Leverkusen go second as Schalke’s run continues
Bayer Leverkusen are up to second in the Bundesliga as they defeated winless Schalke 3-0.
Leverkusen move within a point of the top 👏#Bundesliga #S04B04 pic.twitter.com/6dzf6SheDo
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) December 6, 2020
The match
Malick Thiaw scored an unfortunate own-goal in the 10th minute as Leon Bailey’s corner came off his shoulder and flew into the net.
Schalke then had a goal correctly ruled out by VAR for offside on the half-hour mark.
Julian Baumgartlinger scored a glancing looping header in the 67th minute to double the away’s side lead, before Schalke missed a chance to get back into the game as Steven Skrzybski’s penalty was saved by Lukas Hradecky.
Lukas Hradecky is the hero for Leverkusen, saving a Schalke penalty before stopping the rebound too 💪#S04B04 0-2 pic.twitter.com/YR957MCb2i
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) December 6, 2020
Patrick Schick then added a third for Leverkusen with 12 minutes remaining.
Stats
Leverkusen are still unbeaten in the league this season with six wins and four draws, and they took advantage of Leipzig’s 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich to move up to second – just a point off the top of the league.
Schalke are now winless in the Bundesliga in 26 games and are bottom of the table with three points from 10 games.
Dortmund draw with Frankfurt
Dortmund were held to a 1-1 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt as star striker Erling Haaland was sidelined through injury.
The match
They fell behind when Daichi Kamada ran onto a long pass by Martin Hinteregger to cooly finish past the onrushing Roman Buerki.
18-year-old Giovanni Reyna scored with a stunning hit in the 56th minute to rescue a point for Lucien Favre’s side. He received the pass from Sancho, took the ball past Hinteregger and fired the ball into the top corner.
🏴 🤝 🇺🇸#SGEBVB 1-1 pic.twitter.com/Sxoo7Vk9oA
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) December 5, 2020
It was yet another goal in the second half for Dortmund – 19 out of 22 goals this season have come in the second half.
It is Frankfurt’s fifth consecutive draw, while it is Dortmund’s first in 28 Bundesliga games.
Derby win for Hertha
Elsewhere, Hertha beat Union Berlin 3-1 in the Berlin derby with Krzysztof Piatek scoring two for the hosts after coming off the bench.
Hertha claim the Berlin derby spoils 👑#BSCFCU pic.twitter.com/N62fXbz52D
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) December 4, 2020
The match
Taiwo Awoniyi found the corner with his scuffed shot to put the visitors in front in the 10th minute after being teed up by Marcus Ingvartsen.
Robert Andrich was then sent off three minutes later for Union Berlin for a dangerous high foot challenge.
Hertha used that to their advantage and equalised six minutes after half-time, as Peter Pekarik fired into the net after a shot was spilled by the goalkeeper.
Piatek came on at half-time and he became the match-winner for his side, scoring his first Bundesliga brace with two goals in four minutes.
He collected fellow substitute Javairo Dilrosun’s cross and, on the turn, fired the shot -with the help of a deflection – past goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow.
Stats
The win was Hertha’s first at home this season and pushed them up to 12th in the table with just their second win in their last nine.
Union are in 6th, five points above their rivals after a strong start to the season.
*Featured image – Players of Hertha celebrate in front of the empty stand after winning the Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and 1. FC Union Berlin at Olympiastadion. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images