Berlin (AFP)

Bayern Munich suffered its first defeat on Saturday since Hansi Flick was on the bench, while Dortmund temporarily saved the head of coach Lucien Favre by winning 2-1 against Hertha Berlin.

The state of grace lasted four games: the "Rekordmeister" fell back on the ground Saturday, losing 2-1 to a Bayer Leverkusen without complex, for the 13th day of the Bundesliga.

The defending champion (24 pts) is back in 4th place with three points from Leipzig (27 pts), provisional leader this Saturday. Mönchengladbach, leading the standings with 25 pts before this day, can however resume its leadership on Sunday receiving the fourth Friborg.

- "He did not miss much" -

In four games since he replaced Niko Kovac sacked, Hansi Flick "the interim" had yet made a clear: four wins, 16 goals scored, zero goal conceded.

The 22-year-old Jamaican Leon Bailey scored twice for Leverkusen, and Thomas Müller scored for Bayern, in an extremely spectacular game where the Bavarians missed several absolutely unmissable opportunities and shot the amounts several times.

"The luck was not on our side today," said captain Manuel Neuer, smiling after the defeat, "we had a good second period, the Bayer was eye-catching and put pressure on us, but the concentration was there, we did not miss much ".

Next Saturday, Bayern move to Mönchengladbach, for a refreshing new summit of this Bundesliga.

At the top of the league, Leipzig, who has been on the water for a month and has just scored 29 goals in seven games, has won 3-2 at the Paderborn Red Lantern, and is leading for at least 24 hours.

- Favre saved by the VAR -

But all eyes on Saturday were focused on the Berlin Olympic Stadium and on Dortmund coach Lucien Favre. Its leaders had left the threat of dismissal of the Swiss technician if he could not "turn the tide" after a fall on AC, and especially three consecutive games without a win, with 10 goals conceded for four scored.

Reduced to 10 just in the 45th minute by excluding Mats Hummels, Borussia showed character to save a 2-1 win at the break.

"It was a fantastic victory," said Lucien Favre, suspended before the match and visibly relieved at the final whistle, "we gave everything, the players gave the best of themselves. 45 minutes is not easy, regardless of the opponent.

With 23 points, the Yellow and Black are now fifth at 4 lengths of the RB Leipzig.

Well organized and rigorous behind, Dortmund took the Berliners, who were led for the first time by Jürgen Klinsmann, the former national coach of Germany and the United States named this week Hertha coach.

Jadon Sancho, the 19-year-old English wisp, opened the scoring for a cold-blooded goal alone against goalkeeper (15th) and Thorgan Hazard, Eden's Belgian brother-in-law, doubled the lead two minutes later. late, again on a counter (2-0, 17th).

On his bench, Favre could breathe a little. His team controlled the match, and even Vladimir Darida's 2-1, 34th goal from Berlin against the run of the game did not seem to destabilize the Borussen.

History will remember that it is perhaps the VAR that saved the head of Lucien Favre, since David Selke scored well for Berlin early in the second period, but his goal was canceled for an offside ... the width of a shoe.

© 2019 AFP