It was a weekend of mixed emotions for the African stars in round 23 of the Bundesliga.

Achraf Hakimi’s Dortmund remains at the top of the league after their 3-2 win against Bayer Leverkusen. The Moroccan fullback was used on the right and managed the full 90 minutes in this frenetic game.

The three African stars at Mainz also won, but in a more comfortable manner, beating Schalke 3-0 at home. Ivorian midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Nigerian striker Anthony Ujah started the game with the latter being removed halfway through the second half. Cameroonian Kunde Malong was not in the matchday squad.

However, Schalke’s four African stars will be disappointed with the result. Senegalese Salif Sane and Algerian Nabil Bentaleb played the full match while Moroccan Amine Harit was introduced 10 minutes after the restart but was unable to spark a turnaround. Hamza Mendyl was an unused substitute.

In the other 3-0 result, Almamy Traore’s Eintracht Frankfurt grabbed an important away win to continue in the fight for a Champions League spot. The Malian centre back was solid in defence and ensured his team kept a clean sheet against a struggling Hannover side. Guinean Simon Falette saw the victory from the substitutes’ bench. 

Salomon Kalou was involved in Hertha’s 1-0 loss to reigning champions Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. The Ivorian winger, who played upfront, was removed with 10 minutes to go.

In a clash between two teams looking to finish in the Champions League spots, Georges Ntep’s Wolfsburg got the better of Ibrahima Traore’s Borussia Monchengladbach, winning 3-0 away. Both players failed to make it into the matchday squad for their respective teams.

Finally, Monday night’s game saw Hoffenheim’s Kasim Adams and Ishak Belfodil  play their part as their club came away from RB Leipzig with a good 1-1 draw that saw the home side equalise in the last minute.

The Ghanaian international Adams played the whole game in defence, while the Algerian Belfodil was substituted in the second half.

The result sees both teams stay in contention for a Champions League place.

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Bundesliga Wrap Up: Match Day 23

Just when they needed it, Borussia Dortmund found their rhythm and more importantly, they found their winning form.

After a run of disappointing results, the Black and Yellows went into their game against Bayer Leverkusen equal on points with Bayern Munich, something they have avoided for most of the season.

Following Bayern’s hard-fought 1-0 victory against Hertha Berlin on Saturday, Dortmund went into their game against Leverkusen a day later knowing that they needed a win and at the end of 90 minutes, they had achieved just that, beating the visitors 3-2 in a wonderful game.

Behind the two leading clubs, the race for a Champions League place is becoming really tight, as Borussia Moenchengladbach lost 3-0 at home to Wolfsburg while Leipzig were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Hoffenheim.

There was, however, an important away win for Frankfurt as they trounced struggling Hanover 3-0 in northern Germany.

The defeat keeps Hanover in desperate trouble, as Stuttgart picked up an important away point at Werder Bremen. Bottom place still belongs to Nuremberg, who gave away a lead in Dusseldorf and lost 2-1.

Another club that is knocking on the door of relegation is Augsburg, who were trounced 5-1 in Freiburg and – rather surprisingly – Schalke 04, who were beaten 3-0 in Mainz and are now in 14^th place.

This, of course, being a far cry from the runner-up finish they enjoyed last year. To stay tuned in to all the latest Bundesliga action, make sure you watch StarTime – the channels that bring you all the Bundesliga action. Live and exclusively.

Source: Football Made In Germany