Bundesliga Roundup, Matchday 24
The 24th round of games in the 2023/24 Bundesliga season featured exciting matches and standout performances. Here is a recap of the weekend’s games.
Freiburg 2-2 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich’s chances of defending their Bundesliga title took another hit as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Freiburg at the Europa-Park Stadion, extending their winless streak on the road to three games. Thomas Tuchel’s team has been struggling recently, and their vulnerability was evident early on as Freiburg scored first in the 12th minute. Despite this setback, Tuchel’s side showed resilience and managed to equalize before halftime.
Although they had difficulty breaking through Freiburg’s defense, Jamal Musiala’s skillful play eventually led to a goal. Freiburg fought hard to get back into the game and surprised Bayern with a late goal in the 87th minute. This result further weakened Bayern’s hold on the league title, with Bayer Leverkusen now leading by 10 points with only 10 rounds of the season left.
Union Berlin 0-2 Dortmund
Karim Adeyemi scored an impressive goal that helped Borussia Dortmund end their streak of three away draws and improve their chances of finishing in the top four of the Bundesliga with a 2-0 victory over FC Union Berlin. Union Berlin, under manager Bjelica, missed out on capitalizing on their strong start and suffered their first home defeat in the Bundesliga since late November. This win was a strong comeback for Dortmund, allowing them to maintain a one-point lead over RB Leipzig in fifth place.
Mainz 1-1 Monchengladbach
Mainz missed an opportunity to surpass Köln in the Bundesliga standings and secure a spot in the relegation play-off position after being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Borussia Mönchengladbach. This result means that Mainz has only won one of their last 14 league matches. Despite Mainz having a strong first half and taking the lead early on, Borussia Mönchengladbach managed to equalize through Nathan Ngoumou in the second half.
Mainz’s Dominik Kohr received a red card for dissent, leaving them with ten men for the remainder of the match. Despite Mainz’s dominance in the first half, they had to settle for a point in the end. Mainz has a record of being unbeaten in seven consecutive matches against Gladbach, who have only managed to secure one away win this season, but are moving further away from the relegation zone.
Heidenheim 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt solidified their position in the top six of the Bundesliga with a close 2-1 win over mid-table Heidenheim. The hosts have struggled recently, with just one win in their last eight matches, drawing 5 and losing 2. On the other hand, the visitors put an end to a six-game winless streak across all competitions. Heidenheim will be looking to bounce back in their upcoming match against Augsburg, as their winless streak in home league games has now reached four.
Darmstadt 0-6 Augsburg
Darmstadt’s dreadful season in the Bundesliga reached a new low when they allowed five goals before halftime in a heavy defeat to Augsburg, extending their winless streak in the league to 17 matches. The possibility of relegation to the second division has been growing stronger each week for Darmstadt, and those concerns were confirmed early in the match as they quickly fell behind.
In the second half, Darmstadt focused on limiting the damage. They missed a rare opportunity to score a consolation goal in the final 10 minutes when Fabio Torsiello hesitated to shoot with an open goal. This hesitation was immediately punished as Tietz scored his second goal, making it six for Augsburg on a memorable day for the visitors who secured consecutive wins in impressive fashion.
Bochum 1-4 RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig came back to win against Bochum at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion, making them only the second Bundesliga team to defeat Thomas Letsch’s side there this season. The 4-1 victory was secured with an impressive three goals in just four minutes in the second half. This win, which marks their ninth victory in 11 encounters with Bochum, sets a positive tone for Leipzig as they prepare to face Real Madrid. Despite having the second-worst defensive record in the league, Bochum still maintains a nine-point lead over 17th place Mainz.
Wolfsburg 2-3 Stuttgart
Serhou Guirassy scored his 20th league goal of the season helping Stuttgart secure a 3-2 victory at the Volkswagen Arena. This win solidified their position in the top four of the Bundesliga, marking their fifth win in the last six matches. Stuttgart reached the 50-point mark in just 24 games, their fastest achievement ever, especially impressive considering they narrowly avoided relegation last season. Wolfsburg, on the other hand, have not won a match since mid-December, putting coach Niko Kovač under pressure, although relegation concerns remain unlikely.
Cologne 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen
The wing-backs shined as Bayer Leverkusen increased their lead in the Bundesliga to 10 points with a hard-fought 2-0 win against Cologne, maintaining their unbeaten streak and boosting hopes of winning their first-ever German title. Leverkusen’s significant points advantage with 10 games left is likely enough to secure them the title after narrowly missing out on it five times before.
Hoffenheim 2-1 Werder Bremen
TSG Hoffenheim managed to secure a 2-1 victory against SV Werder Bremen at Rhein-Neckar-Arena, preventing the visitors from achieving a club record of four consecutive away wins in the Bundesliga. Despite facing a numerical disadvantage, Hoffenheim persevered and achieved a much-needed win, breaking a streak of four home games without a victory. This victory has allowed them to maintain their seventh-place position and move three points ahead of Werder Bremen, who are now one spot below them.
