LAST UPDATE | 19 Dec 2020
ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI UNDERLINED his status as Fifa player of the year with both goals, the second coming just before the final whistle, as European champions Bayern Munich went top of the Bundesliga on Saturday with a 2-1 win at Bayer Leverkusen, who they usurped to first place.
Having beaten Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to the award on Thursday, Lewandowski claimed the winner after 93 minutes at the BayArena.
His brace leaves Lewandowski on 20 goals in 18 games this season in all competitions having headed Bayern level just before the break after Patrik Schick gave Leverkusen an early lead.
Earlier today, Borussia Moenchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram was sent off for spitting in an opponent’s face during Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.
The French international was shown a straight red card with 11 minutes left, which turned the game after the VAR spotted Thuram spitting at Hoffenheim defender Stefan Posch.
The incident happened just after Andrej Kramaric had equalised for Hoffenheim at Borussia Park.
Nine minutes after Thuram’s dismissal, Tottenham loanee Ryan Sessegnon put Hoffenheim ahead when he tapped in a cross unmarked at the far post.
Gladbach, who face Manchester City in the last 16 of the Champions League in February, had gone ahead when their captain Lars Stindl converted a first-half penalty.
Having made his France debut in November, this was the first time Thuram – the son of 1998 World Cup winner Lilian Thuram – has been sent off for Gladbach in his two seasons in Germany.
Gladbach, winless in their last six games in all competitions, are now eighth in the league while Hoffenheim are up to 11th.
With league leaders Bayer Leverkusen hosting European champions Bayern Munich on Saturday night, RB Leipzig missed the chance to go top after being held to a goalless draw at home to Cologne.
The point leaves Leipzig second in the table on goal difference, but level on 28 points with Leverkusen.
Despite bringing in Dutch veteran Huub Stevens, 67, on Friday as their third coach this season, Schalke are now 29 games without a win after their 1-0 defeat at home to Arminia Bielefeld.
Bielefeld, who are also in the bottom three, secured the points thanks to a header from captain Fabian Klos.
Schalke are now just two games from the unwanted league record of 31 winless games, set by Tasmania Berlin in 1965/66.
Having been recently playing fourth-tier football for their reserves, Werder Bremen’s 19-year-old striker Eren Dinkci enjoyed a fairytale Bundesliga debut.
He scored their 90th-minute winner with a superb header to seal a 1-0 victory at Mainz just after coming off the bench.
Frankfurt stay mid-table after their 2-0 away win at Augsburg as Stefan Ilsanker netted late on after an own-goal by Raphael Framberger for the hosts in Bavaria.
Updated at 20.25 to include details of Bayern Munich result
