Lewandowski unstoppable, Dortmund dominate derby
October 25, 2020
Bundesliga Matchday 5 headlines:
- Dortmund sweep past sorry Schalke
- Lewandowski hat-trick hero
- Title race begins
Dortmund sweep past sorry Schalke
Borussia Dortmund eventually broke through the stubborn defense of Schalke to seal a deserved derby win. Manuel Akanji was the unlikeliest candidate to break the deadlock but once the defender poked home a rebound, Schalke crumbled. Erling Haaland got his goal and Mats Hummels scored his first derby goal as their visitors struggled desperately with the ball at their feet. Schalke have now gone 21 games without a win, equaling (with Dynamo Dresden, Kaiserslautern and Blau Weiß Berlin) the second-worst run without a win in the Bundesliga. Only Tasmania Berlin's run of 31 games is worse.
Lewandowski hat-trick hero
Frankfurt didn't play badly or park the bus, but even a brave performance in Munich isn't enough these days. A hat trick from Robert Lewandowski was enough for Bayern Munich to win another game. Leroy Sané scored a goal Arjen Robben would have been proud of and Jamal Musiala scored the fifth. Hansi Flick rotated, but his day was somewhat spoiled by the loss of Alphonso Davies inside the first two minutes after he rolled his ankle in the turf. The Canadian is expected to be out for six to eight weeks.
Title race begins
Five games in and the front runners have already begun to distance themselves from the rest of the league. RB Leipzig lead Bayern and Dortmund, who themselves are already four points clear of the nearest challenger. While it's still early on, these gaps are only likely to grow. Gladbach will be delighted to have stolen a win in Mainz as it keeps them just about in touch, but Stuttgart will be kicking themselves for not seeing off Cologne on Friday night because had they done so they would have been even closer.
Player of the week: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Robert Lewandowski is so consistent it's not even newsworthy. His hat trick against Frankfurt came courtesy of a strike on his left foot, another on his right and one with his head. It takes his season tally to 10. It's still early but it looks like Lewandowski is in the midst of the golden era of his career.
Young player of the week: Rocco Reitz (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
While Jamal Musiala scored again for Bayern Munich, it was 18-year-old midfielder Rocco Reitz who stole the show among the young players playing this weekend. The Gladbach youngster played for an hour, won almost all of his duels and looked confident throughout. Marco Rose has long been a fan and now we know why. Also, what a great name.
Coach of the week: Marco Rose (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
With his side 2-1 down in Mainz around the hour mark, Marco Rose made the most of the five subs available to him and rang the changes successfully. While more subs makes a coach's life easier, the timing and choice of change is still up to the man on the sidelines and given that Jonas Hofmann came off the bench to score the equalizer and set up the winner, it's clear that Marco Rose got it right when it mattered.
Five-a-side team of the week: