Talking points from the Bundesliga weekend:
LEVERKUSEN APOLOGY
Bayer Leverkusen have apologised for a Twitter post thanking 19-year-old Schalke 04 player Malick Thiaw for scoring an own goal as they beat the Royal Blues 3-0 to climb into second place.
"That was admittedly a weak tweet. It was not our intention to expose a player of the opponents or act with a lack of respect. We apologise to Malick Thiaw and Schalke 04."
Thiaw, 19, headed in an own goal to give Leverkusen the lead in the 10th minute as Schalke stretched their winless run in the Bundesliga to 26 consecutive matches.
KRUSE INJURY
Union Berlin's top player Max Kruse will be out for several weeks after picking up a thigh muscle injury in their 3-1 loss to Hertha in the city derby.
The 32-year-old forward, who has scored six goals and set up another five in his first season at Union, injured a muscle in his right thigh deep in second-half stoppage time.
Union are sixth in the Bundesliga after a strong start to the campaign.
BAYERN CHANGES
Coach Hansi Flick is considering changing his defensive operation for the last matches of the year after conceding three goals in their 3-3 draw against RB Leipzig to bring their tally to 16 goals against in 10 league games.
"Last season we played the entire time with the same team. In this season we have to constantly change (due to injuries, rotation) so the fine-tuning is not there, especially when we press high," Flick said.
The coach's high intensity game has opened up gaps at the back that have cost them five goals in the last three league games alone. They won only one of those matches.
"The coaching staff also needs to think about possibly adapting for the last four games (of the year). The automation is missing also because there is no time in training to practice it," Flick said.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)
