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Bundesliga Bulletin: Reus returns, Lewandowski hunts record

February 11, 2018

The title race is over but the chasing pack is being shuffled wildly. This weekend also saw the return of Marco Reus, Robert Lewandowski match his boss and a host of firsts. Here's all you need to know about Matchday 22.

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Deutschland Borussia Dortmund Marco Reus
Image: imago/Kirchner-Media/D. Inderlied

Good weekend for: New goalscorers, Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus, Eintracht Frankfurt

Bad weekend for: Ralf Fährmann, Bayer Leverkusen, Bernd Hollerbach, Borussia Mönchengladbach

The Lowdown

- The title race is run but the hunt for Champions League places is looking increasingly like they will be claimed by the best of a bad bunch. Half the league are within two wins of fourth place but none of the chasing pack appear capable of any real consistency. Since the winter break, the top four has been populated by different teams each week. While it should make for an entertaining home stretch, it begs the question as to whether anyone can challenge Bayern Munich's dominance any time soon.

- Andre Schürrle provided the assist that helped Mario Götze and Borussia Dortmund secure a 2-0 win over Hamburg in injury time. It was the first time that combination has occurred since Götze scored an even later goal, in the 113th minute of the 2014 World Cup final. The comeback of Marco Reus, who appeared for the first time this season after injury, was another major plus for Dortmund, whose victory was their 500th at home in the Bundesliga.

- Hamburg's reliance on the 'new coach bounce' hasn't worked quite as well this season as it has previously. Bernd Hollerbach has failed to inspire a win in any of his first three games. Relegation six-pointers against Werder Bremen and Mainz, sandwiched by meetings with Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich could determine whether HSV finally drop from the Bundesliga for the first time.

- Naby Keita started a goal-packed weekend with a birthday strike on Friday night. The Guinean midfielder celebrated his 23rd with a deflected free kick in Leipzig's 2-0 win over Augsburg.

- The other goal in that win was a first in the Bundesliga for Dayot Upamecano, whose acrobatic finish started something of a trend. Valentino Lazaro (Hertha Berlin), Waldemar Anton (Hannover 96) and Manuel Gulde (Freiburg) also notched for the first time in Germany's top flight.

The Stat

- Robert Lewandowski's poacher's strike after six minutes means he's scored in the first 11 home games of the Bundesliga season. That equals a record set by his coach, Jupp Heynckes, while playing for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the early seventies.

The Quotes

“I hope the coach doesn’t get jealous and decide not to play me from the start.”
Robert Lewandowski jokes about his chance to surpass Jupp Heyncke's scoring record against Hertha Berlin on February 24.

"It was a special game for me, [that] goes without saying. Despite that I was fully focused on the game, which I think I played well in."
Leon Goretzka on playing against the club he'll be joining in a few months.

"I dedicate the goal to my mum. She told me before the game that I would score."
RB Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano on how at least one person saw his first Bundesliga goal coming.

"I didn't know I wasn't allowed to. I've always done it in my career. But now I know."
Hertha Berlin Rune Jarstein with a strange relevation on picking up a backpass

"We didn't practice a single set-piece this week."
Frankfurt head coach Niko Kovac on the secret to set-pieces goals (his side scored two in their 4-2 win against Cologne).

"I'm not a machine."
Schalke keeper Ralf Fährmann after his errors in Schalke's defeat to Bayern

"Thomas [Müller] sometimes does things that even he doesn't know how he did them."
Bayern keeper Sven Ulreich on Müller's tight-angled winner against Schalke

"I'm obviously delighted because it was my first goal for Hertha. On top of that it was my mum's birthday, and this is a lovely present for her."
Valentino Lazaro takes a novel approach to gifts. His mum's reaction isn't yet known.

The News

Sven Ulreich has signed a new deal with Bayern Munich that runs until 2021.

The draw for the German Cup semifinals was made on Sunday. Bayern Munich will travel to face Bayer Leverkusen while Schake host last season's beaten finalists Eintracht Frankfurt. The ties will be played on April 17 and 18. 

The Weird

Along with the increasingly rare sight of an outfield player in goal, or an animal on the pitch, an indirect free kick in the penalty box is one of those moments that every right-minded football fan relishes. 

Those at the Bay Arena on Saturday were treated to such a sight in the second half. Hertha keeper Rune Jarstein picked up a backpass and all 10 of his outfield teammates lined up on the goalline to charge down Leon Bailey's effort. One hacked it clear, a Leverkusen man smashed the rebound on to the bar, sparking a good old-fashioned goalmouth scramble, featuring richochets aplenty, another rattling of the woodwork and ending up with the ball in Jarstein's arms.