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December 5, 2010
Dortmund on Sunday extended their lead at the top of the table taking a big step towards their first Bundesliga title in nine years. The team beat Nuremberg 2-0 and are now 10 points clear of second-place Mainz.
In heavy snow, Mats Hummels and Robert Lewandowski helped Dortmund get their 13th win of the season from a total of 15 matches so far.
Second-place Mainz blew their chance to close the gap on Saturday as they suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Frankfurt. Dortmund are now 10 points clear of Mainz, which means they already have secured the so-called "autumn championship" - the number one spot before the season goes into winter break.
There are still two matches to be played before the break but it's now impossible for Mainz to catch up with Dortmund.
Leverkusen strong in third place
Earlier on Sunday, Bayer Leverkusen beat visitors Cologne 3-2 in a game played in snow and freezing temperatures.
Leverkusen took the lead 21 minutes into the match when striker Patrick Helmes put the ball into the net after a bad clearance by Nuremberg keeper Faryd Mondragon.
However, it took only six minutes for Cologne to equalize. Pedro Geromel headed the ball into the box after a free kick by Germany international Lukas Podolski.
In the second half hosts Leverkusen again went ahead with Tranquillo Barnetta and Stefan Reinartz both scoring within six minutes of each other.
In the 65th minute, Cologne substitute Martin Lanig brought his side back into the game but eventually the team had to concede defeat to Leverkusen.
Leverkusen are now third in the table, only one point behind second-place Mainz. Pundits say Leverkusen might be the only team still able to challenge Dortmund for this season's title.
After their disappointing 2-0 loss to Schalke on Saturday, last season's champions Bayern Munich were back in the headlines on Sunday when coach Louis van Gaal conceded his side may have already lost the Bundesliga title race to Dortmund. Bayern are trailing Borussia Dortmund by 17 points.
Author: Andreas Illmer (dpa, AFP, Reuters)
Editor: Martin Kuebler