15:30 Kickoffs: Shocking home defeats for Bayern, Leverkusen and Dortmund

FC Bayern 2-3 VfL Bochum

The Rekordmeister faced their friends from Bochum while celebrating the club’s 125th birthday. Enjoying Bayern’s fourth-best Bundesliga season at this stage, Vincent Kompany went for a complete shift with only Leon Goretzka maintaining his place from Wednesday’s starting lineup.

In contrast, Dieter Hecking entrusted the players who started last weekend’s home defeat to TSG Hoffenheim. There was further reason for Bayern celebration as they unveiled reaching 400,000 members ahead of kickoff.

Soon after, they celebrated the first goal with another belter from Raphael Guerreiro. Bayern were asking for a penalty for a foul on Serge Gnabry whilst the Portuguese all-rounder beat Timo Horn with a ferocious shot. Less than ten minutes later, Bayern did get a penalty when Jacob Medić brought down Leroy Sané inside the box.

With the absence of flawless spot-kick taker Harry Kane, Gnabry took responsibility for his first penalty-kick in two years. However, his attempt was saved by Bochum’s right-hand post. Gnabry had another chance to score his sixth goal of the season before Guerreiro doubled Bayern’s advantage.

The former Borussia Dortmund player scored with a rare header after yet another unselfish play by Thomas Müller. Bayern’s long-serving player was also involved in Bochum’s goal three minutes later. Medić gave the visitors a lifeline after Müller’s failed attempt to clear Matúš Bero’s corner-kick.

Jonas Urbig, who is the fourth goalkeeper to see Bundesliga action for Bayern this season, was unable to save the Croat’s rocket. Bayern instantly regained momentum with Gnabry once again denied a goal: this time by a tight offside call.

Five minutes later, there was more good news for Hecking’s boys as João Palhinha saw a straight red card for a foul on Bochum’s dangerman, Giorgos Masouras. Having missed a sitter on Wednesday, Palhinha’s week turned from bad to worse while his compatriot’s brace was the reason for Bayern’s slender half-time lead.

Bochum started the second-half with the news of Kiel taking the lead against Stuttgart, but they soon found an unlikely equalizer through their tireless midfielder Ibrahima Sissoko. The Mali international beat Sascha Boey to head home Felix Passlack’s delivery moments after Urbig’s save from Masouras’ close-range header.

Gnabry continued to fashion Bayern’s best chances before he saw his name on the substitution board when Kompany made four changes in the 63rd minute. Despite the introduction of Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise, it was Bochum who took the lead twenty minutes from the end.

Bero provided the finishing touch after Philipp Hofmann’s excellent play. Even with Bayern stepping up their effort, Bochum came close to scoring a fourth on multiple occasions with Urbig denying Masouras and Moritz Broschinski.

Musiala led Bayern’s injury-time attempt to salvage a point, but Bochum held on to record a historic win. The result means they closed the gap with St. Pauli in the race to get out of the relegation zone.

Bayer Leverkusen 0-2 Werder Bremen

With one eye on the Champions League’s return leg, Xabi Alonso also decided to shuffle his side with six changes from the 3-0 defeat at Allianz Arena. Ole Werner lost five straight games for the first time as a Werder Bremen coach, but he only made two changes as he continued to trust Oliver Burke and Andre Silva upfront.

Without their most creative player Florian Wirtz, Leverkusen took a while to get going in the final third. Incidentally, Bremen did score from their first chance in the eighth minute. Romano Schmid continued his fine season by beating Lukas Hradecky from close range.

Just when Leverkusen started to gather pace, Milos Veljković thought he had doubled Bremen’s advantage, but the goal was chalked off for an offside call. Aleix García had Leverkusen’s best chance before the break as his free-kick rattled the crossbar.

In danger of getting further behind Bayern in the title race, Alonso made three changes at the half-time break. Unsurprisingly, Wirtz was one of those to enter the foray for Leverkusen with Patrick Schick keeping his place up front.

However, before the hour mark, Wirtz was off again following a foul by Mitchell Weiser, who subsequently saw his fifth yellow card of the season. The former Bayern player will be suspended for Bremen’s home game against Mönchengladbach. Meanwhile, Leverkusen will fret over Wirtz’s availability for the return leg against Bayern.

Despite Bayern falling behind at home against Bochum, Leverkusen continue to struggle to find an opening. If anything, Bremen came close to extending their lead when Burke’s goal ruled out for offside.

Bremen wrapped up the points in injury-time with Justin Njinmah’s first goal in 2025. Leverkusen’s defeat means Bayern’s lead at the top remains eight points. The two teams will lock horns in the return leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie on Tuesday.

Borussia Dortmund 0-1 FC Augsburg

Following two straight league wins by tinkering with his side, Niko Kovac maintained the attacking line used in midweek’s draw against LOSC Lille. Dortmund’s opponents are unbeaten in their last eight league encounters, but they conceded nine goals in their last two visits to Signal Iduna Park.

The hosts started the game brightly with the game’s first couple of chances falling to their wingers, Jamie Gittens and Karim Adeyemi. Despite winning five corner-kicks in the first 20 minutes, Dortmund fall behind from a rare set-piece for the in-form visitors.

In a late celebration for his contract extension, Augsburg’s captain Jeffrey Gouweleeuw stunned BVB with a remarkable header from Marius Wolf’s free-kick. Playing in a special kit to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their maiden Bundesliga title, Dortmund tried to get back in the game.

However, they couldn’t find the finishing touch from multiple set-piece opportunities. Julian Brandt, who was a matter of discussion ahead of the game for his dip in performance, was unable to bring back the hosts when he had a decent chance just before half-time.

Augsburg fashioned the second-half’s first chance through Phillip Tietz before Dortmund scored from their maiden shot on target. However, Brandt’s goal was ruled out for a tight offside call. Shortly after, Augsburg went through the same when Salih Özcan’s own-goal cancelled after a VAR check.

Twenty minutes from time, Serhou Guirassy had a great chance to end Augsburg’s impressive run of keeping clean sheets, but his header failed to find the target. Subsequently, Finn Dahmen went over 500 minutes without conceding a goal in Bundesliga.

Dortmund stepped up their effort, but Augsburg maintained their defensive record to extend the unbeaten run to nine matches. The two teams are now level on points after 25 rounds. Dortmund will hope to return to winning ways when they travel to Lille in midweek.

Holstein Kiel 2-2 VfB Stuttgart

Due to the absence of six central defenders, Sebastian Hoeneß has to settle for a makeshift unit at the back. The Swabians looked to improve their ninth-place ranking before the international break. Meanwhile, Kiel were flying after recording their first-ever Bundesliga away win last time out in Berlin.

However, it was Stuttgart who took an early lead through German international Jamie Leweling. Back in Kiel’s starting lineup, Steven Skrzybski leveled the score before half-time. And, 30 seconds into the second-half, Marcel Rapp’s side completed the comeback with Skrzybski’s second strike.

Leonidas Stergiou’s red card seemed to boost Kiel’s confidence, but Stuttgart found an equalizer barely two minutes later through substitute Ermedin Demirović. On goal difference, Stuttgart steered above Mönchengladbach. Meanwhile, despite their respectable result, Kiel are now three points behind Bochum.

VfL Wolfsburg 1-1 FC St. Pauli

While the visitors lead the league with the most runs in the Bundesliga, Wolfsburg are the efficient side needing 6.3 shots per goal. The big lineup news involved the hosts' matchwinner in Bremen, Patrick Wimmer, missing the game due to illness.

St. Pauli were unbeaten in their previous five Bundesliga fixtures against Wolves. Siebe Van der Heyden’s first-half goal was a big reason to keep that streak going for the newly-promoted side as well as stopping their current losing run.

In an evenly contested game, Wolfsburg salvaged a draw through Mohamed Amoura’s second-half penalty. The result means five of the six Bundesliga duels between the teams ended in draws.