║ Bundesliga Season 2013-14 ║

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Bundesliga Wrap: Bayern, Leverkusen secure wins

8 December 2013

Leaders Bayern Munich thrashed Werder Bremen 7-0 in Saturday's Bundesliga action, while Bayer Leverkusen won at Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern's 11th successive win in all competitions – which helped extend their league unbeaten run to 40 matches – was set up in the first half as Pep Guardiola's men silenced the Weserstadion crowd.

Playing his first match since cracking a rib for France on international duty last month, Franck Ribery helped Bayern into the lead after 21 minutes when his cross was deflected in by Werder defender Assani Lukimya-Mulongoti.

A towering Daniel Van Buyten header doubled their advantage six minutes later before the influential Ribery sealed the result with a composed finish before half-time.

And Mario Mandzukic wrapped up the rout on the hour mark as Bayern's latest win confirmed they would finish the year at the top of the league, before Thomas Muller, Ribery and Mario Gotze added more polish to the scoreline with late goals.

Son Heung-Min tormented Dortmund again as Leverkusen's best start to a Bundesliga season continued with a 1-0 triumph.

South Korea star Son helped former club Hamburg achieve a stunning double over Dortmund last season with two goals in each of their Bundesliga wins.

And he returned to haunt Jurgen Klopp by rounding Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller and scoring the game's only goal in the 18th minute at Signal-Iduna Park on Saturday after an error from former Leverkusen defender Manuel Friedrich.

Leverkusen defender Emir Spahic was sent off with 10 minutes left after a two-footed tackle on Robert Lewandowski, followed by a push at Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with Dortmund's Sokratis Papastathopoulos also given his marching orders in the dying stages.

The result deals a major blow to Dortmund's chances of winning the Bundesliga, with last year's runners-up already 10 points behind runaway leaders Bayern, while Leverkusen remain four behind in second.

Borussia Monchengladbach are now level on points with Dortmund after they came from behind to beat Schalke 2-1.

Jefferson Farfan's 17th-minute penalty gave Schalke the lead but strikes from Raffael and Max Kruse – the latter notching from a spot-kick – saw Monchengladbach moved seven points clear of the fifth-placed Schalke.

Other results on Saturday saw Stuttgart defeat Hannover 4-2, while Augsburg won 1-0 at Hamburg and Hoffenheim also enjoyed an away win, 2-1 against Eintracht Frankfurt.

 

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Van der Vaart set for Hamburg return

Jack Davies2
Dec 9, 2013 4:38:00 PM

The midfielder has handed his side a boost after making a swift recovery from a problem that looked set to keep him out of action for a lengthy period

Hamburg captain Rafael van der Vaart will return to training on Tuesday having been sidelined with an ankle injury since mid-November.

The 30-year-old picked up the ligament problem on international duty with the Netherlands during a goalless draw with Colombia.

Medical staff at Hamburg initially predicted Van der Vaart would be missing for a lengthy period of time, but the club have confirmed the attacking midfielder will make his comeback sooner than expected.

Die Rothosen have endured mixed fortunes in the Bundesliga in his absence, having recorded a win, a draw and a loss, prior to a daunting trip to leaders Bayern Munich on Saturday.

Van der Vaart has scored six goals in 12 German top-flight appearances this season.

 

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Ribery: Bundesliga the best in the world

By Stefan Coerts408
Dec 12, 2013 10:22:00 AM

The France international feels the recent performances of Germany's finest in continental competition proves that the country boasts the "dominant league in Europe at the moment"

Bayern Munich attacker Franck Ribery believes that the Bundesliga is the best domestic championship in the world.

Last year's Champions League final was an all-German affair, with the Bavarians beating Borussia Dortmund at Wembley, while the domestic top flight reached new heights this week as four Bundesliga teams reached the knockout stages for the first time in the history of European club football's elite competition.

Ribery, though, feels that the performances of the Bundesliga's finest in the Europa League also underline that the German top flight is now without equal in terms of strength in depth.

"The Bundesliga's level has developed incredibly in the past few years," Ribery was quoted as saying by Kicker.

"The Bundesliga is undoubtedly one of the best leagues in the world and is perhaps even the very best.

"Just look at Eintracht Frankfurt's Europa League win over Bordeaux the other day. They are the number 16 in the Bundesliga.

"This only shows that the Bundesliga teams are very strong compared to other leagues. The Bundesliga are the dominant league in Europe at the moment."

The Bundesliga currently sits third in the Uefa Ranking, behind Spain's La Liga and the English Premier League.

 

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Bayer Leverkusen win race to sign wonderkid Brandt

By Joe Wright11
Dec 12, 2013 1:18:00 PM

The 17-year-old - hailed as one of Germany's top prospects - has agreed a January move to the BayArena despite being linked with Bayern Munich and Chelsea

Bayer Leverkusen have won the race to sign Germany starlet Julian Brandt from fellow Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg.

The 17-year-old attacker had been linked with a host of European heavyweights, with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund thought to be keen on his signature, as well as Premier League giants Chelsea.

The Germany youth international has now agreed a five-year deal with Leverkusen and will complete his move in January, with the club announcing the deal on their official website.

Sporting director Rudi Voller believes the capture of the Germany youth international proves the BayArena outfit are able to attract the very best talent.

"Julian Brandt is one of the most talented players in German football," he told the club's website. "His signing is a great investment in the future of Bayer Leverkusen."

Brandt made his debut for the Germany Under-19 side in this autumn's European Championship qualifier against Belarus, while he also played in the win over Latvia and the 1-1 draw with Scotland.

He previously amassed 17 caps for the U-17 side, scoring four goals.

 

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Bayern must replace Robben, Ribery & Schweinsteiger, says Lehmann

By Stefan Coerts65
Dec 12, 2013 11:41:00 AM

The former Schalke and Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper feels the reigning German champions must accept that time will soon catch up on the star trio

Jens Lehmann believes that Bayern Munich need to replace Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger within the next two years in order to remain the team to beat in the Bundesliga.

Netherlands attacker Robben, 29, France winger Ribery, 30, and Germany midfielder Schweinsteiger, 29, were all key players in the Bavarians' treble success last season and remain an integral part of Pep Guardiola's team this term.

Nevertheless, Lehmann believes they will not be able to maintain their current level for much longer and has advised the Bavarians to start looking for replacements.

"Bayern will not continue to win the Bundesliga year after year because this team will be at its peak in one or two years," Lehmann told Sport Bild.

"They have to replace players like Robben, Schweinsteiger and Ribery at that point. Schalke and Dortmund will have to be ready when that happens to make the Bundesliga interesting again.

"You never know how it wil pan out when you replace seasoned stars. There are plenty of examples of where it went wrong."

Robben has a contract with Bayern until 2015, while Schweinsteiger's current deal runs for one more season and Ribery's until 2017.

 

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Hertha BSC – Werder Bremen 13.12.2013

Hertha BSC – Werder Bremen – The atmosphere in these two teams is different ahead of this match as Hertha is very good seventh on the table and close to positions that lead in the Europe, while Werder is closer to the relegation zone and is in the negative series of four matches without a victory. In the last round Hertha won three points away while Werder suffered a catastrophe at home. The last match between the two teams happened two seasons ago and then Hertha won in Berlin with 1-0, and besides that match the last ten were very efficient and usually both teams scored goals. Begins: 13.12.2013 – 20:30 CET

Hertha BSC

Despite all the fluctuations Hertha is holding in the upper part of the table and having in mind that they are the returnees in the Bundesliga they can be absolutely satisfied. They have lost only once in previous four rounds, and in general lose recently only to strong teams. It happened twice at home, to Schalke and Bayer, and they had to catch it up at away matches. The blunder was the home draw with Augsburg, while super valuable victory was the one over Hoffenheim in the last round in Braunschweig. They played that match from the start as favourites, although they played away and routinely won with 2-0, despite the fact that the team was not complete.

It turned out very well, as standard Ben-Hatira didn’t play because of the injury and instead of him Ronny jumped-in who with two assists bore the title of player of the match. Refreshment in the team was N. Schulz because of whom Ndjeng moved to the right flank and Pekarik on the bench, while Brooks solidly replaced the injured stopper S. Langkamp. As the situation with injured players is unchanged, it is possibly that coach Luhukay will change nothing in the starting lineup.

Probable lineups Hertha BSC: Kraft – Ndjeng, Lustenberger, Brooks, J. van den Bergh – Cigerci, Hosogai – Skjelbred, Ronny, N. Schulz – Ramos

Werder Bremen

Werder again resembles an average amateur team and proofs of this are the latest results. They suffered last weekend the largest humiliation at home when Bayern defeated them with even 7-0. It was not unexpected as Bayern was simply too strong and Werder had already before that match received in average three goals per match. Bayern doubled that and took advantage of all the weakness in the defence of the team from Bremen who played with the usual lineup, so there are no excuses on absences.

Coach Dutt still has his job, although it could happen to get fired after that match and now he must re-establish the self-confidence of the team. The situation is much better when the forwards are in question and no one is on the injured list, where only Hunt was ill during the week. He should be ready for this match but captain Fritz is very questionable. Therefore, Gebre Selassie could on the right flank and Bargfrede again in the midfield. Maybe Dutt even return goalkeeper Mielitz who due to the poor form had sat two previous matches on the bench.

Probable lineups Werder Bremen: Mielitz – Gebre Selassie, Lukimya, Caldirola, Garcia – Bargfrede, Makiadi – Hunt, Elia, Ekici – Petersen

 

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Bundesliga: Hertha Berlin 3 Werder Bremen 2

14 December 2013

Adrian Ramos scored twice as Hertha Berlin edged Werder Bremen 3-2 in a thrilling Bundesliga encounter on Friday.

Desperate to atone for a 7-0 thrashing against leaders Bayern Munich on Saturday – the club's worst ever home defeat – Werder started well in the German capital and took the lead in the 15th minute through Nils Petersen.

Petersen received a cut-back from Aaron Hunt and thrashed a 20-yard strike past Hertha goalkeeper Thomas Kraft but their lead was short-lived.

Just two minutes later Werder defender Theodor Gebre Selassie fouled Ramos in the penalty area, with the Colombian dusting himself off before calmly converting from the spot.

Ramos got his second in the 26th minute when he charged after Per Skjelbred's ball forward and scored from a tight angle.

Werder levelled shortly after, though, as Hunt and Petersen played a one-two before the former curled in from just inside the penalty box to cap a superb counter-attack.

But, just three minutes after the interval, poor Werder defending allowed defender Peter Pekarik a free header from Tolga Cigerci's cross, and although his header was saved, Brazilian Ronny was on hand to tap the rebound into an open net.

Werder went close to scoring an equaliser in the 87th minute, as Hunt's long-range free-kick was spilled onto the post by Kraft, but Levan Kobiashvili reacted quickly to clear the danger as they held on in front of their home fans.

Hertha climbed to sixth in the table as a result of their win, while Werder remain 14th, five points above the relegation zone.

 

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Bundesliga Preview: Bayern Munich v Hamburg

12 December 2013

Bayern Munich may be reeling when they host Hamburg on Saturday after suffering just their third defeat of the year in midweek.

Manchester City came away from the Allianz Arena on Tuesday with all three points in the sides' final UEFA Champions League Group D clash, but the 3-2 scoreline was not enough to knock the Bavarians off top spot in the pool.

The loss will have been doubly galling for Pep Guardiola, having seen his side race into a two-goal lead in just 12 minutes.

Heading into the game, Bayern had won their previous 10 Champions League matches - a tournament record - and secured victories in each of their 19 fixtures at the Allianz.

They are 40 unbeaten in the Bundesliga, and had lost just twice previously in 2013 - to Arsenal in the Champions League in March and Borussia Dortmund in the DFL-Supercup in July.

And Guardiola's side will take confidence from their recent meetings with Hamburg having won the last three - including last term's 9-2 mauling in the corresponding fixture.

Attacker Thomas Muller believes the Manchester City defeat proved Bayern are not invincible - but challenged his colleagues to use it to inspire them to get back to winning was at the weekend.

"The normal human in all of us came to the surface," the Germany international said.

"We were too casual. We made a great start but let them back into it. We need to regain our utter desire to win."

Hamburg have not beaten Bayern away from home since April 2007, and their recent form has been patchy with three defeats in their last six outings.

Former Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk has overseen four wins from his 10 games in charge since replacing Thorsten Fink in September - only lifting the club from 15th to 13th in the process.

Despite their stagnating progress, former Bayern full-back Marcell Jansen is not prepared to head to Bavaria with damage limitation in mind.

He told Hamburg's official website: "Bayern follow a clear concept and will do the same against us. We all have to play to our limit and everyone in the team must defend well.

"As a player you have to believe in your chance, otherwise there is no point in going there. That is how we will be approaching the game."

First-choice goalkeeper Rene Adler is a doubt having struggled with an ankle injury in the week, while Ivo Ilicevic has also been missing due to personal reasons.

Captain Rafael van der Vaart returned to training on Tuesday, however, after recovering from an ankle injury and off-field issues.

Bayern will be without long-term absentees Arjen Robben, Holger Badstuber (both knee) and Bastian Schweinsteiger (ankle), but have been boosted by recent returns of Xherdan Shaqiri and Claudio Pizarro.

 

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Bundesliga Preview: Hoffenheim v Borussia Dortmund

13 December 2013

Borussia Dortmund will look to end a poor run of Bundesliga form when they visit mid-table Hoffenheim on Saturday.

Jurgen Klopp's men have lost three of their last four league matches and sit third in the table, 10 points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Their last loss – a disappointing 1-0 defeat to second-placed Bayer Leverkusen – was compounded by ankle injuries suffered by Sven Bender and Nuri Sahin.

Sahin's problem was not serious and he returned to Dortmund's starting line-up for Wednesday's last-gasp 2-1 UEFA Champions League win over Marseille in France.

That win – which came courtesy of an 87th-minute winner from Kevin Grosskreutz – saw Dortmund finish on top of a tough Group F that also contained Arsenal and Napoli.

Without the goal Dortmund, last season's Champions League finalists, would have dropped out of the tournament and coach Klopp will hope their late win leads to a good run of form.

In Poland forward Robert Lewandowski, they have the league's top scorer, with the 25-year-old having scored 11 in 15 Bundesliga matches this season.

Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has added eight and could return to Dortmund's XI for this match, while defender Lukasz Piszczek is set to replace Erik Durm.

Manuel Friedrich – ineligible for the Champions League – is likely to come back in and partner Sokratis Papastathopoulos at the heart of defence in the continued absence of Neven Subotic (knee) and Mats Hummels (ankle).

Dortmund have won five of their last six road trips, including a triumph at Premier League table-toppers Arsenal.

And they will feel confident given Hoffenheim's dreadful home record, with Markus Gisdol's side having won just one of eight Bundesliga home fixtures this season.

They have won their last two matches, form which has seen them rise to 11th, but their previous home success in the league came way back in September.

Attackers Roberto Firmino (eight goals) and Anthony Modeste (six goals) have been in form for Hoffenheim and only three sides have scored more than them.

But no team has shipped more goals than Hoffenheim's 35 and with Dortmund averaging two-and-a-half goals per match, they will fancy their chances in attack.

Hoffenheim goalkeeper Jens Grahl made his debut last week and looks set to feature again for the hosts.

 

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Leverkusen signs Ryu on loan

Published December 18, 2013
Sports Network

Leverkusen, Germany - Bayer Leverkusen has agreed to a one-year loan deal with Jeju United for the services of South Korea striker Ryu Seung-Woo.

Ryu played a key role for South Korea at the Under-20 World Cup in Turkey this year, and he joins a Leverkusen side that sits in second place in the Bundesliga.

The 20-year-old completed a medical in Leverkusen on Wednesday and is expected to link up with the rest of the team in January.

Leverkusen also announced that the club has the option to make the move permanent at the end of the 12-month loan.

 

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Pep Guardiola convinced to join Bayern Munich after 'meat' and greet

Dec 18, 2013 3:01:00 PM

The Bavarians' president has revealed a business trip to the United States to sell his family's sausages ended up in a successful meeting with the former Barcelona coach

Uli Hoeness has revealed how he convinced Pep Guardiola to join Bayern Munich during a trip to sell meat to Aldi in the United States.

The German and European champions' president travelled to Chicago on a business trip for his family's sausage factory last year, and arranged to meet up with the former Barcelona coach in New York during his travels.

Hoeness hoped to keep the meeting private, but revealed how the duo were almost caught out by ex-Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

"It was partly a business trip for my company," he told Bild.

"I went to Chicago first to visit Aldi. I knew that Pep was about to fly to Barcelona for his holidays and that a meeting there would have been far more dangerous, so we decided I would meet him in the States, where the risk of being spotted was smaller.

"I wanted to take him out for a meal, but that night, Alex Ferguson was dining in the very same restaurant.

"It certainly would not have been funny had he seen me and Pep together."

However, the journey proved to be a positive one for Hoeness, with Guardiola announced as Bayern's new coach from the beginning of the 2013-14 season in January.

"He just wanted to get to know me better," continued Hoeness. "Of course it was an extraordinary trip. Nobody really expected Bayern to appoint Guardiola.

"We didn't believe he was being serious with us either for a long time.

"What we are seeing now is a consequence of those few hours in New York."

Bayern will compete in the Club World Cup final in Morocco this weekend after beating Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande 3-0 in Tuesday's semi-final.

 

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Lewandowski frustrated with lack of goals for Borussia Dortmund

By Stefan Coerts37
Dec 18, 2013 12:32:00 PM

The 25-year-old feels his lack of a clinical edge this season has cost his side on occasion but insists the number of chances being created by the team is encouraging

Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski has voiced his frustration with his goalscoring record this term and feels his profligacy has cost his side at times this season.

The Poland international currenly leads the Bundesliga goalscoring charts with 11 goals from 16 games, yet he has admitted that he could easily have added more to his tally.

"Am I happy with my own performances so far? No, not at all. I might have scored 11 times, but I should have scored many more goals," Lewandowski was quoted as saying by Bild.

"I cannot say how many more, but I should definitely have scored a few more goals."

Lewandowski added that he alone was not to blame for Dortmund's lack of cutting edge at times this season and insisted the number of chances his side have been creating was an encouraging sign.

"That's not just my problem, but a problem for the entire team as well. We did not drop so many points because we played badly, but because we have missed a lot of chances," continued the 25-year-old.

"We must become even more eager in front of goal. On a positive note, we create a lot of chances. It would be a bigger problem if we did not create anything."

Dortmund currently sit third in the Bundesliga table with 32 points from 16 games.

 

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Ribery: I would be poor and unemployed without football

By Stefan Coerts83
Dec 18, 2013 10:13:00 AM

The 30-year-old acknowledges he is lucky to have enjoyed a stellar career after a difficult upbringing and claims his early life helped to turn him "into a fighter"

Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery believes his career as a professional footballer has helped to save him from poverty and unemployment.

The Frenchman grew up in difficult circumstances in Boulogne-sur-Mer in a low-income suburb of the city, before the opportunity to join the Lille academy and then the Boulogne senior side offered him an escape route into football.

Ribery has gone on to enjoy a stellar career as arguably one of France's greatest modern players, but the 30-year-old insists he will never forget a past which helped to shame him as a professional.

"I come from the ghetto, from nothing. I have been through it all," Ribery was quoted as saying by Sport Bild.

"Where I come from, people are very poor and I would have been poor as well now if it weren't for football. And I would probably be unemployed as well, like so many other people in the area.

"Whenever I go shopping, I always remind myself of how good things are now. You can't forget your past.

"It only makes you stronger when you have been through difficult situations and are now successful here at Bayern. It has turned me into a fighter. These difficult moments have formed my character."

Ribery moved on from Boulogne to wear the jerseys of Ales, Stade Brestois, Metz, Galatasaray and Olympique de Marseille before joining Bayern in the summer of 2007.

He has since developed into one of the best players in the world and is one of the three remaining candidates to win the 2013 Fifa Ballon d'Or alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

 

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Bundesliga: Frankfurt 1 Augsburg 1

21 December 2013

Frankfurt were unable to build on last weekend's surprise victory over Bayer Leverkusen as Augsburg earned a 1-1 away draw on Friday.

Armin Veh's charges had gone 10 Bundesliga matches without a win before the shock 1-0 triumph against Leverkusen on Sunday.

On this occasion, Frankfurt needed to come from behind simply to secure a share of the spoils, having fallen behind at the Commerzbank-Arena in the 32nd minute.

Raul Bobadilla pounced on a loose ball in the box to side-foot a volley beyond Kevin Trapp from six yards and give Augsburg the lead.

Yet Frankfurt were soon level as Jan Rosenthal fired home an equaliser three minutes before the break.

There were few clear-cut opportunities in the second half and both sides had to settle for a point apiece, leaving Frankfurt in 15th while Augsburg remain eighth.

 

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Borussia Dortmund-Hertha Berlin Preview: Klopp's side seek just second league win in six

Marcel Schmelzer is set to return to the squad as the Schwarzgelben look to put pressure on Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich at the top of the table

By Peter Thompson

Borussia Dortmund will be striving to secure just their second Bundesliga win in six games when they face in-form Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

Midfielder Nuri Sahin wrote off Dortmund's title hopes after they could only draw 2-2 at Hoffenheim last weekend.

It could have been worse for Jurgen Klopp's side, as they had to battle back from 2-0 down to salvage a point.

Dortmund were beaten 1-0 at home by second-placed Bayer Leverkusen the weekend before their trip to Hoffenheim and they are 12 points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Leverkusen are five points better off than Dortmund and so Klopp's charges will be eager to sign off for the winter break in style when they face Hertha.

Hertha were 2-1 winners last time they visited Westfalenstadion in September 2011 - inflicting Dortmund's only home defeat in a run of 36 games - and striker Robert Lewandowski this week warned they can ill afford to slip up again.

The in-demand Poland striker puts Dortmund's inconsistency down to a lack of ruthlessness and says they will have to be clinical against a Hertha side that have only lost twice on their travels in the league.

Lewandowski stated his determination to add to his 11-goal tally, but added in Bild that Dortmund's lack of goals is "not just my problem, but also one of the team".

Dortmund will once again be without Neven Subotic (knee), Mats Hummels (ankle) and Ilkay Gundogan (back), while it remains to be seen if Sven Bender (ankle) will be fit.

However, Sokratis Papastathopoulos is set to return from a one-match suspension, while Marcel Schmelzer is set to return to the squad after a calf injury.

Hertha occupy seventh spot in the table after securing back-to-back wins against Eintracht Braunschweig and Werder Bremen.

Only European champions Bayern have beaten Hertha on the road since September, so Dortmund face a stern test.

Colombian striker Adrian Ramos has scored three goals in his last two games for Jos Luhukay's side to take his tally to 10 Bundesliga goals for the season.

Hertha will be without Fabian Holland, Sebastian Langkamp, Johannes van den Bergh, Alexander Baumjohann and Anis Ben-Hatira, while John Brooks is also a doubt.

 

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5 things to know about the Bundesliga weekend

Saturday, 21 December 2013, 08:10

Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich is in Morocco, seeking to win the world club title, so Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund have an opportunity to make up some ground in the last round before the winter break.

No matter what, Bayern will spend the break atop the standings, seven points ahead of Leverkusen and 12 points ahead of Dortmund. Bayern kicks off the second half of the season on Jan. 24 against Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Leverkusen travels to Werder Bremen and Dortmund hosts Hertha Berlin. Here are five things to know about the Bundesliga weekend:

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LEWANDOWSKI vs. RAMOS: Dortmund's home game against Hertha features the league's top two strikers, Robert Lewandowski with 11 goals and Adrian Ramos with 10. While Lewandowski is set to leave Dortmund at the end of the season, Ramos looks likely to stay in Berlin beyond 2015. The Colombia striker is negotiating to extend his contract and says "everything's been good so far. I can well imagine staying beyond 2015." Hertha is enjoying a fine season after promotion, sitting seventh in the standings.

Dortmund also announced the signing of teenage Japanese midfielder Mitsuru Maruoka on loan from Cerezo Osaka until June 2015, with a longer option. Maruoka is expected to play for Dortmund's reserves at the start.

LEVERKUSEN AND DE BRUYNE: Leverkusen wants to sign forward Kevin de Bruyne, who scored 10 goals for Werder Bremen before returning to Chelsea. Kicker magazine says Leverkusen's representatives met with the Belgium forward and his agent this week. Other Bundelsiga clubs, including Wolfsburg, are also reportedly interested in signing de Bruyne.

Werder has won only one of its last 10 games and had dropped dangerously close to the relegation zone. The northern German club is also winless in its last 10 games against Leverkusen, with six defeats. Werder also has conceded three or more goals in each of its five matches. Leverkusen is coming off an unexpected 1-0 loss at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.

HAMBURG'S FUTURE: With the January transfer window approaching, many Bundesliga clubs are looking for players to sign. Hamburg is seeking to retain the ones it already has. Pierre-Michel Lasogga, a striker on loan from Hertha Berlin, has nine goals and Hamburg wants to keep him, although Berlin has said it wants him back. Hamburg sports director Oliver Kreuzer said he spoke with Lasogga and his mother, the player's agent, "and I think it was positive."

Midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu was another talent Hamburg wants to keep at least until 2018. Kreuzer said the club would let him go only for an unspecified high transfer fee. "For him, the threshold of pain is very high," Kreuzer said.

Hamburg hosts Mainz hoping to snap a two-match losing run. Goalkeeper Rene Adler is still out injured but captain Rafael van der Vaart is expected to return.

NUREMBERG'S FRUSTRATION: Nuremberg has still not won this season, 16 matches into the schedule. It led 3-0 last weekend in Hannover, only to see the home team equalize with a flurry of late goals, including one that came from a glaring offside. "Such games can either make or break a team and I get the feeling that we are now really determined," sports director Martin Bader said. Nuremberg hosts Schalke, which is 17 points behind Bayern in sixth place.

Schalke has been very inconsistent, but it has managed to advance to the last 16 in the Champions League and is hoping to make sure of playing there next season as well. Coach Jens Keller has been given assurances that he will stay in charge and he can look to the return of injured players after the break.

FRANKFURT STOPS SLIDE: With its unexpected 1-0 win in Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt stopped its 10-match winless run. Frankfurt kicks off the final round on Friday at home against Augsburg and wants to put together a winning run. "You can be behind for a long time but you can also get back quite quickly too," coach Armin Veh said.

Augsburg has been surprisingly solid this season and sits eighth, nine points above Frankfurt. Halil Altintop, whose previous clubs included Frankfurt, has been one of Augsburg's most important players. "I am really having a great time and team spirit is written in capital letters here," Altintop said.

 

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Klopp: We need the winter break

By Enis Koylu31
Dec 21, 2013 6:05:00 PM

The 46-year-old watched his side slump to a third straight home loss in the league and is hoping the opportunity to rest can breathe new life into a faltering season

Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp has admitted his side are in need of the winter break after their 2-1 home loss to Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

The Bundesliga giants have suffered from a spate of injuries throughout the first half of the season and currently sit 12 points adrift of Bayern Munich, having played a game more.

Saturday's loss was their third home defeat in the league on the bounce and Klopp is looking forward to being able to recuperate after their spectacular loss of form.

"Something which started very well has ended quite miserably. And that's the way if feels like now," he told Sky Deutschland.

"We're in need of the break. But it's us who are responsible and we must think about some things."

Reflecting on the match, Klopp said that his side failed to rise to the occasion after Sami Allagui's goal, which gave Hertha the lead on the stroke of half time.

"The reaction to the second goal was not good, it must be said," the 46-year-old added.

"We let Hertha come back completely unnecessarily."

 

[Rolfes]

Agony for title-chasing Leverkusen and Dortmund

BY KAROLOS GROHMANN
BERLIN Sat Dec 21, 2013 8:07pm GMT

Hertha Berlin's players celebrate after the German first division Bundesliga match against Borussia Dortmund in Dortmund December 21, 2013. CREDIT: REUTERS/INA FASSBENDER

(Reuters) - Club World Cup finalists Bayern Munich stayed seven points clear at the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday after title rivals Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund lost their final matches before the winter break.

Leverkusen, in second spot with 37 points from 17 games, went down to a 74th-minute goal on the break from Santiago Garcia as Werder Bremen won in the league for the first time since November.

It was an even worse day for third-placed Borussia Dortmund who slumped to their third straight home defeat as promoted Hertha Berlin came from behind to win 2-1.

Bayern, who meet Raja Casablanca in the Club World Cup final in Morocco later on Saturday, will play their game in hand in January as the Bundesliga takes a five-week break.

Visiting Leverkusen, through to the last 16 in the Champions League, controlled possession against Werder but lacked offensive spark as they slid to their second consecutive defeat.

Werder's win lifted them to 11th and offered coach Robin Dutt some breathing space after a string of bad results.

Hertha looked to be in for a tough afternoon when 18-year-old keeper Marius Gersbeck, replacing the injured Thomas Kraft, completely misjudged his charge out of goal and allowed Marco Reus to score after seven minutes.

SIMPLE MISTAKES

Injury-hit Dortmund were then sent reeling as goals from Adrian Ramos and Sami Allagui, after mistakes from home debutant Marian Sarr and fellow youngster Erik Durm, turned the game for the visitors.

Ramos slotted in an Allagui pass in the 23rd minute to join Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski on 11 goals at the top of the list of Bundesliga scorers, before the Tunisian added the second goal on the stroke of halftime.

Dortmund remained on 32 points, level with Borussia Moenchengladbach who host VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday.

Hertha climbed to sixth while Champions League combatants Schalke 04 dropped to seventh after ending the year with a goalless draw in Nuremberg.

The stalemate means second from bottom Nuremberg, who have drawn 11 of their 17 matches, are the only team in 50 years of the Bundesliga to complete the first half of a season without a victory.

Swiss Admir Mehmedi struck twice in the first half to help third from bottom Freiburg to a 2-1 win over Hanover 96, their third league victory of the campaign.

Shinji Okazaki grabbed a double for Mainz 05, including a stoppage-time winner, as they triumphed 3-2 at Hamburg SV.

Rafael van der Vaart scored one of the goals for Hamburg who had Tomas Rincon sent off eight minutes from time.

Bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig picked up their third win of the season, a 1-0 victory over Hoffenheim.

(Editing by Tony Jimenez)

 

[Rolfes]

Bundesliga Wrap: Dortmund, Leverkusen both beaten

22 December 2013

Bayern Munich took a significant step closer to the Bundesliga title on Saturday, without even playing a domestic fixture.

Pep Guardiola's men - contesting the FIFA Club World Cup final in Morocco - will have been boosted by news from home that both Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen suffered league defeats against Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen respectively.

The results leave Bayern seven points clear at the summit with a game in hand over their closest rivals.

In Dortmund, Marco Reus got the game off to the best possible start for Jurgen Klopp's side as he slotted home in the seventh minute, but Adrian Ramos pulled the visitors level from close range midway through the first period.

A Marian Sarr error on the stroke of half-time allowed Sami Allagui to turn the match on its head and leave Dortmund trailing 2-1 at the interval.

Neither side was able to find the back of the net after the break as the hosts succumbed to their third successive home defeat in the league for the first time since March 2000.

With just one win from five Bundesliga outings, Dortmund will be feeling the pressure, but, on a bad day for the division's leading clubs, Leverkusen were unable to take advantage of that slip-up as they fell to a second successive reverse.

Sami Hyypia's charges looked second best throughout in a 1-0 defeat to Bremen as Santiago Garcia's 75th-minute strike proved to be the difference between the sides.

In an eventful clash at the Imtech Arena, 10-man Hamburg fell to a third straight leage defeat after conceding a stoppage-time goal to lose 3-2 against Mainz.

The hosts went ahead in the 21st minute through Hakan Calhanoglou before Shinji Okazaki and Nicolai Muller gave Mainz the lead within five minutes of the start of the second half.

Rafael van der Vaart appeared to have at least rescued a point 11 minutes from time, but Tomas Rincon's dismissal for a second bookable offence three minutes later was followed by a Mainz injury-time winner from Okazaki.

Elsewhere, 10-man Eintracht Braunschweig momentarily pulled themselves off the bottom of the league with a 1-0 victory over Hoffenheim, but now sit at the foot of the table on goal difference following Nuremberg's goalless draw with Schalke, who missed the opportunity to climb to fifth.

Freiburg also picked up a vital three points as Admir Mehmedi's first-half double inspired them to a 2-1 win against Hannover.