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Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Talking points from the Bundesliga weekend

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Bayern Munich v FC Cologne - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - September 21, 2019 Bayern Munich's Philippe Coutinho celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Michael Dalder DFL regulations prohibit any use of photographs as image sequences and/or quasi-video

BERLIN (Reuters) - Here are some talking points from the Bundesliga weekend:

BORUSSIA MENTALITY

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Schalke 04 v Borussia Dortmund - Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany - December 8, 2018 Schalke's Amine Harit in action REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler DFL regulations prohibit any use of photographs as image sequences and/or quasi-video

Borussia Dortmund captain Marco Reus has rejected criticism of his team's winning mentality after twice squandering a one-goal lead against Eintracht Frankfurt to draw 2-2.

"It makes me furious, your mentality crap every week," he told reporters when asked about whether his team had a mental problem.

"Really. I mean we were dumb with the 2-2 (in the 88th through a Michael Delaney own goal). But please don't start with this mentality crap."

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - Group G - Benfica v RB Leipzig - Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal - September 17, 2019 RB Leipzig's Willi Orban celebrates after the match REUTERS/Rafael Marchante

Dortmund had a nine-point lead over Bayern Munich midway through last season before imploding after the winter break to see the Bavarians secure a seventh straight league title.

COUTINHO LOVE

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - Group F - Borussia Dortmund v FC Barcelona - Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany - September 17, 2019 Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus reacts after a missed chance REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

Brazilian Philippe Coutinho scored his first goal and laid off his first assist in Bayern Munich's 4-0 demolition of Cologne.

The Brazil midfielder, who has quickly become a crowd favourite since his arrival this season, also got the nod from top scorer and regular penalty-taker Robert Lewandowski.

The Poland striker stepped aside to let Coutinho take it for his first goal for the German champions.

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique Lyonnais v Guingamp - Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France - February 15, 2019 Guingamp's Marcus Thuram in action with Lyon's Leo Dubois REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot

HARIT DELIVERS

Schalke 04 midfielder Amine Harit has long been considered a gifted footballer but this season the Morocco international is living up to his reputation after scoring the winner in their 2-1 victory over Mainz 05.

"We discussed that efficiency and defensive work were missing (from his game)," new Schalke coach David Wagner said. "He has worked on theses things."

Harit has now scored three goals in the last two matches.

LEIPZIG WIN

In Leipzig these days it is news when the team wins 3-0 and top striker Timo Werner is missing from the score sheet.

Germany international Werner had five goals in four games going into Saturday's encounter at Werder Bremen and had also scored both goals in their 2-1 win at Benfica in the Champions League last week.

But it was Willi Orban, Marcel Sabitzer and Marcelo Saracchi who hit the back of the net to keep Leipzig top of the table.

THURAM TRADITION

His father is a former world champion with France and Marcus Thuram is quickly carving out his own successful football career. He scored twice in their 2-1 comeback win over Fortuna Dusseldorf in the first league game he did not start.

The 22-year-old Thuram, whose father Lilian won the World Cup with France in 1998, came on as a second half substitute to notch his first two goals in the Bundesliga since joining this season.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

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