I think you know

It's that time again. Bundesliga baby! (Not in a gay way)

Let’s start with werder as always, if only to get them out of the way early. They were involved in their first 0-0 scoreline in over 18 months (and the 1st there's been at all in the bundesliga in a good few weeks) vs bochum. Thrilling stuff. Mesut özil, their shining light thus far this season with diego in and out of the side due to constant niggling injuries, was sent off in a game marred by the neo-nazi element of bochum's fans attempting to unfurl an enormous flag bearing the 'Hakenkreuz' or swastika after the final whistle, prompting confrontations between fans all around the ground and several very public arrests being made. Martin Jol's hamburg edged out dortmund 2-1 at home with goals from their croatian contingent ivica olic and mladen petric to go back into the top four, while dortmund find themselves in more familiar territory following their fine early season form, lying in ninth position. This game was also overshadowed by confrontation, as dortmund trainer jurgen klopp marched onto the pitch at full time to complain to the referee regarding the amount of stoppage time allocated as his side were pressing for an equaliser, which led to robert kovac being dismissed after the final whistle had been blown. According to kovac himself, he referred to the ref as having 'shitted in his shirt' - a rough translation of a german expression meaning that the referee had bottled it. The big croat was somehow still baffled by the official's decision as he explained himself in the post-match interview.

Matchday 12 also saw cracking comebacks from both köln and karlsruhe, the first of whom came from a goal down to beat mikkael forssell's hannover in friday night's only fixture, forssell himself deflecting the winner into his own net. Karlsruhe's efforts were even more eye-catching. Following four consecutive 2-0 victories, bayer leverkusen looked to be homing in on an even greater triumph on saturday as they found themselves 3 goals to the good just 25 minutes into the game, having also had 1 perfectly legitimate goal disallowed for offside. But with 1 scrappy goal before the break and two slightly better-crafted efforts after the interval karlsruhe claimed an unlikely point.

The battle of the basement was fought in bielefeld between the home side and mönchengladbach, where a brace from promising young german international marko marin is really beginning to make a name for himself. If the second, decisive goal was fortunate not to be chalked off for offside during its build-up, this could not be said for the first - an emphatically struck free kick which was as perfectly placed as they come inside the goalkeeper's near top corner, caressing the post on its way over the line. However, the talented youngster was lucky not to have been sent off for a waist-high challenge mid-way through the first half.

The bundesliga's bottom team, energie cottbus were comfortably dispatched at Wolfsburg where brazilian striker grafite did the damage with a well-taken hat-trick, including the opener from the penalty spot. If there is any striker resembling didier drogba at his most menacing, albeit against inferior opposition, it is the sturdy grafite, apparently prononced 'graffich' by the German commentators.

The more interesting-looking games took place on sunday. Frankfurt were denied a crucial victory by a late mario gomez equaliser, which was controversially disallowed until the striker remonstrated with the official and convinced him to confer with his linesman, who in turn persuaded him to eventually give the goal. Gomez also missed a clear chance in the final seconds that would have given the visitors an unlikely victory, but stuttgart still returned home with a well-earned 2-2 draw.

Hertha vs hoffenheim promised to provide an entertaining spectacle for an impressive 58,000 crowd at the olympiastadion but unfortunately failed to deliver. Having dominated throughout the proceedings and created numerous chances league leaders hoffenheim succumbed to a sucker-punch from andriy voronin on 71 minutes to give the berliners all 3 points and knock the visitors off the top of the table on goal difference. Leverkusen are the new leaders, despite their surrender of a 3 goal lead in karlsruhe.

Schalke hosted bayern in the weekend's biggest match and there were early fireworks. Luca toni got the away side off to a flyer on his return from injury, knocking in a mark van bommel pull back to give bayern the lead after just 3 minutes. However, the hosts hit back within 2 minutes through a delightful finish from a tight angle by jefferson farfan, who found the far corner by nutmegging keeper rensing in the munich goal. Parity only lasted until just after the half-hour mark as frank ribery and re-energised makeshift left back ze roberto combined superbly and the frenchman instinctively knocked home from 10 yards. And that was how it stayed. Bayern have now eased, ominously, into third place, just two points behind the leaders on what was a very good day indeed for the bavarians. Schalke stay in the top six, well off the pace at the moment.