52 days and gone for Michael Skibbe

A big weekend in the Bundesliga as Borussia Dortmund defeated last season’s runners-up Bayer Leverkusen while Borussia Mӧnchengladbach destroyed title rivals Schalke. Meanwhile, Hertha Berlin got rid of Michael Skibbe after just 52 days while his predecessor Markus Babbel was back in management with Hoffenheim.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND 1 BAYER LEVERKUSEN 0

The chasing pack below Dortmund would have seen this one as a real chance for the Champions to drop points with Leverkusen desperate to catch those four in the title race in an attempt to make Champions League football themselves. As it was, Robin Dutt made his intentions clear that he was more worried about this year’s competition than the prospect of qualifying for next season, resting several first-team players in readiness for Barcelona in midweek. Those that did play scrapped hard though to make it a dull game, but in the end, one moment of quality from Shinji Kagawa was enough to unlock the Leverkusen defence and secure a crucial three points.

BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH 3 SCHALKE 0

Two of the top four went head to head in a game most pundits thought would go the way of Schalke. Mainly due to the fact that, despite their form, on paper Mӧnchengladbach still look so much weaker than the other three in the title race. What actually happened is what has happened so often this season, with the home side ripping Schalke to shreds in the first half-hour. Marco Reus opened the scoring after just two minutes and they then scored a wonderful team goal to add a second, Mike Hanke finishing it off. With Schalke still reeling from that double blow, Juan Arango celebrated his new contract by popping a wonderful 30-yard free-kick into the top corner. Schalke spent the next hour limiting the damage as the hosts leapfrogged them in the table.

STUTTGART 5 HERTHA BERLIN 0

When the Hertha Berlin board sent Markus Babbel packing during the winter break because of the disagreement between him and the general manager over a contract extension, it was always a case of ‘be careful what you wish for’. They have got it in spades now, a rushed appointment of Michael Skibbe, who recreated the dreadful scoreless run that got him the sack at Eintracht Frankfurt and the club relegated last term. Five games; Five defeat; Zero goals and a Brian Clough at Leeds like 52 days in the job.

A club that was threatening stability is back to their traditional turmoil ways. It was all too easy for Stuttgart, Martin Harnik took advantage with a hat-trick, Shinji Okazaki and Vedad Ibisevic added the others.

WERDER BREMEN 1 HOFFENHEIM 1

Talking about Markus Babbel, he is back in work with Hoffenheim, appointed just a day after Holger Stanislawski lost his job for losing to second-tier side Greuther Fürth in the German Cup Quarter-Final. It looked like a dream start for Babbel to show Hertha Berlin general manager, Michael Preetz, just what he is missing as they led from the fourth minute to the last minute after a Jannik Vestergaard header. Werder Bremen avoided defeat when the visitors switched off and Marko Arnautovic took advantage to level in injury time.

BAYERN MUNICH 2 KAISERSLAUTERN 0

On the face of it, a routine win for Bayern as Kaiserslautern fail to score again. However, the team sheet shows an interesting dynamic. Arjen Robben, undoubtedly the best player Bayern Munich have, was dropped to the bench in favour of moving Thomas Müller out wide and bringing Toni Kroos in to the middle. The result was that Müller scored his first goal in some time and only his third league goal of the season. That was after Mario Gomez opened the scoring by making it 18 Bundesliga goals for him in this campaign. The big blow for Bayern arguably came in midweek though when Bastian Schweinsteiger tore an ankle ligament which will keep him out for some time.

WOLFSBURG 3 FRIEBURG 2

The game of the weekend came on Friday night as Wolfsburg kept the pressure up on those in the Europa League positions. They took the lead twice in the first half, Petr Jiracek with a left footed volley and Marcel Schafer finished off a wonderful team move. However, Freiburg showed the fighting spirit they will need to get off the bottom and towards safety, with equalisers from Johannes Flum and the goal of the weekend from Daniel Caligiuri. When Jiracek gave the homes side the lead for the third time after the break though, Freiburg had no answer and stay bottom.

MAINZ 1 HANNOVER 1

Mohammed Zidan really does love playing for Mainz, just a week after he single-handedly gave Schalke countless problems on his debut, he took just seven minutes to give Mainz the lead with his second goal in as many matches. It looked like it would be enough to secure a vital win for the home side who have only won one game in eight and need the points to steer clear of the drop. However, like Werder Bremen, they switched off and Artur Sobiech took advantage to gain a point that puts tem level with Leverkusen in their search for a second successive Europa League qualification.

KOLN 0 HAMBURG 1

It is safe to say that Lukas Podolski is now more important than last season’s top scorer Milevoje Novakovic for Kӧln.  Without cult hero Podolski, they looked listless and dreadfully second best to Hamburg. If it was not for the woeful finishing of Mladen Petric, it could have easily been four or five, as it was it took Paolo Guerrero to squeeze a shot between Michael Rensing and Pedro Geromel with just two minutes left to secure three points.

AUGSBURG 0 NURNBURG 0

These two sides looked and played like two sides deep in the relegation scrap in this one. Both looked too scared of losing to actively go and win the game and it finished 0-0 as a result. Augsburg stay in the relegation zone and Nürnburg stay three points above it.