Bundesliga roundup: Union fail to score again while Schalke climb from last spot

Union Berlin - Koln 0-0

Die Eisernen were looking to avoid losing consecutive Bundesliga matches for the first time this season, after their title tilt took a major stumbling block against Bayern Munich last week. Urs Fischer’s men threatened an early goal, as they won the ball high up the pitch before Keven Berhens’ tame effort was easily saved.

It was a tepid first half from both sides, with neither prepared to show too much attacking endeavour in an effort to break the deadlock. The visiting Billy Goats had the best opening before the break, as Dejan Ljubičić arrived into the box and into a brilliant shooting area, but he dragged his effort narrowly wide.

After the interval, Steffen Baumgart’s men continued to offer the greater attacking threat, as both Linton Maina and Florian Kainz went close to giving their side the lead. Defences remained on top though, with neither goalkeeper forced into action with any kind of frequency.

Another failure to win leaves Union five points adrift of Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund, although they retained their unbeaten record on home soil in league action this term. Cologne were unlikely to be the side to breach the fortress though, given they’ve won just one of their last 13 Bundesliga road trips as they sit stranded in mid-table.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Florian Kainz (Cologne)

Augsburg - Werder Bremen 2-1

After suffering a fourth consecutive away defeat last weekend, Augsburg would have been keen to return to home surroundings, where they had previously recorded three straight 1-0 victories. Although Rafał Gikiewicz was forced into early action to deny Bundesliga top scorer Niclas Füllkrug, it was the hosts who drew first blood thanks to Dion Drena Beljo’s sixth-minute effort. The January arrival drove into the box before finding the bottom corner with an outstretched left boot to open his account for the Fuggerstädter.

Despite taking the lead, Augsburg looked far from a side that had kept three consecutive home clean sheets prior to the afternoon’s contest. Renato Veiga gifted possession to Niklas Schmidt in the penalty area, but to the teenager’s relief, Gikiewicz was on hand to thwart the Bremen midfielder. However, the Augsburg goalkeeper did not cover himself in glory in the 16th minute when a lack of communication between him and Jeffrey Gouweleeuw allowed Jens Stage to easily nod the ball into an empty net.

Neither side was able to find the next goal before the interval, ensuring 10 of Augsburg’s 12 Bundesliga home games this season have been level at HT. That quickly changed after the break, though, as Arne Maier latched onto a neat Ermedin Demirović pass, before slotting the ball past Jiří Pavlenka to give the hosts the lead for the second time.

As the contest drifted into the final 20 minutes, Marvin Ducksch attempted to find an equaliser with a left-footed strike, but it could only trickle harmlessly wide of the Augsburg goal. Gikiewicz was required to secure the three points though, grabbing hold of Schmidt’s driven effort at the second time of asking. The win moves Enrico Maaßen’s side eight points clear of the danger zone and leaves them three points behind Bremen, who slipped into the bottom half.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Dion Drena Beljo (Augsburg)

Monchengladbach - Freiburg 0-0

Freiburg travelled to the North Rhine-Westphalia region knowing that all three points are a must to keep their European charge going, let alone keeping themselves within the tantalising Bundesliga title race this season, with the visitors only sitting eight points behind Borussia Dortmund who beat RB Leipzig the previous night.

Despite the patchy form Mönchengladbach came into this game with no fear, as both teams traded shots early on in an attempt to take an early lead. The stand out was a Marcus Thuram chance after eight minutes, when the striker received a low pass on the edge of the box and fired towards the bottom corner, only to be denied by Mark Flekken. The hosts continued to test Flekken as he was soon called into action again to deny Jonas Hofmann and Alassane Pléa, who both tried their luck from the edge of the penalty area. Despite having control of the tempo and possession, Freiburg struggled to create more chances as the first-half progressed.

The visitors came flying out in the second-half, recording five chances within the first 15 minutes of play resuming, with Roland Sallai being the one to really test Tobias Sippel as he parried the ball away from danger. Both struggled to create much after that, with things getting harder for the hosts, as Ramy Bensebaini was sent off for receiving a second yellow card.

Neither side could find that decisive goal and had to settle for a point each, with the hosts climbing into the top-half of the table. Meanwhile, Christian Streich’s side will feel frustrated at their inability to capitalise on the chance to climb up to third place in the table.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Mark Flekken (SC Freiburg)

Bochum - Schalke 0-2

Having failed to score in each of their last three Bundesliga games, Bochum had a golden opportunity to end their goal drought inside 10 minutes. Die Unabsteigbaren top goalscorer Philipp Hofmann had the goal at his mercy thanks to a drilled ball across the box, but the former Schalke man somehow steered his effort wide. The hosts continued on the offensive, and created another presentable opportunity when Christopher Antwi-Adjei was denied by the onrushing Ralf Fährmann. On the stroke of HT, the visitors snatched the lead against the run of play, as Manuel Riemann failed to deal with a whipped cross, inadvertently turning into his own net during the mix-up.

Chances remained at a premium for Schalke after the break, but having defended resolutely, Rodrigo Zalazar’s ferocious strike had Riemann scrambling. Bochum’s early dominance had now dissipated, and the away side took full advantage to double their lead through Marius Bülter, who swept in a low corner delivery with time running out. The hosts threatened to cut short Schalke’s jubilation minutes later, but after a VAR review, Keven Schlotterbeck’s close-range reaction finish was chalked off, allowing Thomas Reis’s side to see out the win.

Undefeated in the rückrunde, Schalke’s survival prospects have received a significant boost of late, and three vital points here sees them rise off the foot of the table for the first time since October. As for Bochum, they take Die Knappen’s place in 18th, with only goal difference separating the bottom four sides.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Ralf Fährmann (Schalke 04)

Mainz - Hoffenheim 1-0

Mainz entered this clash having picked up 41% of their points tally in 2023 alone, and with visitors Hoffenheim contrastingly losing nine of their previous ten in the Bundesliga, it was remarkable that a dominant and composed Mainz took until the 32nd minute to draw first blood. A long, arcing corner from Edmilson Fernandes found Stefan Bell in the area, and though Oliver Baumann parried his effort, the rebound fell for an unmarked Leandro Barreiro to hit home at point-blank range.

As well as marking his 100th Bundesliga appearance with a goal, the strike was also significant as it made Barreiro only the third Luxembourger to score in the German top-flight, after Nico Braun and Jeff Strasser. With Mainz scoring a whopping ten times across their previous three games, many expected a cruise from there, but Hoffenheim regrouped as well as could be expected, and were alert enough to block a dangerous-looking Ludovic Ajorque pass into the box on the stroke of HT to keep it at a somewhat respectable 1-0.

Perhaps sensing they had nothing to lose, Hoffenheim surprised their hosts by emerging strongly after HT, and Dennis Geiger let fly from the edge of the box, only for Robin Zentner to get down to his right and prevent a shock equaliser. Marcus Ingvartsen then saw a ninth goal of the season ruled out for offside, after firing in from Danny da Costa’s purposeful square ball inside the box.

Ingvartsen also found himself with a half-chance at close range 10 minutes later, but faltered under pressure that caused him to lose his footing. Again Hoffenheim responded, and Finn Ole Becker saw the sting taken out of a shot inside the box by two Mainz defenders, before only pressure from Andreas Hanche-Olsen on Mu'nas Dabbur prevented the Israeli from beating Robin Zentner on the angle, as the first hints of nervousness began to creep in amongst the masses of red in attendance.

That didn’t translate to events on the pitch though, with Mainz’s teenage sensation Nelson Weiper shooting narrowly wide on the angle twice in the dying minutes. And as has so often been the case this term, Hoffenheim ran out of ideas, succumbing to yet another defeat to make it six Bundesliga losses on the bounce for the first time since December 2012 – mid-way through their last season to end in a relegation playoff. On this evidence they’ll do well to survive another, let alone avoid one, while Mainz continue their charge for Europe.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Stefan Bell (FSV Mainz 05)