Bundesliga Wrap: Collins Humiliated, Ehizibue Beaten, Maduka Okoye Missing Again

Jamilu Collins and Paderborn appear certain to head back to the second-tier after just one season in the Bundesliga after they suffered a humiliating 5-1 reverse at home to fellow strugglers Werder Bremen.

The bottom-placed club who paraded the Nigerian international for the entire ninety minutes are now eight points away from a relegation playoff spot with just three games remaining.

The loss is the second time they’ve conceded at least five goals in their last three games with the recently found resilience that saw them draw their first three games following the restart all but evaporated.

The game was an opportunity for Paderborn to rein in Bremen who are 17th and five points ahead prior to kick off but it was Bremen who seized the opportunity to put some daylight both teams.

A Davy Klaasen brace and a goal from Yuya Osako put Bremen up 3-0 before the interval and Maximilian Eggestein added a fourth fourteen minutes after the restart.

Abdelhamid Sabiri put Paderborn on the scoreboard after 66 minuted but Niclas Fuellkrug restored Bremen’s four-goal advantage in added time.

Bremen remain in 17th place but are level on 28 points with 16th-placed Fortuna Düsseldorf who occupy the relegation playoff spot.

Elsewhere, FC Koln’s Kingsley Ehizibue was substituted off after 63 minutes just as Anthony Ujah was introduced for away side FC Union Berlin who took all three points with a 2-1 win at victory at the RheinEnergie Stadion.

Goals either side of half time from Marvin Friedrich and Christian Gentner secured the game for away side before Jhon Cordoba grabbed a consolatory effort for the home side on the stroke of full time.

Both sides are now level on 35 points with Koln one place ahead in 12th on goals difference.

Maduka Okoye was again unlisted for Fortuna Düsseldorf who suffered a heartbreaking loss at home to second-placed Borussia Dortmund.

Fortuna thought they’d done enough to secure a share of the spoils against Dortmund who had a goal from Raphael Guerreiro ruled out after a VAR check.

But substitute Erling Halaand scored a precious header in the 95th minute to help Dortmund consolidate on second-place and keep their slim title hopes alive.

Ten-man Hertha BSC were trounced 4-1 at home by visiting Eintracht Frankfurt with Portuguese forward Andre Silva notching a brace for his sixth goal since the restart.

The win took Eintracht Frankfurt above Hertha in ninth place although both sides are level with 38 points.

Wolfsburg gave up a two-goal lead to draw with Freiburg at the Volkswagen Arena.

Wout Weghorst scored a brace to put the home side two up after 29 minutes but Lucas Hoeler halved the deficit just before halftime and Roland Sallai levelled matters a minute into the restart.

Wolfsburg remain in sixth place with 46 points while Freiburg are two places lower with 42 points.

Leaders Bayern Munich all but wrapped up an eighth straight title after they left it late to see off 4th-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 at the Allianz Arena in the late kickoff.

Leon Goretzka sealed the win with a late effort from Benjamin Pavard’s cut back after Nigeria-eligible Joshua Zirkzee’s opener was cancelled by Pavard’s own goal.

Mönchengladbach had the ball in the back of the net in after sixteen minutes but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Zirkzee then put Bayern ahead ten minutes later after a dreadful error from Yann Sommer who passed the ball directly to the 19-year old to score his fourth of the season.

The away side were level in the 37th-minute when Pavard put the ball past Neuer as he attempted to cut out a cross.

The Frenchman, however, redeemed himself with four minutes to go.

Goretzka’s dummy bamboozled the Mochengladbach defence and allowed a superb through ball from Alphonso Davies to find Pavard who then centred for Goretzka to tap home.

Bayern are now a win away from wrapping up the league title while Monchengladbach could drop out of the top four if Bayer Leverkusen win at 11th-place Schalke on Sunday.