Freiburg miss top spot after 2-2 draw at Frankfurt

Freiburg missed the chance to return to the top of the Bundesliga after a 2-2 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt on 19 September.

It was a fast, open game in Frankfurt. The point kept Freiburg second. It was also the first time they had dropped points all season.

Frankfurt struck first. Younes Ebnoutalib scored after just 10 minutes to put the home side ahead at Deutsche Bank Park.

Freiburg hit back through Derry Scherhant. Frankfurt went 2-1 up before half-time when Jonathan Burkardt scored in the 36th minute. Then Scherhant turned provider, setting up Yuito Suzuki for Freiburg's second equaliser to make it 2-2 The Guardian.

The draw left Freiburg level with Bayern Munich on 10 points. Bayern had moved ahead of them a day earlier with a 7-0 win over Union Berlin on 18 September.

There was an extra layer to the goalscorers. Germany coach Jürgen Klopp named a 44-man squad in September. Ebnoutalib had earned a first call-up only days before scoring. Scherhant was another of Klopp's new additions, and he marked the occasion with a goal and an assist.

Elsewhere, Werder Bremen produced the comeback of the day. They were two goals down at home to Augsburg and won 3-2.

Niclas Füllkrug, on loan at Werder from West Ham, made it 2-2 in the 86th minute. It was his third straight Bundesliga match with a goal. Mitchell Weiser then scored in stoppage time, the minutes added on for delays, to win it.

Hamburg had something to celebrate too. They beat Cologne 2-1 at home. It brought their first goal, first win and first points of the season.

Nicolas Capaldo and Yussuf Poulsen scored the goals. Albert Gronbaek set up both of them.

At the other end, Borussia Mönchengladbach's difficult start continued. They lost 4-3 at home to Mainz despite a late push that included a missed penalty.

It was a fourth straight defeat. The club had parted with coach Eugen Polanski only days before. After four matchdays, Gladbach were the only side in the division without a point.

What makes this stand out is how much changed in one afternoon. Freiburg blinked. Bayern pulled clear. Bremen and Hamburg found late joy. For fans, this means an early title race with a familiar leader and a chaser who are not going away.