It was yet another weekend full of drama in the Bundesliga, with teams having plenty to play for across the board as the second half of the season begun. An array of goals in almost every game means that there is plenty to digest as the dust begins to settle, so let's take a look at three key takeaways from Matchday 18. 

Borussia Mönchengladbach flex their muscles - at the expense of Dortmund

The Foles kicked off the Bundesliga action on Friday night with a victory in the Borussen Derby against Borussia Dortmund, ending off a week which had largely been marred by the off-field scandal surrounding Breel Embolo. The win also represented the ending of their wretched record against the Schwarzgelben, having not won any of the previous eleven encounters.  

It now looks like, with the absence of the Champions League fixtures, Marco Rose's side are finally kicking into action following a inconsistent start to the season. This victory - their fourth win in five matches - was choreographed in a way which allowed Gladbach to soak up much of the Dortmund attacking pressure so as to wear their opponents down and be clinical in their own offensive phases.

The defensive unit, led by Nico Elvedi, proved they are capable of retaining their European status and building further on last year's 4th place finish. However, continuing to look disjointed in the final third and extremely vulnerable at the back, Dortmund have real cause for concern. They are now without a win in three Bundesliga matches (losing two) and to make things worse, Gladbach leapfrogged them with this result, pushing BVB down to the 7th spot. 

Hertha Berlin continue to their freefall, both on and off the pitch

Whilst Hertha Berlin's 4-1 loss at home this weekend to Werder Bremen may have be disappointing, it was certainly not surprising. This was the third time they had conceded four in a match already this season, which now leaves them with only one win in eight.

In spite of their underwhelming on-field showing in the relegation battle, it ended up being their off-field drama which grabbed the headlines this weekend. It was announced on Sunday morning that the club has parted ways with both head coach Bruno Labbadia and sporting director Michael Preetz. There is a real feeling of dread around Hertha since they are struggling for forward momentum, which is not helped by the return of former boss Pal Dardai to the hot seat.

Whilst the Hungarian, who is also their record Bundesliga appearance maker, has good credentials as a coach (especially at Hertha), it remains to be seen whether he will be able to steer them long-term towards their European dreams. For now, he's just got to get them away from the bottom three.

Eintracht Frankfurt on course for Europe?

Buoyed by the return of Luka JovicEintracht Frankfurt have looked formidable in recent weeks, scoring ten goals in their last three games. This weekend's 5-1 demolition of a resolute Arminia Bielefeld side is just the latest in a continually upward trajectory for Die Adler

For a side who struggled with turning draws into victories for much of Hinrunde, Frankfurt are now beginning to show they may well be in with a shot of finishing in one of the European spots as they currently sit in sixth place. Striker Andre Silva is now the league's third top goal scorer (14) having picked up a brace on Saturday, while the performance in this match from Filip Kostic is in contention to be the best of the entire Matchday. 

Now undefeated in seven and extremely potent in attack, Adi Hütter's side have real hope of continuing their push up the table until the end of the season. 

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