An encouraging first period from the hosts, who had just one point from their previous four games, ended without a goal for either side.
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But Hummels is an injury concern after being forced off after 50 minutes of Bayern’s German league win on Saturday which kept Carlo Ancelotti’s Munich top of the German league table with five wins from five league games. “Coaches are always under pressure – it’s normal”.
Joshua Kimmich’s late victor in Hamburg came after Thiago Alcantara’s sublime pass freed Franck Ribery on the left wing and the Frenchman’s cross beat the defence.
Mexican striker Javier Hernandez scored a hat-trick, including a stoppage time victor, to lead Bayer Leverkusen from a goal down and 2-1 down to a last-gasp 3-2 win over Mainz 05.
Yunus Malli’s cute opener for Mainz on 31 minutes was cancelled out by a fine finish from Hernandez inside the box just a minute later.
But Chicharito was, once again, the savior for Leverkusen.
Ibisevic equalized before the hour-mark, minutes before Alexander Esswein scored with a finely curled shot inside the far post, only for Hector to have the final say. Simon Zoller then completed the scoring for Cologne with a close range finish.
Bruno Labbadia’s side have not won a league match against the reigning champions since September 2009, but Ancelotti is nonetheless wary of the danger they pose on the counter-attack.
But Adler was inspired – reacting brilliantly early in the second half when Robert Lewandowski turned Thiago’s corner goalwards, and later beating away a David Alaba free-kick before turning Thomas Muller’s effort wide. Oscar Wendt secured the points late on – Gladbach’s 10th home league win in a row.
Mats Hummels came up limping at the end of the first half after a challenge on Bobby Wood, and aggravated the injury at the beginning of the second, eventually being replaced by Jerome Boateng.
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Darmstadt defender Leon Guwara was sent off just before the half-time whistle for his second yellow card.
