Bundesliga matchday 23 review: Bayern Munich survive a scare, Borussia Dortmund snatch a draw, St. Pauli survival boost, and more | OneFootball

Another Bundesliga matchday, another goal fest! This time, 33 goals from nine games, including multiple 2-2 draws, 3-2 wins, and even a 3-3 draw with bottom of the league. Bayern Munich survived a late rally, Borussia Dortmund snatched a point in the last second, St. Pauli gave themselves a survival boost, and so much more. Here is your review of matchday 23 in the Bundesliga.  

Bayern Survive Frankfurt Flurry

Bayern Munich survived a late flurry of goals from Eintracht Frankfurt as they ran out 3-2 winners on Saturday afternoon. 

It seemed to be another dominate display from Bayern when they took a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes through Aleksandar Pavlović and Harry Kane. The game then looked dead and buried when Harry Kane scored his second with just over 20 minutes to play in the second half. However, Frankfurt managed to pull one back from Jonathan Burkhardt via the penalty spot in the 77th minute. 

Then, uncharacteristic like, Bayern gifted Frankfurt a second that created a grandstand finish at the Allianz Arena. 

Joshua Kimmich committed the cardinal sin that every young boy and girl is first told when starting to play football – never pass the ball across your own box. 

Kimmich did exactly that with Manuel Neuer away from his goal, who was looking for a pass himself. The pass across to Kim Min-jae was a poor one, and Arnaud Kalimuendo was there to make it 3-2. 

Bayern managed to hold out and now sit eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table, with Borussia Dortmund in second. However, one cause for concern for Bayern will be the ankle injury to Alphonso Davies. Having only recently come back from an ACL injury, the Canadian could be absent for the next two to four weeks. For Frankfurt, the late rally gives head coach Albert Riera something to build upon, having looked to have already made an impact at the club. 

Dortmund Leave it Late

Fabio Silva scored a 95th-minute equaliser to ensure that Borussia Dortmund left Saxony with a point, following a 2-2 draw with RB Leipzig on Saturday evening. 

In such an important game in the context of Dortmund’s season, this was not the time for Niko Kovac’s side to struggle defensively. 

Leipzig saw a large portion of their chances come from the flanks, with both Yan Diomande and Brajan Gruda causing issues for the likes of Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson. When the wingers were able to put a cross in, the centre-backs would struggle to deal with clearing the ball, and that is how both of Leipzig’s goals were scored, in near identical fashion

Diomande was left one-on-one with Ryerson, managed to get to the byline and play a cross in which Christoph Baumgartner was able to divert in. The second time, it would be Raum who played the ball in, with the Austrian again at the end of it for his second of the game and to double Leipzig’s lead. 

Dortmund were a much better side in the second half, and got themselves back into the game when a Ryerson corner was turned into the net by Romulo for an own goal to make it 2-1.

The game would then transcend into a basketball game as Niko Kovac’s side looked for an equaliser, and the hosts were looking to extend their lead with Diomande being the source for most of Leipzig’s attacks in the second half. 

After several rather underwhelming substitutions from the visitors, it was a substitute who rescued a point when Fabio Silva’s goal in the 95th minute made it 2-2.

The draw for both sides keeps them in second and fifth, respectively, and while it keeps them in a good position, it probably suits the teams around them more. 

St. Pauli Survival Boost

Sunday afternoon pitted two of the league’s bottom three against each other, with 17th-placed St. Pauli hosting 16th-placed Werder Bremen. With the business end of the season fast approaching, the Bundesliga relegation battle is beginning to come to the fore. 

The Hamburg natives looked the better of the two sides and eventually got their noses in front in the 55th minute, albeit with a massive piece of fortune. 

Hauke Wahl’s header looked to be an easy save; however, the ball slipped through the gloves of Mio Nagata and rolled into the net. It’s moments like that that you feel could really define a season, a horrible moment for the young goalkeeper and Bremen. 

Daniel Thioune’s side were not behind for long, though, equalising after a goalmouth scramble sparked by an inviting cross from Mbangula, with substitute Jovan Milošević firing home from close range just moments after he and Leonardo Bittencourt were introduced from the bench.

St. Pauli would not be deterred in their pursuit of victory and retook the lead with 20 minutes remaining when Manolis Saliakas’ pass found Joel Chima Fujita unmarked inside the box. The Japanese international sent his effort brilliantly past Mio Backhaus and into the bottom corner for his first goal for the Kiezkicker.

Blessin’s men successfully ran down the clock to secure back-to-back home wins for the first time since their return to the Bundesliga in 2024. The victory moves St. Pauli above Bremen into 16th place, meaning Daniel Thioune’s side now occupies one of the two automatic relegation spots for the first time this season.

Around The Grounds

Union Berlin pulled off one of the shocks of matchday 23 as they beat Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 in the capital. Rani Khedira’s goal just before the half-hour mark proved to be the deciding moment in a game of few chances. Union were lucky they finished the game with 11 men, however, as defender Stanley Nsoki’s tackle on Manik Tillman was very late, just above the ankle, and at risk of causing serious injury. Despite a VAR check, the player was somehow allowed to continue. 

Bottom of the league, FC Heidenheim, played out a thrilling 3-3 draw on Sunday evening against VfB Stuttgart. Frank Schmidt’s side were close to an unlikely three points, until Deniz Undav reduced a point two minutes from time for Stuttgart. While a draw looks like a good result for Heidenheim, at this stage in the season, they’re only interested in victories. VfB stay fourth with the point. 

FC Augsburg scored a 93rd-minute winner to beat VfL Wolfsburg 2-3. The win moves FCA up to 10th position, whilst keeping Wolfsburg in 15th, just outside the relegation places on goal difference. 

Elsewhere, SC Freiburg beat Borussia Mönchengladbach (2-1), whilst there were draws between FC Köln / Hoffenheim (2-2) and Mainz 05 / Hamburger SV (1-1). 

GGFN | Jamie Allen