FC Bayern München completed the Bundesliga Hinrunde as the best Herbstmeister ever. With a 3:1 win at 1. FC Köln, the Munich side reached 47 points, surpassing their own mark from the 2013/14 season. Further wins for RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim, and Wolfsburg marked matchday 17.
FC Bayern München defeated 1. FC Köln 3:1 (1:1) and set a new record. Linton Maina (41') put Köln ahead, but Serge Gnabry (45'+5), Min-jae Kim (71'), and Lennart Karl (84') turned the game for Bayern. With 47 points and a goal difference of plus 66, the Munich side surpassed their 2013/14 best mark. It was Bayern's 15th league win of the season. The match started with a ten-minute delay due to pyrotechnics from Köln fans.
RB Leipzig won 2:0 (0:0) against SC Freiburg. Willi Orbán (53') and Rômulo Cardoso (56') scored headers from set pieces. Leipzig secured third place with 32 points, staying close to Borussia Dortmund (36 points). They have one game fewer due to a weather-related postponement.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim celebrated their fifth straight home win with a 5:1 (4:0) victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach. Andrej Kramarić netted a hat-trick (22' penalty, 45'+1, 45'+4), with Tim Lemperle (24') and Max Moerstedt (77', 34 seconds after substitution) also scoring. Shuto Machino (69') got Gladbach's consolation. Hoffenheim moved to fifth with 30 points.
In the northern derby, VfL Wolfsburg beat FC St. Pauli 2:1 (1:1). Christian Eriksen scored his first Bundesliga goal from a penalty (25'), Eric Smith equalized (40'). Dženan Pejčinović (88') headed the winner. Wolfsburg extended their lead over the relegation zone to six points; St. Pauli remain 17th with 12 points but have one game in hand. Captain Jackson Irvine was out injured, and a medical emergency in the St. Pauli fan block was resolved without issue.
These results wrap up the Hinrunde and set the stage for the Rückrunde, including Leipzig's top clash against Bayern this weekend.
