Matchday 16: Kings of Your Castle

The Bundesliga’s in-form teams travelled through Germany to spread shock and awe.

Bayern. Following Bayern’s notti magiche in Turin, Louis van Gaal warned that the game against Bochum would be very difficult. He later conceded that he was wrong. Bayern continued where they had left off on Tuesday and dominated every aspect of the game with ease. The difference to the game against Juventus was just that Bayern had already scored their fifth goal in the 56th minute, at which point even a double digit result felt like a rationally predictable scenario. The only slight blemish on Bayern’s horizon is the looming winter break, which will put the focus away from the football and back to the day to day drama at the Säbener Strasse again.

Dortmund. Those hoping for a tasty clash between a resurgent Dortmund side and the reigning Bundesliga champions were bitterly disappointed. Dortmund quickly finished off the game with three first half goals and then dawdled along in the second half, allowing Wolfsburg to score a consolation goal. Despite the odd flashes of brilliance by Misimovic, Dzeko or (sometimes) Grafite, most of what made Wolfsburg Bundesliga champions is gone and if it stays that way, the same will probably be true for Armin Veh as well. Dortmund meanwhile moved within three points of a Champions League spot. Their four man combo Mats Hummels, Neven Subotic, Sven Bender and Nuri Sahin currently forms the youngest and best central defense/defensive midfield of the league.

Schalke. Felix Magath is just too happy to talk down his team’s ambitions, quality and style of football. He is just as happy to paint his competitors at the top of the table as being heads and shoulders above his team. He basically turned Schalke’s Bundesliga campaign into a top of the table relegation battle. One which he is winning. Schalke travelled to Bremen, smothered all creative and attacking quality of Bremen with his defense in the first half, and then grabbed all three points with rapid counter attacks in the second half.

Hamburg. Mladen Petric returned and with him returned Hamburg’s winning ways. Nuremberg put in a good performance in the first half, with chances on both ends, but collapsed in the second. Hamburg meanwhile overcame their goal drought and manufactured four goals with the sense of style, we got used to earlier in the season. The pitch in Nuremberg was much more conducive to Hamburg’s style of football than the muddy pitch in Hamburg though – where the team will try to get some revenge for all the misery Bremen brought upon them last season.

Elsewhere. Jens Lehmann pulled a double Lehmann on Sunday and Hannover scored an own goal hat-trick on Saturday.

Results: Hertha 2-2 Leverkusen, Hoffenheim 1-1 Frankfurt, Bochum 1-5 Bayern, Mönchengladbach 5-3 Hannover, Freiburg 0-0 Cologne, Nuremberg 0-4 Hamburg, Bremen 0-2 Schalke, Mainz 1-1 Stuttgart, Wolfsburg 1-3 Dortmund

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Category: Bundesliga