Only three games ago, Die Bayern had a seven-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga table and despite hammering Koln 5-1 this weekend their lead has been slashed to just two points.
Hansi Flick’s team is still favourite to lift a record ninth successive title, and the way they swept Koln aside, with Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry each scoring twice, they look like the mean business. But with a clash against a resurgent Borussia Dortmund next, the champions still have plenty of work to do.
Wolfsburg are still flying high in third place following a 2-0 victory over struggling Hertha while fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt slipped up. At the bottom end of the table things are heating up nicely as five teams battle to avoid relegation.
Die Roten Bullen are going nowhere
Okay, the Bundesliga 2021 betting odds still heavily back a Bavarian triumph come May, but Julian Nagelsmann’s Red Bulls are fighting hard to push Bayern all the way, and they know full well Flick’s men have a huge test in Der Klassiker next week.
Leipzig have quality running right through their team, with the excellent centre-back pairing of Dayot Upamecano and Will Orban making them hard to beat, while they have goals running right through the team. Tricky French winger Christopher Nkunku is a real handful while skipper Marcel Sabitzer leads by example with his box to box play and Die Roten Bullen have a never-say-die attitude.
Leipzig versus Monchengladbach was always going to be an attacking game and with 20 minutes gone, Bayern fans must have been thanking their lucky stars as Die Fohlen raced into a 2-0 lead with goals from Jonas Hofmann and Marcus Thuram.
After the half-time break, the Red Bulls roared back and midway through the second period they were level as Nkunku and Yussuf Poulsen struck. That set up a grandstand finish and when Nkunku sent over a 93rd-minute cross, 6ft 4in striker Alexander Sorloth planted his header home to grab all three points.
Die Roten Bullen are going nowhere!
Dortmund beginning to look the part again
After slipping away from the title race and even the top four places, Borussia Dortmund have won three on the bounce in all competitions and had back-to-back league victories to haul themselves back into contention for Champions League qualification.
They sit three points behind Eintracht Frankfurt, whose five-match winning run ended with a 2-1 away defeat to Werder Bremen on Friday night.
BVB followed up a 4-0 victory away to Schalke with a 3-0 home win over Arminia Bielefeld and they are progressing nicely in this season’s cup competitions too. Erling Braut Haaland scored a double as Die Schwarzgelben beat Sevilla 3-2 in the Champions League Round of 16; they will have high hopes of going deeper into the tournament, and are at odds of 9.00 to reach the final.
Haaland has eight goals so far and is the favourite to finish as Champions League top scorer at odds of 3.00, with Lewandowski, four behind but still second favourite at 5.00.
And BVB are still in the Germany Cup at the quarter-final phase, second favourites to win, behind Leipzig, at odds of 3.00 here at SBOTOP.
It could still be a very good season for the Dortmunders.
Five clubs in the relegation scrap
Bottom club Schalke lost again, taking a 5-1 drubbing away to Stuttgart and they look doomed, still bottom, still on nine points and nine from safety. But the next five teams directly above them have an almighty battle on their hands.
Between Augsburg up in 13th and FSV Mainz 05 in 17th, there is a six-point gap, and two from five teams will land in the relegation place and play-off spot.
In terms of Bundesliga 2021 results, Mainz are the form side, winning three from the last six to drag themselves back into contention and they could climb out of the relegation zone if they beat Augsburg on Sunday afternoon.
Their opponents have lost four from the last six and, since the arrival of manager Christian Heidel, Mainz have given themselves real hope.
New boys Arminia Bielefeld are in the play-off spot, on the same points as Hertha Berlin who are in freefall, while Koln and Augsburg have a little breathing space but are certainly not comfortable.
A home win for Mainz on Sunday will really throw the cat among the pigeons!
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