It’s as you were at the top of the Bundesliga after Easter weekend – although it’s quite different at the bottom.
Certainly, the race for the title can probably now be considered a two-horse race – although this SBOTOP writer nailed his colours to the mast sometime ago – but the battle for Europe and the bid to beat the drop remains too close to call.
Let’s start at the summit where German champions Bayern Munich remain two points clear but only after they were pushed all the way by spirited Freiburg for the second time in five days.
After stunning the Bavarian giants in the German Cup quarter-finals in midweek, the question was could lightning strike twice in the Black Forest to upset the Bundesliga betting odds.
The answer was no but only just.
Freiburg came closest to scoring in the first half when Ritsu Doan caught Alphonso Davies napping and fired an effort onto the post.
The key moment arrived six minutes after the restart when Matthijs de Ligt rifled the ball beyond Mark Flekken into the top corner.
That broke the deadlock and proved to be sufficient, although Leroy Sane should have made it two shortly afterwards when he chipped over the bar when clean through.
With seven games remaining, Borussia Dortmund have not given up hope.
They remain hot on Bayern’s heels after bouncing back from defeat in ‘Der Klassiker’ with a hard fought success over third place Union Berlin.
A winner 11 minutes from time from 18 year-old substitute Youssoufa Moukoko saw them edge home – this after Donyell Malen’s 28th minute opener had been cancelled out by Kevin Behrens just past the hour mark.
Freiburg drop out of the top four because Leipzig narrowly saw off basement battlers Hertha Berlin.
Just behind them Bayer Leverkusen warmed up for their Europa League quarter-final by defeating last year’s winners of the competition, Eintracht Frankfurt, to leapfrog them into sixth place the table – the final qualifying berth for next year’s tournament.
It was a fifth straight league win for Xabi Alonso’s side with Amine Adli, Moussa Diaby and Sardar Azmoun on the scoresheet at the BayArena in what was described as a ‘counter-attacking masterclass’.
Leverkusen were in 17th spot when Alonso was appointed last October.
Meanwhile, Frankfurt are without a win in their last eight Bundesliga away games (drawn four, lost four) – their longest wait since February-May 2018 under Niko Kovac.
The Bundesliga highlights weren’t just consigned to the top end of the table, of course.
Stuttgart moved off the bottom and out of drop zone with a win at fellow strugglers Bochum as goals from Hiroki Ito, Josha Vagnoman and Serhou Guirassy earned them a potentially crucial victory.
Prior to Wednesday’s German Cup quarter-final win against Nuremberg, Stuttgart had been without a win in five Bundesliga games, losing four.
Sebastian Hoeneß’s arrival seems to have given them a bounce and the new manager would have been delighted when Japanese defender Ito swept home the opening goal with his left-foot after 14 minutes.
Bochum equalised 13 minutes after the restart but two goals in three minutes immediately afterwards won the day.
First Guirassy turned home from close range. Then Vagnoman headed home after Manuel Riemann flapped at a cross.
A late Philipp Hofmann goal was not enough to rescue a point for the hosts.
The final word of the weekend has to be from Easter Saturday’s draw between Mainz and Werder Bremen.
Talk about drama. Talk about a final flurry!
For 84 minutes of this encounter, these sides were evenly matched and could not break the deadlock.
Then we were treated to a four-goal finale.
Ludovic Ajorque was in the right place at the right time to hammer the ball home for Mainz but their joy was short-lived as Jens Stage levelled almost instantly as he converted a Mitchell Weiser cross.
Into the third minute of stoppage time and teenager Nelson Weiper restored the hosts’ lead and that seemed that.
It did not prove to be the winner, however, as Niclas Füllkrug broke Mainz hearts, turning in a back-heeled pass from Mitchell Weiser for a share of the spoils.
Füllkrug is their top scorer with 16 so far for a Bremen team which already has more points (32 after 27 games) on the board than it did in the whole of its most recent campaign in the Bundesliga (31, 2020/21).
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
