RB Leipzig muscled their way past hosts Werder Bremen 2-1 on Saturday to finish the year provisionally in second place with their fourth consecutive league victory, as the Bundesliga goes into the World Cup break.

Leipzig, who had a bad start to the season with only one win in their first four league matches, have recovered in recent weeks with six consecutive wins across all competitions and a 13-game unbeaten run.

Andre Silva put the visitors in front in the 31st minute but a deflected shot from Christian Gross drew Werder level in the 56th.

Leipzig, however, were sharper up front and Silva superbly flicked the ball to Xaver Schlager, charging into the box, to snatch the winner in the 71st.

On Friday, Borussia Dortmund’s trying week ended with a final sting when Jonas Hofmann led Borussia Monchengladbach to a 4-2 rout of his former team. It was Dortmund’s second loss in four days after falling at Wolfsburg 2-0 on Tuesday. Dortmund’s pride was already hurt on Thursday when Mats Hummels and Marco Reus were left out of Germany’s World Cup squad.

Hofmann, in contrast, was called up. He celebrated by sweeping in the opening goal in the fourth minute. Julian Brandt equalised in the 19th but Hofmann headed his second goal in the 26th and Marcus Thuram made it 3-1 in the 30th.

Road to Qatar: Coach keeps faith in Son

Seoul: Son Heung-min has been included in South Korea’s 26-man squad for the World Cup finals in Qatar, despite suffering a fractured eye socket playing for Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League earlier this month.

Head coach Paulo Bento included Son in his squad after the 30-year-old declared himself available.

“We are in contact with him, with the Tottenham medical department, but about the exact time and day he can train with the team we don’t have that information yet,” Bento told reporters after unveiling his squad on Saturday.

“So we need to wait, analyse day-by-day his situation. We have time to decide and the most important thing is he recovers as well as possible.” Son has said he would wear a protective mask to play in Qatar if required.

Reuters

Mumbai in goal rush

Calcutta: Mumbai City came from behind to rout Chennaiyin FC 6-2 in an ISL IX match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.

Mumbai City found six different goalscorers, three of them coming off the bench, after falling 2-0 behind just past the half-an-hour mark.

In I-League, defending champions and hosts Gokulam Kerala defeated Mohammedan Sporting 1-0 to kick off their campaign on a positive note in Malappuram.

Gokulam Kerala’s Cameroonian signing Auguste Somlaga struck the all-important goal in the 55th minute to give them full points.

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