Bundesliga - Leverkusen Continues March to Top with 2-0 Win Over Hoffenheim

Hoffenheim started this match in ninth place with 18 points, while Leverkusen was sixth with 22 points on the table.  A win for Leverkusen would permit continued contact with the league leaders.  Hoffenheim has been scoreless for four matchdays with two losses and two draws.  

Leverkusen dominated easily in the first half, although it slowed near the end.   Hoffenheim definitely needed to do more during the first phase of this game.   Leverkusen scored early on.  With just 11 minutes into the match, when Andre Schuerrle took a freekick from approximately 35 meters aiming directly at the goal of Hoffenheim.  Tom Starke reflected the shot where Eren Derdiyok was in place and put the ball in the net with a header.  1:0 Leverkusen.

 Leverkusen kept up the pressure in the second half and Hoffenheim showed little creativity.  Leverkusen was rewarded in the 79th minute, when Bernd Leno passed the ball in the penalty area of Hoffenheim.  Kiessling redirected the ball to Sidney Sam, who slipped the ball above Tom Starke, into the net.  

The Leverkusen win was deserved overall.  Leverkusen had 11-6 shots on goal and was the better team.   The win keeps Leverkusen in contact with the top, trailing with only four points.  Hoffenheim, with 18 points is seven points off sixth place.

Tomorrow No. 1 and 2 clash when Gladbach hosts Dortmund and third place Bayern hosts fourth place Bremen.   Augsburg travels to Gelsenkirchen to meet fifth place Schalke 04.  No doubt there will be lots of excitement in the Bundesliga, where nothing is decided yet.  

Below are this weekends matches and updated table:

  

Matchday 15

02.12.2011, 20.30  Bayer Leverkusen -1899 Hoffenheim 2-0
03.12.2011, 15.30  Bayern München -Werder Bremen 4-1
03.12.2011, 15.30  SC Freiburg -Hannover 96 1-1
03.12.2011, 15.30  1. FC Kaiserslautern -Hertha BSC Berlin 1-1
03.12.2011, 15.30  VfL Wolfsburg -FSV Mainz 05 2-2
03.12.2011, 15.30  Bor. Mönchengladbach -Borussia Dortmund 1-1
03.12.2011, 18.30  VfB Stuttgart -1. FC Köln (-:-) 
04.12.2011, 15.30  Hamburger SV -1. FC Nürnberg (-:-) 
04.12.2011, 17.30  Schalke 04 -FC Augsburg (-:-)

Bundelsiga Table Updated 02 December  2011 

                                                         GP    W   D   L   GF/GA    Pts
1    Bayern München                        15      10    1    4      38:9     31
2    Borussia Dortmund                    15      9    3    3      30:10     30
3    Borussia Mönchengladbach       15      9    3    3      24:10     30
4    Werder Bremen                          15       8    2    5      26:25    26
5    Schalke 04                                  14       8    1    5      28:20    25
6    Bayer Leverkusen                      15       7    4    4      22:19    25
7    VfB Stuttgart                              14       6    3    5      20:15    21
8    Hannover 96                               15       5    6    4      19:23    21
9    Hertha BSC Berlin                     15        4    7    4      22:23   19
10    1899 Hoffenheim                      15       5    3    7      16:18   18
11    VfL Wolfsburg                           15       5    2    8     21:30   17
12    FSV Mainz 05                            14       4    4    6     21:28   16
13    1. FC Köln                                 13       5    1    7      20:29  16
14    1. FC Nürnberg                          14       4    3    7      14:24  15
15    Hamburger SV                           14       3    5    6      18:26  14
16    1. FC Kaiserslautern                  15       3    5    7      11:19  14
17    SC Freiburg                                15       3    4    8      20:31  13
18    FC Augsburg                              14       2    5    7      12:24  11