Saturday 19 January 2019 20:16, UK
Borussia Dortmund restored their six-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga with a 1-0 victory at RB Leipzig on Saturday.
A 3-1 win for closest challengers and defending champions Bayern Munich at Hoffenheim on Friday, had narrowed the gap between them but Axel Witsel's first-half finish gave Dortmund three vital points as they resumed their title challenge following the winter break.
They next host Hannover and face further fixtures against Eintracht Frankfurt and Hoffenheim before the resumption of the Champions League, in which they meet Tottenham in the last 16.
Defeat left fourth-placed Leipzig five points outside of the top three and behind Borussia Monchengladbach, who also secured a 1-0 away victory, at Bayer Leverkusen.
The hosts, who sit 10th, conceded a goal to Alassane Plea in the 37th minute.
Fifth-placed Frankfurt moved to within a point of Leipzig with a 3-1 win over Freiburg. Sebastien Haller, Ante Rebic and Luka Jovic scored in the final 10 minutes of the first half, with Nils Petersen pulling one back.
Fortuna Dusseldorf sealed a 2-1 victory at FC Augsburg with Benito Raman's goal in the 89th minute.
Marvin Ducksch had given the visitors the lead in the 45th minute and after Jonathan Schmid's equaliser, Raman struck late on to restore the lead and seal the three points.
Hannover wasted the opportunity to ease their struggles against relegation when they lost 1-0 at home to Werder Bremen.
Only goal difference is keeping them in 17th place, and above the bottom of the table, after Milot Rashica scored in the 32nd minute and they were unable to respond. Bremen, whose pursuit of Europe is maintained by winning, sit eighth.
Stuttgart occupy the relegation play-off spot following their 3-2 defeat at home to mid-table Mainz, but may be encouraged by the fact they nearly fought back from three goals down to earn a draw.
An own goal from Santiago Ascacibar and a finish from Jean-Philippe Mateta gave the visitors a two-goal half-time lead and Alexander Hack effectively sealed victory in the 72nd minute, but Nicolas Gonzalez scored in the 83rd and Marc-Oliver Kempf just two minutes later to ensure a tense finish.
Having held out, Mainz are 11th, five places above Stuttgart.
