Borussia Dortmund kept up their pursuit of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga, although they left it late to see off 10-man Hoffenheim on Sunday.
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Yet Dortmund only fashioned their victory after Hoffenheim’s Sebastian Rudy had turned from hero, with his 25th minute goal, to villain, with his sending off 12 minutes after halftime.
Winger Henrikh Mkhitaryan spared Dortmund’s blushes with an 80th-minute equaliser before substitute Adrian Ramos headed Lukasz Piszczek’s cross home on 85 minutes.
Mainz warmed up for Wednesday’s league game at Bayern by going fifth with a 3-1 win at home to Bayer Leverkusen, who had coach Roger Schmidt in the stands as he starts a three-match ban.
However, a cynical foul on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang prior to the hour mark earned the birthday boy goal-scorer a red card and that proved a turning point as second-placed Dortmund eventually showed their quality. With 14 minutes into the game, Mainz rewarded themselves with the opener as Yunus Malli lobbed the ball over onrushing Leverkusen goalie Bernd Leno.
But the Gundogan has yet to decide his long-term future, and it remains unclear whether he will stay at Borussia despite the club’s possible return to Champions League in the upcoming season following one year in the Europa League.
Brazilian striker Raffael had sent Gladbach into a half-time lead before the game exploded into life with three goals in five second-half minutes. While, Javier Hernandez netted a consolation for Leverkusen. A draw between the two teams is 6/1 via bet365.
In the late match, Eintracht Frankfurt and Schalke drew 0-0. Alfred Finnbogason scored his first Bundesliga goal in the 50th with a header to put Augsburg back into the match and the home side went ahead in the 53rd when Caiuby drilled home after Moenchengladbach failed to clear a corner. The host had the last laugh as Fabian Johnson’s equalizer secured the Monchengladbach one point on home soil.
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