Bayern Munich taste league defeat for only the second time this season as Hoffenheim beat them courtesy of Andrej Kramaric’s first half strike. Elsewhere, there were wins for Borussia Dortmund, Werder Bremen and Cologne.Hoffenheim 1-0 Bayern
(Kramaric 21’)
Andrej Kramaric’s first half goal inflicted just a second league defeat of the season on Bayern Munich on a famous night for Hoffenheim.
Kramaric gave the hosts the lead with a superb effort from distance. The Bayern midfield gave the Croatian too much space on the edge of the box, and the in-form striker hammered in a shot that was simply too powerful for Sven Ulreich, deputizing for the injured Manuel Neuer.
The home side dominated the first half and could – and probably should – have been three or four goals to the good at the break. Bayern had no answer to Hoffenheim’s intensity and, but for some more clinical finishing, could have been out of sight by the break.
Bayern improved after the restart and Robert Lewandowski came close with a neat turn and shot, but Baumann was equal to it in the Hoffenheim goal. Bayern threw everything at Hoffenheim in search of a late leveler, with the Pole agonizingly close to equalizing in stoppage time, only for his shot to dribble centimeters wide.
That was as close as they got as Carlo Ancelotti’s side tasted league defeat for the first time since November, with Hoffenheim continuing their unbeaten home run this season to close to within a point of second-placed RB Leipzig.
Borussia Dortmund 3-0 Hamburg
(Castro 13’ Kagawa 81’ Aubameyang 90’+2)
Borussia Dortmund kept their Champions League qualification aspirations on track with a comfortable win over Hamburg.
Dortmund took an early lead through Gonzalo Castro’s wonderfully executed free-kick. The midfielder stepped up and bent a fine shot around the Hamburg wall and into the bottom corner.
Hamburg dug in and could have pulled level, but lacked a cutting edge in front of goal and Dortmund eventually punished them with the second nine minutes from time. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang won the ball and put it on a plate for Shinji Kagawa, who couldn’t miss from close range.
Aubameyang’s cool finish in injury time put the finishing touches on a good night’s work for Dortmund, who stay fourth but now have a ten-point cushion over fifth-placed Hertha Berlin.
Werder Bremen 3-0 Schalke
(Gebre Selassie 24’, Kruse pen 76‘, Eggestein 80‘)
Werder Bremen’s scintillating run of form continues after victory over Schalke.
Theodor Gebre Selassie’s towering header gave Bremen the lead midway through the first half. The Czech defender rose to meet Junuzovic’s pinpoint cross from the right and left Fährmann with little chance, placing his header into the far corner.
Bremen doubled their lead with 14 minutes to play courtesy of a calmly taken Max Kruse penalty, awarded after a trip by Schalke skipper Benedikt Höwedes in the box.
Eggestein’s late header put the icing on the cake for Bremen, who have now won six league games in their last seven and find themselves eighth in the Bundesliga, just two points behind seventh-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.
Cologne 1-0 Eintracht Frankfurt
(Jojic 53’)
Milos Jojic’s fine second half strike gave Cologne a slender win in an attritional affair against Frankfurt.
With both sides struggling for form, particularly the visitors, this was never going to be a classic. And even the presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the expensive seats couldn’t inspire either side in the first half.
Cologne flew out of the traps of the second half though and Jojic seized on a loose ball on the edge of the box to fire in a low shot that proved the only goal of the game.
The three points send Cologne fifth, while Frankfurt’s woeful run of seven league games without a win – and 720 minutes without a goal – continues.
Bundesliga Matchday 27 – as it happened:
