Bundesliga Insights: Bayern’s Dominance and Frankfurt’s Resurgence

omidbasir- After Borussia Dortmund temporarily narrowed the gap with Bayern Munich to just three points in the Bundesliga standings, it was imperative for Vincent Kompany’s side to respond as they faced Werder Bremen.

In other matches, Eintracht Frankfurt hosted Borussia Mönchengladbach, Hoffenheim played against Freiburg, Bayer Leverkusen took on St. Pauli, and Hamburg squared off against Union Berlin.

Here are three key takeaways from the recent matchday:

Given Werder Bremen’s form leading into the match, it was widely anticipated that Bayern Munich would secure all three points. Daniel Thioune’s team put forth a commendable effort in the opening 20 minutes; however, reminiscent of their previous encounters against RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim, a penalty awarded to Bayern opened the scoring, with Harry Kane netting the first goal. Just three minutes later, Kane added a second, followed by Leon Goretzka sealing the match with a third goal in the second half. This victory restores Bayern’s lead to six points atop the Bundesliga, ahead of Dortmund.

The next fortnight will be crucial for both teams. Dortmund faces RB Leipzig and Bayern, alongside matches against Atalanta in the Champions League, while Kompany’s squad will play Frankfurt next weekend before heading to the Signal Iduna Park.

For a genuine title race to materialize, it will need to take shape by the end of this month.

In a statement yesterday, Riera indicated that Borussia Mönchengladbach would struggle against his Frankfurt team, and the match confirmed this notion. Goals from Nathanial Brown, Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab, and Ansgar Knauff secured three points for Frankfurt. This performance was notably more pragmatic, allowing Frankfurt to achieve a clean sheet in the Bundesliga for the first time since their 1-0 victory over Augsburg in early December. Defensively, they restricted Gladbach to only three shots on target out of 20 attempts (according to FotMob).

For Gladbach, the situation is dire, having won only one of their last nine fixtures, and they now sit just three points above the relegation zone.

Bayer Leverkusen had a challenging start to the second half of the season, showing inconsistencies despite remaining unbeaten in their last four Bundesliga outings. However, their 4-0 triumph against St. Pauli marked a significant improvement. Goals from Jarell Quansah and Patrick Schick came in quick succession, supplemented by strikes from Edmond Tapsoba and Ernest Poku. Although the victory was against a relegation-threatened St. Pauli, it serves as a vital confidence boost for Kasper Hjulmand’s side as they prepare for their midweek Champions League clash against Olympiakos, a team they faced defeat against a few weeks prior. Yet, their recent form offers hope that the earlier setback was merely a blip.