:1 (3:0) victory. Freiburg went 10 games undefeated at home against Augsburg, amassing 15 points. A long-range effort from Grifo (34'), Lienhart (37') after a corner kick, and a stunning goal from captain Günter (45.+1) secured the win for Freiburg before the break. Tietz (65') netted a consolation goal for Augsburg, who currently languishes in relegation position with seven points, while Freiburg keeps pace with the league leaders.
Schuster predicted a tough match against Augsburg and was correct in his assumption, with his team not creating many chances early. Freiburg excelled in lawn dominance but struggled to produce dangerous opportunities, with several inaccuracies hampering their flow. Augsburg had the first attempt, but Tietz narrowly missed the target (11').
Augsburg relied on long-range strikes, with Adamu's effort going astray (18'), and Eggestein's powerful attempt being tipped over the post by Labrovic (27'). The goalkeeper was then rendered helpless by Grifo's breathtaking strike from 25 meters, which sent the ball into the top corner. Lienhart headed home from a corner kick three minutes later, and Günter capped off the scoring with an impressive long-range goal just before half-time.
Augsburg's intensity dropped after the break, and they were punished when Tietz scored despite being heavily outnumbered in the penalty area.
FSV Mainz 05 vs RB Leipzig 0:2 (0:2)
Robust defensively and ruthless finishing in the opening stages, Leipzig briefly seized the Bundesliga's top spot with a 2:0 victory over Mainz. Coach Marco Rose's side preserved its unbeaten record (7 matches) against Mainz as a result. However, Bayern Munich could still take the lead with a win against VfB Stuttgart (18:30 CET).
Despite being the home side, Mainz battled defensively but was unable to create chances. Leipzig started off the match strongly and quickly claimed a 2:0 lead through Nkunku's first-half goal (16') and distance effort from Angelino (31'). Despite adding pressure in the second half, Mainz failed to reduce the deficit, extending Leipzig's unbeaten run against Mainz to 10 games.
Xavi Simons (20-year-old) and Willi Orban (37-year-old) helped Leipzig break a four-game winless streak against Mainz, with Leipzig keeping a clean sheet for the sixth time this season. Leipzig also set a new club record with 17 points from seven games. Meanwhile, Mainz suffered their third consecutive home defeat, something they had never done under current coach Bo Henriksen.
In their first game since Jürgen Klopp's appointment as Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull, Leipzig's coach Rose warned about the challenge posed by Mainz. "Mainz has given us trouble in the past," he said. "They have a very energetic and intense team." Leipzig had to match that intensity, which they did in the physically demanding opening phase. Xavi scored the first goal with a solo effort, beating three defenders and finishing through Robin Zentner's legs. Leipzig then doubled its lead through Orban's header before halftime.
Mainz immediately sought an answer but struggled in the final third against the league's best defense. Either the crucial pass lacked precision or a Leipzig defender intervened at the last moment - clear chances were scarce. Instead, RB showed ruthless efficiency up front, with Orban successfully finishing a volley from Lois Openda.
After the break, Leipzig shifted into cruise control, letting the ball and opponent run without taking unnecessary risks. Mainz committed too many errors, lacking creative solutions. Danger came mainly from distance, with Caci's dropkick from 23 meters narrowly missing the post (67'). As the game progressed, Leipzig created more counter-attacks. Benjamin Sesko missed twice in front of Zentner (70', 72'), on the first occasion he should have crossed to the onrushing Xavi.
Borussia Mönchengladbach - 1. FC Heidenheim 3:2 (1:1)
Tim Kleindienst, the new national team player, scored the crucial third league win for Borussia Mönchengladbach against his former club, 1. FC Heidenheim. Kleindienst, along with criticized coach Gerardo Seoane, led Borussia to a deserved 3:2 (1:1) victory, helping Borussia climb into the mid-table. After Heidenheim's Leonardo Scienza opened the scoring (12'), Ko Itakura equalized (22'). In the second half, Kleindienst scored first with a backheel (62') and then converted a penalty (72'). Marvin Pieringer (80', penalty) reduced for the guests.
Gladbach's sporting director Roland Virkus had emphasized before the crucial game that there was no ultimatum for the coach, compared to the disappointing 1:2 defeat at FC Augsburg. Seoane changed his team on five positions, with Luca Netz and Kevin Stöger missing from the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Kleindienst stormed the offensive against his former club. Franck Honorat (2') and Marvin Friedrich (3') missed early chances for the lively home team, which was quickly punished. A long-range shot from Jan Schöppner was only poorly parried by goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas, Scienza converted the rebound from a tight angle. "We want to see you fight" chanted the Borussia fans.
The Gladbachers reacted strongly, Itakura equalized. The hosts remained on the gas, creating chances with great combinations almost every minute. FCH goalkeeper Kevin Müller reacted brilliantly to Robin Hack's header (26'). Mönchengladbach dominated the game, Heidenheim rarely found relief. Especially Kleindienst and Honorat caused repeated alarms - only the winning goal was missing at halftime. At the start of the second half, Seoane's team lacked the conviction from the first half. The Heidenheimers played more offensively, Adrian Beck (58') missed from close range. But then Kleindienst's show began: first, he scored beautifully with his heel for the lead, then he confidently converted a penalty against his best man Müller ten minutes later.
VfL Bochum Sinking Towards the Bottom of the Table
VfL Bochum is finding itself at the bottom of the table. After the 7th matchday, they suffered a 1:3 (0:1) defeat in a basement battle against TSG Hoffenheim, still searching for their first win of the season. The pressure on coach Peter Zeidler is mounting. Striker Andrej Kramaric (11') and Marius Bülter (64') scored for Hoffenheim, who had only managed one win on the first matchday. Despite Christian Gamboa's goal (76'), VfL Bochum remains with just one point. In the dying moments, national goalkeeper Oliver Baumann saved a poorly taken penalty by Lukas Daschner (89'), and Haris Tabakovic (90+3) sealed the victory.
The 19,281 spectators at the Sinsheim Arena witnessed a strong start by the home team. Within the first ten minutes, it became dangerous in front of the Bochum goal several times. Kramaric put Hoffenheim's dominance on the scoreboard, marking his fifth goal of the season. Bochum, missing Bernardo and Matus Bero, posed no serious threat to the Kraichgauer. The game was almost exclusively played in or around the VfL penalty area. Kramaric should have increased the lead in the 16th minute but missed from close range. Eight minutes later, the 33-year-old hit the crossbar.
Zeidler's squad, behind by merely a goal after quarter of an hour, was given encouragement. "Show us your fighting spirit," rang out from the Bochum supporters. The message fell on deaf ears. Despite being sans Grischa Prömel, Ihlas Bebou, Ozan Kabak, David Jurasek, Pavel Kaderabek, and the suspended Stanley Nsoki, Hoffenheim managed to control the game's flow. In the 39th minute, Kramaric let slip another grand opportunity.
On the brink of halftime, Bochum sought retribution. Koji Miyoshi failed to beat Baumann (43'). To begin the second half, Zeidler introduced Moritz Kwarteng, Ibrahima Sissoko, and Lukas Daschner. Daschner came close to restoring parity (47'). Meanwhile, a goal by Bülter was disallowed due to a razor-thin offside call (49'). Later, there was no room for doubt about Bülter's goal. Gamboa injected some thrill into the match. Following a foul committed by Hoffenheim's Kevin Akpoguma, Baumann saved Daschner's weakly struck penalty.
The following statement was made by Leverkusen's coach Alonso before the game: "We need to be aware of Frankfurt's potential danger."
Following their victory, Leverkusen moved up to the fourth position in the Bundesliga standings, with Boniface providing the winning goal after missing a penalty earlier in the match.
