Bayern Munich edged closer to the Bundesliga title after Borussia Dortmund lost 2-1 at Hoffenheim on Saturday, while pioneering Union Berlin coach Marie-Louise Eta was beaten on her debut.
Dortmund’s defeat leaves Bayern 12 points clear and knowing they need just a point at home to Stuttgart on Sunday to claim their 35th German title.
Hoffenheim’s club record goalscorer Andrej Kramaric converted two penalties, bringing his career total to 156, to help the hosts move past Bayer Leverkusen into fifth spot.
“To lose because of two penalties is tough,” Dortmund defender Daniel Svensson said.
“We need more intensity — we need to end the season well.”
Unlike Dortmund, who have all but locked up second place, Hoffenheim still have plenty to play for as they chase a Champions League berth, and dominated proceedings in the opening half.
Just before the break, Dortmund defender Niklas Suele fell awkwardly in the box and handled the ball.
Kramaric converted the penalty as Suele was helped from the pitch with a knee injury. Dortmund sporting director Lars Ricken told reporters they suspect it is a “serious injury”.
Substitute Serhou Guirassy pulled one back for the visitors but Hoffenheim were awarded another penalty in stoppage time, which Kramaric once more dispatched to grab victory.
Dortmund have now lost their past two matches, having previously suffered just two defeats across the entire campaign.
In Saturday’s late game, RB Leipzig’s youngsters stole the show in a 3-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt to strengthen their hopes of a return to the Champions League.
Leipzig’s first win in Frankfurt on their 11th attempt took them to third, five points clear of fifth-placed Hoffenheim.
Yan Diomande, 19, danced in from the right before curling an expert shot into the bottom corner to put Leipzig in front.
Frankfurt equalised just after the half-hour mark with a Hugo Larsson header.
Antonio Nusa, 21, put Leipzig back in front with 20 minutes remaining and Konrad Harder, also 21, made sure of the result when he beat Michael Zetterer late on.
Union’s Eta loses on debut
New Union coach Eta, the first female manager of a men’s team in the top five European leagues, suffered a setback on her debut, going down 2-1 at home to relegation battlers Wolfsburg.
Appointed on an interim basis until the end of the season, Eta received a rapturous response from the home crowd when her name was announced pre-match.
Union were quickly on the back foot when Patrick Wimmer scored after 11 minutes. Dzenan Pejcinovic added another just after the break to help Wolfsburg move two points behind St Pauli in the relegation play-off spot and six from safety.
Union’s Oliver Burke scored a late goal but despite the defeat, the Berliners remain six points ahead of the relegation play-off spot with four games left to play this season.
“We talked a lot about many things this week,” Eta told reporters after the match, adding “ultimately, it was all about football, which I was looking forward to.
“I was happy to be here today but in the end it was bitter and disappointing that we’re leaving without any points.”
Leverkusen dropped to sixth after losing 2-1 at home to mid-table Augsburg. Augsburg’s Fabian Rieder cancelled out Patrik Schick’s opener inside 15 minutes.
The match looked on course for a draw until Rieder converted a penalty in the seventh minute of stoppage time to deal Leverkusen’s top-four hopes a hammer blow.
Elsewhere, Werder Bremen picked up crucial points in the battle to beat the drop, winning 3-1 at home to northern rivals Hamburg, who finished the match with nine men.
Jens Stage bagged a double either side of a Robert Glatzel strike. Cameron Puertas added a late goal to help Bremen move five points clear of the bottom three and level with Hamburg.
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