Freiburg Beat Union Berlin to Reclaim Third as Leverkusen Win Cologne Derby
Freiburg reclaimed third place in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 win over Union Berlin, taking their tally to 19 points, two behind leaders Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who have 21 each, with Bayern ahead on goal difference.
Freiburg reclaimed third place in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 win over visitors Union Berlin, taking their tally to 19 points, two behind leaders Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who have 21 points each, with Bayern ahead on goal difference.
The opener came in the 55th minute, when Union Berlin captain Rani Khedira put the ball into his own net. Japan's Yuito Suzuki added the second in the 67th minute. Freiburg captain and Italy international Vincenzo Grifo missed a penalty in the 84th minute, while the team's winger Derry Scherhant said they had expected chances to come and managed to make the most of them.
In the regional derby, Bayer Leverkusen beat visitors Cologne 2-1 and climbed to fifth place. Spain's Alex Garcia opened the scoring after seven minutes, and Czech forward Patrik Schick added the second with five minutes remaining. Said El Mala pulled one back for Cologne in stoppage time. Cologne remained in fifteenth place, one point above the relegation-playoff spot.
The Cologne-Leverkusen match saw 11 yellow cards, including six for Cologne players. A Schick goal was ruled out for handball ten minutes from the end; five minutes later, he scored his eighth goal in nine league matches this season. The source also noted that the two cities are about ten kilometres apart.