Bayern Munich’s 3-1 away win Friday gave the Bundesliga leaders a 14-point lead on the table and put the onus on the chasing pack for the rest of the weekend.
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RB Leipzig shaved a point off that advantage with a win on a busy Saturday in Germany.
Hannover 3-2 Mainz
The Bundesliga world belongs to Niclas Fullkrug, and the rest of the league is justing paying his rent.
The visitors went down 2-0 after Mainz got goals from Yoshinori Muto and Alexander Hack, but it’s fortunate for the hosts that German striker Fullkrug carried over his December 2017 form to the new year.
Having scored thrice in the final five matches of the calendar year, Fullkrug netted in the 33rd and 38th minutes Saturday before completing his hat trick with a 75th minute winner.
RB Leipzig 3-1 Schalke
Liverpool may want Naby Keita to arrive before the summer, but he’s still on the pitch and scored a first half goal for his German side.
They might’ve wanted to sell him at half, though, as his needless foul allowed Naldo to score an equalizer in the second frame.
But Timo Werner and Kurt Bruma scored two minutes apart to restore the home hopes, and RBL held on to pull past Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke, and — for now — Borussia Dortmund into second place.
Elsewhere
Bayer Leverkusen 1-3 Bayern Munich — Friday
Augsburg 1-0 Hamburg — Bobby Wood goes 74 mins in loss
Stuttgart 1-0 Hertha Berlin — Own goal the difference
Werder Bremen 1-1 Hoffenheim — USMNT’s Johannsson gets rare time
Koln vs. Borussia Monchengladbach — 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday
Borussia Dortmund vs. Wolfsburg — Noon ET Sunday
STANDINGS
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Home | Away | PTS |
| Bayern Munich | 18 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 40 | 12 | 28 | 7-1-0 | 7-1-2 | 44 |
| RB Leipzig | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 30 | 26 | 4 | 6-2-1 | 3-2-4 | 31 |
| FC Schalke 04 | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 29 | 24 | 5 | 5-3-1 | 3-3-3 | 30 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 17 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 39 | 24 | 15 | 4-1-3 | 4-3-2 | 28 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 18 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 35 | 26 | 9 | 4-4-1 | 3-3-3 | 28 |
| Mönchengladbach | 17 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 27 | 28 | -1 | 5-2-2 | 3-2-3 | 28 |
| FC Augsburg | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 28 | 23 | 5 | 4-4-2 | 3-2-3 | 27 |
| 1899 Hoffenheim | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 28 | 23 | 5 | 5-3-1 | 2-3-4 | 27 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 21 | 19 | 2 | 2-3-4 | 5-3-1 | 27 |
| Hannover 96 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 27 | 28 | -1 | 5-3-1 | 2-2-5 | 26 |
| Hertha BSC Berlin | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 4-2-3 | 2-4-3 | 24 |
| VfB Stuttgart | 18 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 14 | 21 | -7 | 6-1-2 | 0-1-8 | 20 |
| SC Freiburg | 18 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 18 | 32 | -14 | 3-5-1 | 1-3-5 | 20 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 17 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 2-6-1 | 1-4-3 | 19 |
| FSV Mainz 05 | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 21 | 31 | -10 | 4-1-4 | 0-4-5 | 17 |
| Werder Bremen | 18 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 21 | -7 | 2-3-4 | 1-4-4 | 16 |
| Hamburger SV | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 15 | 26 | -11 | 3-2-4 | 1-1-7 | 15 |
| 1. FC Köln | 17 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 32 | -22 | 1-1-6 | 0-2-7 | 6 |
