Dortmund wrestle back top spot after emphatic Hamburg win
September 20, 2017![Fußball Bundesliga Hamburger SV - Borussia Dortmund](https://static.dw.com/image/40613090_800.webp)
After a frantic evening in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund leapfrog Bayern to sit on top of the pile after an impressive and incisive 3-0 win over Hamburg. Shinji Kagawa, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Christian Pulisic did the damage.
But the game of the night came in Mainz, where Hoffenheim fought back from a two goal deficit to take all three points. Nadiem Amiri and Sandro Wagner drew them level before the break and then Mark Uth reacted quickest to a lofted through ball to steal all three points for Julian Nagelsmann's team. They move up to 3rd.
Hertha Berlin also picked up three points, with a 2-1 win over struggling Bayer Leverkusen - Mathew Leckie's stunning opener was the pick of the goals. Supersub Nils Petersen rescued a point for Freiburg and, earlier on, Cologne stayed rooted to the bottom after a fifth loss - this time to Eintracht Frankfurt.
FULL TIME: Here's how it all ended after a breathless evening.
As it happened
90+2' -- Mainz 2 - 3 Hoffenheim
A brilliant save looks to have saved the point for Mainz. But then Uth picks up a recycled ball to grab a winner. What a comeback! But still 4 minutes remain.
88' -- Mainz 2 - 2 Hoffenheim
A bit of last gasp handbags here, as the players push and shove before Samperio throws the ball at a Hoffenheim player's head. Not sure the referee caught that.
84 -- Hertha Berlin 2 - 1 Bayer Leverkusen
It'll going to be a nervy last few minutes for Hertha. Brandt's strike from the edge of the box is deflected in.
83' -- Freiburg 1 - 1 Hannover
And the supersub does it again! Amazing. Petersen sweeps home a flick on at the back post and Freiburg are deservedly level.
80' -- Hamburg 0 - 3 Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund have looked in fine fettle again tonight and Pulisic wraps it up. He was played in by Dahoud and whipped in a smart finish for his third of the season.
80' -- Mainz 2 - 2 Hoffenheim
Much quieter in Mainz this half. Baumann has made a couple of smart stops for Hoffenheim but a repeat of the 4-4 last season looks unlikely now.
76' -- Hamburg 0 - 2 Borussia Dortmund
Aubameyang should've wrapped it up there. He was put through one on one but hit the advertising hoardings to the right of the post.
73' -- Freiburg 0 - 1 Hannover
The hosts have probably had the better of this but can't find the breakthrough. Supersub Petersen has just entered the fray though...
67' -- Freiburg 0 - 1 Hannover
The hosts made to pay for that penalty miss as Harnik bundles home a cross from close range.
63' -- Hamburg 0 - 2 Borussia Dortmund
And there it is. Aubameyang gets that elusive second. Dortmund broke quickly, Yarmolenko hit a cross/shot across the goal and the Gabonese frontman tapped in at the back stick. Looks like Dortmund are going back to the top of the table tonight.
60' -- Freiburg 0 - 0 Hannover
Freiburg also on top but Schuster strikes just over with a freekick from just outside the box.
58' -- Hamburg 0 - 1 Borussia Dortmund
The visitors still pushing but still can't find that second. Yarmelenko wastes a freekick.
54' -- Freiburg 0 - 0 Hannover
Niederlechner goes down under the slightest challenge and wins a penalty for Freiburg. He dusts himself off to take it and blazes wide.
49' -- Hertha Berlin 2 - 0 Bayer Leverkusen
Hertha have started the second half in control against Leverkusen, who look typically error-prone.
47' -- Hamburg 0 - 1 Borussia Dortmund
An early sub for Hamburg, Sakai replaced by Douglas. The skipper jogged off, he didn't look injured...
46' -- And we're back underway around the country.
HALF TIME: A frantic set of first halves comes to an end, with seven goals already in the four late games.
45+1' -- Mainz 2 - 2 Hoffenheim
And Mainz are made to pay! Sandro Wagner rises highest and powers a header home. Hoffenheim have come back from two behind.
44' -- Mainz 2 - 1 Hoffenheim
The hosts nearly regain their two goal cushion but Baumann stops the shot with his legs.
42' -- Hertha Berlin 2 - 0 Bayer Leverkusen
Ibisevic almost puts the game out of Leverkusen's reach but Leno gets down well to hold his header.
37' -- Hamburg 0 - 1 Borussia Dortmund
Yarmolenko hits one just over the bar as Dortmund press for a second before the break.
32' -- Freiburg 0 - 0 Hannover
Freiburg should lead in the only game of the night without a goal. But Niederlechner somehow fails to get his head to a cross six yards out.
24' -- Hertha Berlin 2 - 0 Bayer Leverkusen
Kalou doubles Hertha's lead. Ibisevic beat Leno to a Leckie throw in and has the presence of mind to dink the ball up to the Ivorian to head home. A frantic first half hour in the Bundesliga. Also worth noting, this game is a little behind the others.
25' -- Mainz 2 - 1 Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim back in it. Amiri on the end of a lovely move.
24' -- Hamburg 0 - 1 Borussia Dortmund
A header drops from a corner and hits Kagawa, who finds his feet quickly enough to poke home.
17 -- Hertha Berlin 1 - 0 Bayer Leverkusen
A brilliant strike from Leckie has put the hosts up. The Australian winger, one of the stars of the season so far, cuts back on to his left foot and flights a brilliant effort in to the far corner. That's his fourth of the season.
17' -- Mainz 2 - 0 Hoffenheim
Incredible. Bayern conquerors Hoffenheim are in big trouble. Muto takes a brilliant backheeled lay off, bundles his way through and lashes in at the near post.
15' -- Hertha Berlin 0 - 0 Bayer Leverkusen
Havertz is in a bit of bother. His feet seemed to come out from underneath him as he ran. He's up but gingerly. At the other end, Leckie almost opened the scoring but was bundled out.
11' -- Hamburg 0 - 0 Borussia Dortmund
Pulisic comes close for Dortmund. The American's effort just dribbled wide of the far post after he was played in by Aubameyang.
6' -- Mainz 1 - 0 Hoffenheim
GOAL! A cross is cleared to the edge of the box but only as far as Latza, who drives low in to the bottom corner.
4' -- Hertha Berlin 0 - 0 Bayer Leverkusen
Julian Brandt almost draws first blood for the visitors with a powerful drive from left to right. But Jarstein makes a smart save.
4' -- Hamburg 0 - 0 Borussia Dortmund
Some physical stuff from the hosts early on, Bürki makes an early claim from a cross and Dortmund are thwarted after a promising attack down the right.
1' -- And after that mediocre contest, we're off in the final four games of the matchday. Let's hope for a little more here.
Cologne 0- 1 Eintracht Frankfurt
(Haller 21')
FULL TIME -- A corner for Cologne. Horn up again. Nothing doing. And that's that. It's now 5 games, 0 points, 1 goal for the hosts.
90+3 -- A late booking for Frankfurt and a last chance for Cologne to whip in a free kick. Horn is up. But it's woeful. Sums it up.
89' -- It's looking increasingly desperate for Cologne now. They've been a little unfortunate but it's impossible to believe they wouldn't have got at least a point if they still had Modeste.
86' -- Jhon Cordoba's frustration is very apparent as he fouls Timothy Chandler while battling for the ball.
79' -- Yuya Osako puts a shot from the six-yard box over the bar. What does Cologne have to do to get on the scoreboard?
74' -- SUB: Marius Wolf replaces Kevin Prince Boateng for Frankfurt.
72' -- Marcel Risse had a go from outside the area, but the shot was handled easily by Lukas Hradecky
66' -- Do the hosts need a spot of divine intervention?
63' -- Gacinovic with another opportunity but he can't quite get on the end of a Klünter cross.
60' -- Double change for Cologne. Jojic and Klünter on for Höger and Sorenson.
56' -- It's a little better at the start of the second half than the first. But still scrappy.
51' -- Gacinovic twice goes close in the space of a minute. A strong run is denied by a last minute block before he pokes an effort just wide.
46' -- And we're off again. Can Cologne finally get off the mark for the season? We've got 45 minutes to find out.
HALF TIME - That's it. A slightly controversial penalty separates the sides.
43' -- Falette nods over from a Frankfurt freekick.
41' -- Cordoba bustles down the left for Cologne and tries to pull back but his cross is blocked.
33' -- Penalty shout for Cologne now but it comes to nothing, it looked soft.
28' -- This must be the equalizer! No. Cordoba miskicks in the box but it falls kindly. His second shot is blocked and Zoller's follow up is somehow scrambled away. When your luck's out...
26' -- Horn forced in to action again, this time making a smart save after a shot from distance. Cologne need to make sure they don't fold here.
21' -- PENALTY to Frankfurt! A woeful backpass from Maroh set Gacinovic free. He drove at Horn, who looked to have got a piece of the ball when he went for a slide tackle but the referee pointed to the spot. Haller casually rolled the penalty home.
16' -- A spell of pressure for Cologne ends when Rausch massively overcooks a freekick from a decent position on the right.
13' -- Zoller and Boateng hit the deck after catching each other's feet challenging for a high ball. Then Cologne survive a scare after giving the ball away sloppily in defense.
9' -- Cologne's Osako has the first shot of the match but it's blocked.
5' -- A fairly scrappy opening as you'd expect from two teams struggling at the wrong end.
1' -- And we're off. Raucous atmosphere in Cologne, will it last?
And we have the teams...
Played 4, won 0, drawn 0, lost 4, scored 1, conceded 12. Those don't make a pretty set of number for Cologne and their boss Peter Stöger. Wednesday night's early match presents a decent chance to get off the mark with visitors Frankfurt having only picked up a single win themselves.
The evening's late games feature Borussia Dortmund at Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen at Hertha Berlin.