Bayern and Dortmund held, Upamecano and Rose on the move
February 15, 2021
Did Bayern Munich win in the Bundesliga this weekend?
Technically, they didn't play on the weekend but they definitely didn't win. They drew 3-3 at home to Arminia Bielefeld on Monday. After their Club World Cup win, Bayern looked tired first up but the second half was enthralling.
The falling snow of Munich created very different conditions to the sunshine of Qatar last Thursday, and the hosts were caught cold when Michel Vlap's confident early finish amid slack defending gave Bielefeld the lead.
The orange ball came out and Bielefeld netted their second thanks to an Amos Pieper header from a corner and more lax Bayern defending.
The snow cleared for the second half and Robert Lewandowski and Christian Gebauer traded smart goals before Bayern turned on the boosters with Corentin Tolisso's header and Alphonso Davies' fine strike leveling matters. Bayern's Bundesliga lead is now just five points after one of the games of the season.
Did Borussia Dortmund win in the Bundesliga this weekend?
No. After one win in their last five league games, Dortmund's poor form continued. In an exciting game that was fractious and full of chances, Dortmund shared the points with visitors Hoffenheim in a 2-2 draw. Drama, errors and goals for Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho made for a familiar Saturday for Dortmund, who announced on Monday that Gladbach coach Marco Rose would be taking over for next season.
Were there any surprises in the Bundesliga this weekend?
Mainz scoring two goals after the 89th minute to earn a 2-2 draw in Leverkusen was entertaining, but given Leverkusen's history perhaps not that surprising. Off the field, it was announced that Dayot Upamecano's release clause had been triggered by Bayern Munich, meaning the Frenchman will join the defending champions in July. At the same time, RB Leipzig confirmed Angelino had signed permanently. Neither were wholly unexpected, but Upamecano's departure will make Julian Nagelsmann's quest for a league title a little harder.
The Rose news was also not unexpected but maybe the timing was. It is going to be very weird for him to keep going at Gladbach with everyone knowing he is leaving. But Nagelsmann managed OK in Hoffenheim two seasons ago when it was already official that he was heading to Leipzig.
What was the game of the weekend in the Bundesliga?
Borussia Dortmund in a Bundesliga game once again had it all but Bielefeld's trip to Bayern has to take the gong. Snow, a promoted side going 2-0 up at the world champions, Bayern coming back into it and grabbing a 3-3 draw - what more can you ask for? Fans of course, but let's not get greedy.
What does the top six look like in the Bundesliga?
- 1. Bayern Munich — 49 points
- 2. RB Leipzig — 44
- 3. Frankfurt — 39
- 4. Wolfsburg — 39
- 5. Leverkusen — 36
- 6. Dortmund — 33
Who is in the Bundesliga relegation zone?
- 16. Bielefeld — 18 points
- 17. Mainz — 14
- 18. Schalke — 9
Who scored the best goal in the Bundesliga this weekend?
Moussa Diaby and Lucas Alario deserve credit for great combination play in Leverkusen's opener, but diving headers are far too rare these days which makes Sasa Kalajdzic's goal for Stuttgart all the more brilliant.
Who was the best player in the Bundesliga this weekend?
It was a fairly tired weekend in the Bundesliga with most teams slow to get going or slow to finish - apart from Bielefeld. It would be unfair to pick one Bielefeld player. Therefore, Maxence Lacroix, who made one of the tackles of the weekend to secure Wolfsburg a point against Gladbach, gets the nod. A strong first season in the Bundesliga helps his cause.
What was the funniest thing said in the Bundesliga this weekend?
It wasn't said, but Germany head coach Joachim Löw waiting two hours for car repair services and so missing the chance to watch Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz was amusing. Löw is reportedly considering calling up Wirtz to the national team for March's games. Time will tell whether he puts, ahem, the brakes on that idea or not.