Mainz 05 Upsets Bayern 3-2

 Mainz 05 upset FC Bayern Muenchen 3-2.  The win was well deserved for the team from the Pfalz.  Bayern during the first half played with little imagination and many of their passes did not reach the intended target.  Mainz on the other hand played in top gear from the start and were rewarded.

 Just eleven minutes into the match, Mainz's Ivanschitz put the ball into the net after a perfect pass from Nicolai Mueller, moving around Manuel Neuer. Mainz took the one goal lead into half time.

The lead at half time was well deserved.  Mainz's efforts gave them more chances at goal.  Up to the 20th minute Bayern hadn't had a shot on goal.  At the end of the half the toll was 8 shots to 6 for Mainz with 11 - 6 corner kicks, although Bayern had 65% ball possession.

Although Munich had a better effort in the second half and appeared to get control of the game when Van Buyten scored the equalizer in the 56th minute.  That was an illusion though.  Mainz was not about to give up.  Caligiuri scored the go ahead goal in the 65th minute.  With a shot from 28 meters into the lower right hand corner, Neuer was defeated.  Although Neuer moved in the right direction, he was a split second late and crossed the line just next to the post.

For insurance Niko Bungert made it 3-1 for Mainz in the 74th minute.  The goal came as a result of a corner kick, when Bungert dodged Gometz and headed the ball past Neuer into the goal, his third goal of the season.  The upset was complete.

Van Buyten narrowed the score in the 76th minute, giving Munich the hope of at least an equalizer.  There was drama right to the end of the game and Mainz fans were sitting on the edge of their seats.  In the end David beat Goliath.  The record champion was defeated, moved off the top spot of the league and Borussia Dortmund is the lead leaguer, with Borussia Moenchengladbach second and Munich in third place.

 Just two weeks ago FC Bayern was hailed as the runaway champion.   Phillip Lahm had discounted that by saying it's a long season and added that in order to top the league befor the winter break all they had to do is win four games and Bayern would be two points ahead.  Obviously easier said then done.

Mainz deserved this victory and Munich needs to go back to the drawing board.  After a successful Champions League match earlier this week, they have lost their second match in a row in the Bundesliga.   Jupp Heyncke will have a few words of wisdom for them, no doubt

Dortmund Shuts Out Schalke - Tops Bundesliga

 Dortmund entered the Revier derby after defeating Bayern Muenchen last weekend.  During the week, in Champions League play, Dortmund left London defeated with Bender in the hospital and Mario Goetze's participation today questionable.  

Gladbach, which won its match against Koeln yesterday moved into the league lead by one point.  There was pressure on both Dortmund and Schalke to pick up three points. 

Dortmund dominated the match from the start and Schalke barely gave Weidenfeller any work in the first half.  There was never any real danger in the Dortmund 16 meter area.  Dortmund was rewarded sixteen minutes into the match, when Schmelzer lowered a freekick into 5 meter area.  Lewandowski, unhindered by the Schalke defence, headed the ball into the net.  A well deserved 1-0 for Dortmund.

Dortmund continued its attack on Schalke but was unable to capitalize although shots on goal were 8-0.  The halftime lead was well deserved.  Schalke would have to turn up the tempo in the second half.

Schalke started the second half a little livelier, realizing that a draw would at least maintain contact with the league leaders.  Dortmund kept pushing for the go ahead goal.  The push finally paid off, after Goetze missed an excellent opportunity, tried to go it alone, and fired at the net from an impossible ankle.  The resulting corner finds Schmelzer, who headed the ball to Hummels, who headed it square to Barrios, Unerstall deflects Barrios' attempt but Felipe Santana gets to the ball about 13 meters out and fires it into the net, for a 2-0 lead for Dortmund.

Dortmund, despite the absence of Sven Bender played a superb match and there was never any danger of the match being lost.  Final score 2-0.  With the win Dortmund takes the top spot in the Bundesliga, however, Bayern plays tomorrow. 

Starting Line-Ups:

Dortmund:  Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Santana, Hummels, Schmelzer - Leitner, Kehl - Biascykowski Lewandowski, Goetze - Barrios

Schalke:  Unnerstall - Uchida, Papadopoulos, Matip, Fuchs - Jones, Holtby - Baumjohann, Draxler - Raul, Huntelaar

Bundesliga Matchday 14 Fixtures and Preview

Bundesliga Matchday 14 will be played between Friday 25 November and Sunday 27 November 2011.  The most anticipated match this week will be Borussia Dortmund vs Schalke 04.  After last weekends successful match over Bayern Muenchen, Dortmund will attempt to gain three points from Schalke 04, which is in fourth place with 25 points.

Dortmund, after its victory in Munich, lost a decisive match against Arsenal in Champions League Group stage competition.  The loss has eliminated the BVB from the knock out round of the final 16.  Dortmund was  handicapped by devastating injuries of Mario Goetze and Bender, two key players, early on in the match.   Bender, who was taken directly to a hospital in London, required surgery for his broken jaw and will not be available for play until at least January.  In Goetze's case, the knee is apparenlty alright, but there are some problems with the muscles surrounding the knee.  Whether or not Goetze is available for Saturday's match is not clear at this point.

Playmaker Mario Gotze could also miss the meeting of the Ruhr valley rivals after picking up a knock just above the knee against Arsenal.
"Dortmund will be without Bender until January," the club said on Thursday after the 22-year-old underwent a three-hour operation in London.
"Gotze's derby participation is also in doubt [but] the medical staff are hoping he can be fit for Saturday."

FC Bayern plays in Mainz on Sunday, a match they should win easily.  Nothing, however is for sure in the Bundesliga.  Mainz, which has been struggling of late, has only 12 points and is just placed above the relegation zone. Don't look for an easy win by the Bayern club. Munich won its Champions League Match against Napoli and has qualified for the knock out round.

Leverkusen is guest in Berlin this weekend and a win is a must, if Leverkusen is to maintain contact with the top six in the league.  Berlin will want to build on its recent success and continue the climb up on the table. Leverkusen defeated Chelsea with a last minute goal during Champions League play yesterday.

South Baden's SC Freiburg has had its share of difficulties this year as well.  They will mount an all out effort to defeat Hoffenheim in an attempt to move out of the relegation zone.  Hoffenheim will want a victory at home.

Augsburg with only one win on its sheet for their debut season in the Bundesliga, hosts VFL Wolfsburg.  With only eight points on its sheet, Augsburg needs to win if they are to have any chance of surviving in the Bundesliga.

Another high profile match is the Werder Bremen hosting VFB Stuttgart.  The teams occupy fifth and sixth place respectively.

Matchday 14 promises to be another drama filled week.  The quest for the top of the league continues.  Will Bayern be able to extend its lead and will Dortmund be able to overcome the loss against Chelsea and be successful without Bender and possibly Goetze?  Can Augsburg break the mold and walk away with a win?   No matter how it all ends, get ready for another exciting Bundesliga weekend.

25.11.11,20.30     1. FC Köln     -     Mönchengladbach      0-3
26.11.11,15.30     1. FC Nürnberg     -     Kaiserslautern     1-0
26.11.11,15.30     1899 Hoffenheim     -     SC Freiburg      1-1
26.11.11,15.30     FC Augsburg     -     VfL Wolfsburg      2-0
26.11.11,15.30     Borussia Dortmund -    Schalke 04      2-0
26.11.11,15.30     Hertha BSC Berlin     -     Bayer Leverkusen      3-3
26.11.11,18.30     Hannover 96     -     Hamburger SV      1-1
27.11.11,15.30     Werder Bremen     -     VfB Stuttgart      (-:-)
27.11.11,17.30     FSV Mainz 05     -     Bayern München      (-:-)

Bundesliga Table: 


                                                                                  GP  W  D  L     GF/A        Pts
       

	1 Borussia Dortmund 14 9 2 3 29 : 9 29 2 Borussia Mönchengladbach 14 9 2 3 23 : 9 29 3 Bayern München 13 9 1 3 32 : 5 28 4 Schalke 04 14 8 1 5 28 : 20 25 5 Werder Bremen 13 7 2 4 23 : 21 23 6 Bayer Leverkusen 14 6 4 4 20 : 19 22 7 VfB Stuttgart 13 6 3 4 20 : 13 21 8 Hannover 96 14 5 5 4   18:22 20 9 1899 Hoffenheim 14 5 3 6 16 : 16 18 10 Hertha BSC Berlin 14 4 6 4 21 : 22 18 11 1. FC Köln 13 5 1 7 20 : 29 16 12 VfL Wolfsburg 14 5 1 8 19 : 28 16 13 1. FC Nürnberg 14 4 3 7 14 : 24 15 14 Hamburger SV 14 3 5 6 18 : 26 14 15 1. FC Kaiserslautern 14 3 4 7 10 : 18 13 16 FSV Mainz 05 12 3 3 6 16 : 23 12 17 SC Freiburg 14 3 3 8 19 : 30 12 18 FC Augsburg 14 2 5 7 12 : 24 11