Bayern Munich went top of the Bundesliga on Saturday and made a point of doing it in style. Matchweek 6 brought nine games, 27 goals, five home wins, two away wins, two draws and no red cards. Bayern's 6-1 win over RB Leipzig was the headline, but Elversberg's 4-3 victory over Augsburg, with two penalties scored and two missed, was the most dramatic game of the week. Freiburg lost for the first time, Borussia Mönchengladbach are still without a point, and Borussia Dortmund drew for the second time this season. Here is how every game played out in the Bundesliga, from Friday to Sunday.
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 FC Cologne
A game that threatened to end goalless found its winner with 13 minutes left. Eintracht Frankfurt had 56 per cent of the ball, 15 shots to nine and seven on target to three, and for 76 minutes they could not turn it into a goal. Then Younes Ebnoutalib scored with his right foot on 77 minutes, set up by Noel Aséko Nkili, to settle it. The expected goals were close, 1.27 to 1.02, so it was not a one-sided game, and FC Cologne did not help themselves with 17 fouls to Frankfurt's eight. There were four bookings: Mario Götze on 24 minutes and Lilian Brassier on 39 for Frankfurt, and Ísak Jóhannesson on 45 for Cologne, with Borna Sosa following in the 94th minute. Frankfurt climb from 14th to 11th on eight points. Cologne, who had won two of their first five, drop from tenth to 12th on seven. The sides drew 2-2 when they last met in April.
Younes Ebnoutalib celebrates for Eintracht Frankfurt against Cologne. Photo: hessenschau
Elversberg 4-3 Augsburg
Penalties, a flying start, an absurd finish and a missed spot-kick at the end: this had it all. Elversberg had a penalty saved from Lukas Petkov in the opening minutes and then Petkov scored on four minutes, immediately after the miss. Lasse Günther made it 2-0 on seven, set up by Maurice Krattenmacher, and Maximilian Rohr headed a third on 28 from a Felix Keidel pass. Augsburg pulled one back from the penalty spot through Fabian Rieder in first-half stoppage time, and Michael Gregoritsch scored another penalty on 76. Frederik Schmahl made it 4-2 on 89, set up by Petkov, and Mert Kömür made it 4-3 a minute later, from a Hennes Behrens pass. Noel Futkeu then hit the woodwork from the spot for Elversberg in the eighth minute of stoppage time. Augsburg had 29 shots to 19 and 12 corners to four, and the expected goals were 4.52 to 3.76. Seven yellow cards were shown. Elversberg climb from ninth to sixth on ten points, while Augsburg fall from sixth to tenth on eight.
Elversberg players celebrate. Photo: IMAGO via bundesliga.com
Schalke 04 0-1 Mainz
Mainz did the job in the first half and then defended it. Phillip Tietz scored the only goal on 24 minutes, set up by Anthony Caci, and Schalke could not find a way back, even though they had nine shots to Mainz's ten. The difference was where those shots went: six of Mainz's were on target to Schalke's three, and Mainz's expected goals were 1.57 to Schalke's 0.41. It was a scrappy game, with 32 fouls, 20 of them by Mainz, though only two yellow cards, both for the visitors just before the break, to Nadiem Amiri on 42 minutes and Kaishu Sano on 45. Mainz had 54 per cent of the ball and completed 465 passes to the hosts' 391. The win lifts Mainz from eighth to fifth on ten points, while Schalke drop from 13th to 15th on five, with one win from six. The last time the sides met, in May 2023, Schalke won 3-2 at Mainz.
Schalke manager Miron Muslic and his players applaud the fans. Photo: BBC Sport
Werder Bremen 2-2 Paderborn
Paderborn led 2-0 at half-time and will be disappointed not to have kept it. Stefano Marino scored the opener on 18 minutes with his right foot, Steffen Tigges having set it up, and Tigges added the second himself on 30. Werder Bremen were the better side for most of the game, with 61 per cent of the ball, 626 passes to 399, 18 shots to 11 and 11 on target to four, and Niclas Füllkrug brought them back into it on 59, set up by Eren Dinkçi, and equalised from the penalty spot on 65. The expected goals, 2.67 to 1.37, say Bremen should have found a winner. Discipline was not an issue, with one yellow card each, to Marino in the fourth minute and Youri Regeer in the 86th. The point leaves Bremen eighth on nine, a place lower than before the weekend, and Paderborn 16th on five. Their previous meeting on our records was in June 2020, and Bremen won that one 5-1 at Paderborn.
Werder Bremen v Paderborn. Photo: Kicker
Hamburg 1-0 Stuttgart
Stuttgart had 24 shots, nine corners to Hamburg's five and 2.65 expected goals, and they still lost. Hamburg had 34 per cent of the ball, 14 shots and 1.68 expected goals, and took the points with a goal from Miro Muheim in the 88th minute, scoring with his left foot after a pass from Zakaria El Ouahdi. Stuttgart also had 63 dangerous attacks, but only five of their shots were on target, against three of Hamburg's. It was a hard-fought game, with three Hamburg yellow cards, for Warmed Omari on 54 minutes, Nicolás Capaldo on 82 and Otto Stange on 85, and the visitors had no bookings at all. It is Hamburg's third league win in a row, and it avenges a 4-0 defeat at Stuttgart in April. Hamburg climb from 12th to ninth on nine points, although their goal difference is minus nine, while Stuttgart drop from 11th to 13th on six.
Hamburg's Miro Muheim, who scored the only goal against Stuttgart. Photo: IMAGO via bundesliga.com
Union Berlin 0-0 Borussia Dortmund
A goalless draw in which one side did not manage a single shot on target. Union Berlin had 11 shots but none of them tested the goalkeeper, while Borussia Dortmund had two on target from 12, and the expected goals were level, 0.94 to 1.00. Dortmund had 63 per cent of the ball and 570 passes at 88 per cent accuracy to the hosts' 340 at 72, and the corners were five each. The first half was a flurry of cards: Dortmund saw Ethan Nwaneri booked in the first minute, Waldemar Anton in the seventh and Serhou Guirassy in the 14th, and Union's Janik Haberer and Tom Rothe followed on 33 and 35. Tim Skarke was booked in the 63rd minute. Union brought on Emmanuel Latte Lath for Kastriot Imeri at the break, but it did not change the scoreline. Dortmund are second on 14 points, unbeaten after six, while Union slip from 16th to 17th on five.
Union Berlin and Borussia Dortmund players challenge for the ball. Photo: Getty Images, via BVB Buzz
Bayern Munich 6-1 RB Leipzig
This was Bayern at their most ruthless, and Luis Díaz was at the heart of it. He opened the scoring on 12 minutes from a Joshua Kimmich pass and set up Aleksandar Pavlović for the second on 26, and Michael Olise made it 3-0 on 34 from a Harry Kane pass. Díaz scored his second on 47, again with Kane providing, and Kane made it 5-0 early in the second half after a Nathaniel Brown pass. Díaz completed his hat-trick from a corner on 69, set up by Olise, and Andrija Maksimović pulled one back for RB Leipzig in stoppage time, set up by Brajan Gruda. Bayern had 29 shots to 12, 17 on target to four, 11 corners to three and 5.02 expected goals to 0.70. They have scored 22 goals in six games, more than anybody else in the Bundesliga. Bayern go top on 14 points, unbeaten, and Leipzig, who also lost 5-1 to them in January, drop from fifth to seventh on nine.
A Bayern Munich player celebrates against RB Leipzig. Photo: bundesliga.com
Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Freiburg
Bayer Leverkusen came from behind to end Freiburg's unbeaten start, and two players did most of the work. Derry Scherhant put Freiburg ahead on 14 minutes from a Philipp Treu pass, and Leverkusen answered five minutes later through Ibrahim Maza, set up by Patrik Schick. The game stayed level until the 76th minute, when Schick scored the winner, set up by Maza, so each of them finished with a goal and an assist. Leverkusen had 12 shots to 11, five on target to two, and 1.85 expected goals to 1.21, though Freiburg had slightly more of the ball, 51 per cent, and 508 passes to 488. Leverkusen committed 12 fouls to five, yet the only booking of the afternoon went to Freiburg's Treu, on 39 minutes. It was Freiburg's first league defeat of the season and it cost them the top spot: they began the weekend first and finished third, level with Leverkusen on 13 points but ahead of them on goal difference, plus nine to plus seven. The sides drew 3-3 when they met in March.
Bayer Leverkusen players celebrate Patrik Schick's goal against Freiburg. Photo: np-coburg.de
Borussia Monchengladbach 1-2 Hoffenheim
Gladbach have now lost all six of their league games, and this defeat came after they had hauled themselves level. Hoffenheim went in front on 11 minutes through Bambasé Conté, set up by Alexander Prass, and Gladbach levelled on 49 when Wael Mohya scored with his right foot, set up by Florian Neuhaus. Hoffenheim needed only five minutes to restore their lead, Prass scoring with his left foot on 54 from an Adam Hložek pass, so he finished with a goal and an assist. Hoffenheim had 14 shots to nine, eight on target to three, 134 attacks to 80 and 2.17 expected goals to 0.76. Both sides committed 13 fouls, and five yellow cards were shown: three for Gladbach, Kevin Diks on 45 minutes and Robin Hack and Shuto Machino on 89, and two for Hoffenheim, Fisnik Asllani for time wasting and Prass. Hoffenheim climb from 17th to 14th on six points. Gladbach, 18th, are the only club in the Bundesliga without a point, and their goal difference of minus 12 is the worst, shared with Union Berlin. They beat Hoffenheim 4-0 when the sides last met in May.
Hoffenheim players celebrate at Gladbach. Photo: IMAGO via bundesliga.com
Bundesliga table after Matchweek 6, and what comes next
Six games in, Bayern lead the Bundesliga table on 14 points with the best goal difference in the division, plus 17, ahead of Borussia Dortmund, also on 14, and Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen, both on 13. At the bottom, Gladbach are 18th with no points, and Union Berlin are 17th on five, level on that total with Paderborn and Schalke. Matchweek 7 brings plenty to watch: Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, then on Sunday Freiburg v Bayern Munich pits the leaders against a side coming off its first defeat, and Hoffenheim v Bayer Leverkusen is also on Sunday. Every fixture is on our Bundesliga fixtures page.
