By Derek Wilson, dpa
Berlin (dpa) – Borussia Dortmund have stuttered recently to lose ground in the Bundesliga title race but RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen remain in close pursuit of champions Bayern Munich into the weekend action.
Leverkusen are unbeaten in second just one point behind Bayern going into Sunday’s home match with fellow Europa League side Hoffenheim.
Leipzig are third, a point further back having drawn in Munich last weekend, and can briefly go top with victory over Werder Bremen on Saturday. Bayern could then reclaim top spot in the late match at Union Berlin.
“The boys have an unbelievable mentality, they believe in themselves and they just keep going,” Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann said after defeating Manchester United to reach the Champions League knock-out stages on Tuesday.
“These experiences give us extra impetus in this busy period.”
Leipzig are emerging from a frantic spell which included a crucial last-gasp 4-3 European win in Istanbul, a 3-3 draw with Bayern and a nerve-shredding 3-2 victory over United.
Nagelsmann said his team would “celebrate a little,” after reaching the last 16 of the elite continental competition “and then the focus turns to Bremen.”
Full back Angelino agreed: “We take one game at a time and now we need to concentrate on the weekend.”
Bremen are winless in seven having seen an initial strong start fade.
“It’s always been clear that there will be highs, but also lows to go with them,” said Bremen head of professional football Clemens Fritz. “What’s important is that everyone knows that they have to give it everything they’ve got.”
Bayern defeated Lokomotiv Moscow 2-0 on Wednesday to conclude the year unbeaten in the Champions League.
“We achieved what we set out to do,” said coach Hansi Flick. “2020 was an outstanding year for us in the Champions League, with the title win this summer.”
The defence of the domestic title now resumes in the capital against an overachieving Union Berlin, who nonetheless lost their city derby to Hertha Berlin last week.
Dortmund ended a three-game winless run in all competitions with a less than convincing midweek victory at Zenit St Petersburg. They trail Bayern by four points going into their home game with VfB Stuttgart.
Forward Marco Reus described the success in Russia as a “dirty victory,” while coach Lucien Favre agreed: “we’ve won here – that’s all that counts.”
The weekend starts with unbeaten Wolfsburg, fifth, hosting Eintracht Frankfurt. Saturday also sees Borussia Moenchengladbach v Hertha Berlin, and two relegation six-pointers: Freiburg v Arminia Bielefeld and Mainz v Cologne.
Bottom club Schalke, who have now not won in 26 league games, visit Augsburg to open Sunday knowing they are closing in on Tasmania Berlin’s record of 31 league matches without a win from 1965-66.
“It’s a difficult time for us, but we need to stick together,” said goalkeeper Michael Langer, promoted to the team following injuries to Frederik Roennow and Ralf Faehrmann.
Be the first to comment on "Leipzig and Leverkusen continue Bayern pursuit in Bundesliga"