Bundesliga Roundup, Matchday 15
Matchday 15 of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season showcased thrilling matches and remarkable displays. Here is the Bundesliga roundup of the weekend’s events.
Bayern Munich 5-1 RB Leipzig
Following a rocky start, Bayern Munich asserted their dominance and convincingly beat RB Leipzig 5-1 in the Bundesliga, achieving their third straight unbeaten match against them. This loss marked Leipzig’s first defeat in three league games, putting additional strain on manager Marco Rose, who encountered more challenges when Henrichs sustained an injury during stoppage time.
Werder Bremen 4-1 Union Berlin
Marco Grüll’s rapid two-goal performance in the first half propelled Werder Bremen to their fourth straight win, marking their longest winning streak in competitive matches since the 2021/22 season. The River Islanders secured a convincing 4-1 victory against Union Berlin. Union Berlin had difficulty penetrating the Werder Bremen defense, and Bo Svensson’s team has been struggling to score, managing only 14 goals in 15 league matches this season.
Stuttgart 0-1 St Pauli
St. Pauli secured their first head-to-head victory against Stuttgart since 1996, winning 1-0 at the MHPArena, which creates a four-point gap between them and the Bundesliga relegation zone. Consequently, the home team misses the opportunity to enter the top five, while St. Pauli surpasses Hoffenheim in their fight to avoid relegation during their return to the top division.
Holstein Kiel 5-1 Augsburg
Phil Harres and Shuto Machino led Holstein Kiel to a 5-1 victory over Augsburg at Holstein-Stadion. This marked only their second win in their first Bundesliga season, improving their chances of staying in the league. They are now assured of not being at the bottom of the Bundesliga on Christmas Day, although they still sit in the bottom two and will face a challenging match against Freiburg to kick off 2025.
Hoffenheim 1-2 Monchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach achieved consecutive Bundesliga victories for the first time since March 2022, securing a 2-1 win that increases their chances of reaching European competition. Meanwhile, TSG Hoffenheim has managed to win only one of their last 11 matches across all competitions. Gladbach, having won their final league away game of the year for the first time in 20 years, will enjoy a deserved break, aware that they have a chance at European qualification after a five-year absence.
Frankfurt 1-3 Mainz
Frankfurt’s impressive streak of 10 consecutive home matches without a loss was unexpectedly broken by a 3-0 defeat to 10-man FSV Mainz in the Bundesliga. Rasmus Kristensen scored with 15 minutes left, but there was no chance for a dramatic comeback. Mainz climbed to fifth place in the league after winning five out of their last six matches, while Eintracht stays in third, two points ahead.
Leverkusen 5-1 Freiburg
Patrik Schick netted four goals as Bayer Leverkusen achieved a convincing 5-1 victory over European rivals Freiburg, marking their fifth consecutive win in the Bundesliga. Freiburg struggled to respond, suffering a heavy defeat that ended their three-match unbeaten streak. Meanwhile, Leverkusen finishes an impressive 2024 in second place, closely trailing leaders Bayern Munich.
Bochum 2-0 Heidenheim
After experiencing one of the worst 14-game starts in Bundesliga history, VfL Bochum finally gave their fans a fantastic Christmas gift by delivering a strong performance to defeat Heidenheim 2-0 at Vonovia Ruhrstadion, marking their first league victory of the 2024/25 season. Historically, all four previous Bundesliga teams that had three points or fewer after 14 matches were relegated, which puts Bochum at a disadvantage. However, they can take pride in their impressive record of being unbeaten in their last eight head-to-head matches against Heidenheim, with six wins and two draws.
Wolfsburg 1-3 Dortmund
In the last Bundesliga match of 2024, Borussia Dortmund secured a 3-1 victory against Wolfsburg thanks to a quick five-minute burst of goals. This marked Dortmund’s 16th win in their last 20 encounters with Wolfsburg. The defeat also meant that Wolfsburg experienced consecutive league losses for the first time since September, ending an unbeaten streak of eight competitive matches.
