While Bayern Munich has been dominant lately in the Bundesliga, it will be without a key player until the New Year.
Midfielder Joshua Kimmich, who hasn't played since Nov. 6 due to COVID-19, is set to miss the rest of the month due to a lung problem that arose from his bout with the illness.
After a decade-plus of domination by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, fans expected Ballon d'Or voting to bring some different results in 2021.
The obvious choice was Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, who was coming off a record-breaking 41-goal campaign in the Bundesliga.
Instead it was Messi — seemingly entering the twilight of his career — who won the award for the seventh time. "Surely something must be done," the people exclaimed at this perceived injustice. "He still can't be the best player in the world."
RB Leipzig, last season's Bundesliga runners-up, have mutually agreed to part company with head coach Jesse Marsch after a poor start to the season, the German club said on Sunday.
Leipzig suffered a 2-1 defeat at Union Berlin on Friday, a third consecutive league loss that left them 11th in the standings and piled pressure on American Marsch who was not at the game due to being in COVID-19 quarantine.
Marsch, who joined this season to replace Bayern Munich-bound Julian Nagelsmann, has led his team to only five wins in 14 league games.
DORTMUND — Top scorer Robert Lewandowski scored twice, including a second-half penalty, to guide the German champions to a crucial 3-2 victory at title rivals Borussia Dortmund on Saturday and a four-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.
The Pole opened his account in the ninth minute to level after Dortmund had taken an early lead through Julian Brandt, and then converted a 77th-minute spot kick to seal victory with his 16th goal of the campaign.
BERLIN — Bundesliga matches can only have an attendance of up to 50% and up to a maximum of 15,000 spectators after the German government on Thursday reintroduced restrictions for sports events amid rising cases of COVID-19 infections.
Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Scholz agreed with the leaders of Germany's 16 states on a number of measures, including the reduction of fans in outdoor and indoor sports events.
Lionel Messi won his record-extending seventh men’s Ballon d’Or on Monday. Anyone who watched him carry both Argentina and Barcelona over the last year knows he absolutely deserved it. But even Messi admitted on Monday that Robert Lewandowski deserves the 2020 Ballon d’Or.
WOLFSBURG, Germany — Borussia Dortmund top striker Erling Haaland scored on his comeback with a second-half volley as his team came from a goal down to beat VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 on Saturday and go provisionally top of the Bundesliga.
It's like Erling Haaland has never been away.
He's been back on the pitch seven minutes and has a goal! pic.twitter.com/YyDHzHAAs0
There’s something about snow that brings out both the beauty and the pain of this world. Few things in life are more beautiful than watching frozen water crystals fall to the Earth, transforming the landscape. Few things in life are more painful than taking a blow to the crotch in below-freezing weather, altering your entire world view. Few things in life are more beautiful than a perfectly executed bicycle kick; few things in life are more painful than a complete whiff by a goalkeeper.
Bayern Munich suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat to Augsburg on Friday, in part a result of the team’s lethargic performance but also because a growing number of players have been forced to quarantine under Covid-19 regulations. Now it seems unvaccinated Bayern players will be losing more than playing time.
BERLIN — Werder Bremen coach Markus Anfang has denied using a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate after an investigation was launched by German authorities, the club said.
Werder, playing in Germany's second division this season, said an investigation was under way but the coach had denied allegations he used a fake certificate following a meeting with club bosses late on Thursday evening.
"On Thursday evening the management of SV Werder Bremen was informed of an ongoing investigation into an alleged use of a forged vaccination certificate by Markus Anfang," Werder said.