Leverkusen 4-0 Eintracht
Mainz 1-0 Nurnberg
Bayern 1-1 Schalke
Monchengladbach 0-0 Stuttgart
Bochum 1-2 Freiburg
Hoffenheim 1-2 Wolfsburg
Hannover 2-2 Hamburg
Bremen 1-1 Dortmund
Hertha 0-1 Cologne
Leverkusen opened up a three-point gap at the top of the Bundesliga standings with a thumping Friday night win over Eintracht while their main challengers all drew. The game was as good as over inside ten minutes. The prolific Stefan Kiessling put them ahead in the second minute when Tranquilo Barnetta pounced on an error by Eintracht keeper Ralf Fahrmann, Stefan Reinartz headed in a Barnetta corner four minutes later and Toni Kroos added a third. The damage was done and Lars Bender added a bit of gloss four minutes from time with a long-range strike. Bremen, Hamburg and Schalke were all held, the latter being the most amusing. Schalke outplayed Bayern for long periods, but found themselves behind when Daniel van Buyten stuck a leg out to prod in a rebound from a free-kick, but Marvin Matip, on debut for the Royal Blues, equalised before the break, heading in a free-kick. Louis van Gaal made changes at the break, withdrawing the ineffectual Luca Toni who promptly stormed out and drove home. He's now been fined, as has vice-captain Philipp Lahm after criticising the club's transfer policy in a newspaper article.
Wunderkind Mesut Ozil put Bremen ahead at home to Dortmund, volleying Aaron Hunt's deep cross, but Werder couldn't hold on for the win. Lucas Barrios had the ball in the net early in the second half, but was wrongly adjudged offside. The respite didn't last and Nelson Valdez's shot was only parried by Tim Wiese and Barrios swooped in to level. Hamburg were in front twice against Hannover, but were pegged back on both occasions. Marcell Jansen and Eljero Elia combined for the former to put HSV ahead on 15 minutes, but Didier Ya Konan headed in an equaliser within ten minutes. Jansen returned the favour to Elia a minute before the break, his free-kick met by the Dutchman's forehead to restore the advantage, but substitute defender Tomas Rincon pulled down Jiri Stajner in the box four minutes from time, the striker picking himself up and sinking the perfect penalty, top right corner. You don't save those.
Wolfsburg won an entertaining game against Hoffenheim, coming from behind after Vedad Ibisevic put the Villagers ahead halfway through the first half. Zvejzdan Misimovic equalised seven minutes after the break, further enhancing his reputation in the week he's been linked with Arsenal, and five minutes later, Grafite, restored to the starting line-up, combined with Edin Dzeko for the winner. Mainz are right on the heels of the leading group after another win, just by a single goal from Elkin Soto, his first in the Bundesliga, albeit with the help of a deflection.
Gladbach and Stuttgart remain in trouble after their goalless draw, Bochum went down again, Stefan Reisinger's stoppage time winner stealing the points for Freiburg, and Hertha lost yet again and remain bottom, Milivoje Novakovic's late header taking all three priceless points for Cologne. Hertha can point to a bit of bad luck as they struck the woodwork on a number of occasions, had several other shots wander inches wide of the post and had a stick-on penalty denied them. They now find themselves six points away from safety already.
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