'Gladbach finally ends its winless run in the Bundesliga
BERLIN (AP) - Struggling Borussia Moenchengladbach ended its eight-game winless run in the Bundesliga with a labored 1-0 win over visiting Mainz on Sunday.
Danish defender Andreas Christensen's late goal was enough for 'Gladbach's first win since the 2-0 victory over Ingolstadt on Sept. 24, though the side was fortunate not to concede an equalizer when Pablo de Blasis' 89th-minute strike was ruled out.
"Altogether the win was a little lucky, though not undeserved. It wasn't a good game, but a very broken one," 'Gladbach captain Lars Stindl said.
There were whistles from some home fans at the break after a first half in which Mainz had a penalty appeal with Tobias Strobl blocking Gaetan Bussmann's header with his hand, and Karim Onisiwo had two good chances.
'Gladbach's players looked unsettled and short of confidence. Too many passes failed to find their intended target, too many touches failed to have the desired outcome.
Raffael might have opened the scoring after the break when facing just once defender but again the Brazilian was let down by his touch. Likewise Mahmoud Dahoud, Stindl and others appeared to be off their games.
It seemed the only way 'Gladbach could manage to score was in a scramble or through a deflection and so it proved with a quarter-hour remaining when Christensen scooped the ball home after Stindl's initial effort from a corner was blocked.
Mainz players were left fuming when De Blasis' effort was ruled out, apparently because referee Robert Hartmann thought Yann Sommer's hand was on the ball before the substitute prodded it in.
There was still time for Mainz midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin to be sent off with his second yellow card and for Dahoud to miss an easy chance to make it 2-0 in injury time.
"In the last home games we created many more clear goal chances and would have deserved the victory more. But that's how it is sometimes in football," said 'Gladbach coach Andre Schubert, who had been coming under increased pressure.
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SCHALKE 0, BAYER LEVERKUSEN 1
Stefan Kiessling scored late to snatch a 1-0 win for Leverkusen at 10-man Schalke and climb eighth.
The veteran forward was left unmarked to head in Hakan Calhanoglu's free kick beyond Ralf Faehrmann in the 89th minute.
The home side had an early blow when last defender Naldo was sent off in the fourth minute for bringing down Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez but regrouped to make it hard for Leverkusen's speedy forwards.
Leverkusen was relying on set pieces from Calhanoglu, while Schalke tried to strike on counterattacks through Leon Goretzka, Yevhen Konoplyanka and Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting.
Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt brought on 17-year-old Kai Havertz and fellow midfielder Vladlen Yurchenko in a bid to freshen things up at the break. Aleksandar Dragovic joined them with less than an hour played, when Konoplyanka almost opened the scoring as Schalke maintained its attacking threat.
Leverkusen finished strongly, Jonathan Tah having a goal ruled out for offside and Wendell shooting just over, before Kiessling had the final say with his first goal of the season.
It was the last game of the 14th round. Four-time defending champion Bayern Munich leads on goal difference from Leipzig, which suffered its first defeat Saturday at previously bottom Ingolstadt.