Bundesliga, Week 30: Dortmund Make Title Claim With Win

Borussia Dortmund Vs. Bayern Munich, 2012 Bundesliga: Final Score, BVB Win And Go 6 Points Clear

Borussia Dortmund have one hand on the Bundesliga trophy after they pulled off a spectacular victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday. Bayern had their chances to equalize on multiple occasions, but failed to take their chances over and over again as Der BVB held on for a 1-0 win.

The first half was entertaining, but featured no goals. Manuel Neuer made a brilliant 6th minute save on Shinji Kagawa and Robert Lewandowski hit the post in the 37th minute, but the home side couldn't find the back of the net and had to disappointingly go into the halftime break level with Bayern at 0-0.

The Bavarians had much more of the ball and more quality chances in the second half, but Dortmund found the only goal of the match in the 77th minute. Kevin Großkreutz created the chance with a shot from the edge of the penalty area that was going to be on target if it was allowed to run all the way through to the goal, but it would have been easily saved by Neuer. Instead, it never got to the Bayern keeper. Lewandowski was in perfect position to redirect the ball and he deflected it away from the Bayern keeper with a brilliant backwards flick with the inside of his boot. It rolled into the back of the net for the game's only goal.

Bayern would have two more brilliant chances, and somehow, they missed them both. The first was as clear of a chance as a team can get, a penalty kick given for a foul on Arjen Robben by Roman Weidenfeller. Robben stepped up and took the penalty, but hit a weak one that was easily saved.

In stoppage time, he would have a chance to redeem himself, but failed again. After the ball deflected off the head of a Dortmund defender and improbably onto the crossbar, it fell to Robben two yards away from goal, but with everything to shoot at, he found a way to sky his half-volley attempt miles over the crossbar.

Lewandowski nearly doubled Dortmund's lead in the dying seconds, but hit the crossbar with a brilliant chipped shot. Ultimately, the final whistle blew, ending a one-goal game that probably should have had five or six. Der BVB are now six points clear on top of the Bundesliga, and would have to fall apart to avoid winning the title.

Borussia Dortmund Vs. Bayern Munich, 2012 Bundesliga: Halftime Score, No Goals In Entertaining Match

There haven't been any goals in the first 45 minutes of the massive Bundesliga title decider between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, but there's been plenty of entertainment. Both sides have defended brilliantly, and the match has featured a number of big saving tackles that prevented clear scoring opportunities. The highlight of the first half was a huge save early by Manuel Neuer, and it's 0-0 at halftime.

That big save came in just the sixth minute, on a shot by Shinji Kagawa. He send Neuer the wrong way and appeared to score, but at the last possible tenth of a second, Neuer lifted his leg and kicked the ball away. Robert Lewandowski had a follow up attempt that was also saved.

Lewandowski had the half's next best chance, hitting the post with a header in the 37th minute. BVB have been the side on top so far, and they're unlucky to not be ahead. Bayern Munich have been overrun in the middle without Bastian Schweinsteiger and might be tempted to bring him on as a halftime sub.

Borussia Dortmund Vs. Bayern Munich, 2012 Bundesliga: Lineups

Ready for German football's biggest match of the year? Defending champions Borussia Dortmund will have to weather a spirited charge from Bayern Munich if they're to retain the Bundesliga crown, and there'd be no better way to do that then by beating the Champions League semifinalists at home and establishing a six-point cushion at the top of the league. If Bayern win, however, they'll leapfrog their opposition on goal differential - and they'll be looking for revenge after suffering a 1-0 loss to BVB at the Allianz Arena earlier this year.

Borussia Dortmund starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Roman Weidenfeller; Marcel Schmelzer, Mats Hummels, Neven Subotic, Lukasz Piszcek; Illkay Gundogan, Sebastian Kehl; Kevin Grosskreutz, Shinji Kagawa, Jakub Blaszcyzkowski; Robert Lewandowski.

Substitutes from: Patrick Owomoyela, Felipe Santana, Sven Bender, Ivan Perisic, Matchell Langerak, Lucas Barrios, Moritz Leitner.

Bayern Munich starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer; David Alaba, Holger Badstuber, Jerome Boateng, Philipp Lahm; Toni Kroos, Luiz Gustavo; Franck Ribery, Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben; Mario Gomez.

Substitutes from: Hans-Jorg Butt, Rafinha, Diego Contento, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Danijel Pranjic, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Ivica Olic.

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Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich play a potential title decider on Wednesday.

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Bundesliga Week 30, Tuesday Wrap: Stuttgart Win, Cologne Collapsing

Stuttgart look like they're on their way to Europe next season, while Cologne and Hertha Berlin are sinking further down into the relegation zone. On Tuesday, the Bundesliga was anything but boring.

Augsburg 1-3 Stuttgart

Augsburg have lost their last two in a row, but thanks to the teams below them, they're still above the relegation zone. Stuttgart, meanwhile, are in brilliant form, extending their unbeaten run in the Bundesliga to eight games with this road win. They got off to a terrible start when Sven Ulreich gave away a penalty in the fifth minute, which Nando Rafael converted, but they quickly fought back. Serdar Tasci headed in a corner to equalize in the 24th minute and Martin Harnik hit a stunner 10 minutes later to give his team the win. Vedad Ibišević iced the win late.

Hertha Berlin 1-2 Freiburg

Through some miracle that science cannot explain, Freiburg have played themselves to 12th place without Papiss Cissé. They were gifted an own goal seven minutes in and Hertha never recovered. Sebastian Freis netted their second goal in the 70th minute. Roman Hubník pulled one back for the home side in the 82nd minute, but they could not find an equalizer. Hertha are in 17th place, three points from safety.

Mainz 4-0 FC Köln

Get. Lukas. Podolski. Out. Of. Here.

Full Report: Werder Bremen 2-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach

Werder Bremen Vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach, 2012 Bundesliga: Thrilling Match Ends In 2-2 Draw

Borussia Mönchengladbach and Werder Bremen will both leave the Weserstadion on Tuesday feeling as if they could have walked away with three points, but the reality is that both could have easily also walked away with none, so the one point each picked up in the 2-2 draw was probably fair.

Bremen were first off the mark, getting a 17th-minute goal from Markus Rosenberg that gave them a lead they would hold through halftime. The match was not calm before the break, though, with both teams getting chances and, most importantly, Bremen going down to 10 men after Sebastian Boenisch was sent off for a poor tackle.

Up a man, Gladbach came firing out in the second half and it paid off in the 52nd minute, when Mike Hanke hit a gorgeous left-footed shot from 20 yards that hit the inside of the post before settling in the back of the net. He doubled Gladbach's lead 14 minutes later and it looked like short-handed Bremen would fall off.

Unable to throw numbers forward from the run of play because they were down a man, Bremen took advantage of their set-piece opportunities, specifically one in the 74th minute. Zlatko Junuzović swung a beautiful free kick in toward the near post where Naldo climbed above the Gladbach defenders and headed home the equalizer to snatch a point for the home side.

For Gladbach, it will feel like an opportunity missed as they failed to gain ground on Schalke for third place and the all-important automatic Champions League place, but Bremen will feel the same, failing to put some space between them and their chasers for one of the Europa League places. In the end, though, both got a fair point.

Bundesliga 2012, Week 30 Preview And Fixtures: Dortmund Host Bayern In Potential Title Decider

The Bundesliga returns with some midweek action, and we potentially have the game of the season: Borussia Dortmund host Bayern Munich.