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The Latest: Another Hoffenheim player positive for virus

Sport

The Latest: Another Hoffenheim player positive for virus
Sport

Sport

The Latest: Another Hoffenheim player positive for virus

2020-11-12 18:38 Last Updated At:18:50

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:

German soccer club Hoffenheim says a sixth player has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Hoffenheim says defender Kevin Vogt was found to be positive in a test taken Wednesday after an earlier sample gave an inconclusive result.

The whole team was placed in isolation on Wednesday.

Five other Hoffenheim players and two staff members have tested positive for the virus in the last week. Two of those players were only found to be positive after they had joined up with their national teams.

Two more Hoffenheim players were withdrawn from their national teams as a precaution despite testing negative.

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Bayern Munich still has rivals for the Bundesliga title, in theory at least, and Leipzig is one of them.

After Bayern matched the record points total for the halfway stage of a Bundesliga, beating the record on goal difference, only a spectacular collapse over the next four months would put Bayern's 11-point lead under threat.

Ahead of Saturday's game, Leipzig is third and has plenty to play for in a competitive fight for the Champions League places.

Bayern delivered an opening statement of intent by sweeping aside Leipzig 6-0 in the first round. Leipzig was much improved since and showed strong set-piece awareness in beating Freiburg 2-0 on Wednesday.

It's been a tough start to 2026 for Bayer Leverkusen, which seemed to find consistently strong form at the end of last year. A 4-1 loss to Stuttgart last week was followed by a weather-related postponement, so facing Hoffenheim on Saturday will be a key test.

The big factor holding back seventh-place Eintracht Frankfurt is a defense which has conceded 36 goals in 17 games, the league's third-worst record. Facing Werder Bremen's underperforming attack on Friday is a chance to improve that record.

Lennart Karl's breakout season for Bayern Munich has been must-see viewing in the Bundesliga and Champions League. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder scored again in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Cologne. His success will cause a selection headache for coach Vincent Kompany when Jamal Musiala finally returns from injury.

Hoffenheim's surprise push for Champions League qualification owes a lot to the experienced Andrej Kramaric, who's marking 10 years at the club this month and celebrated with a hat trick on Wednesday against Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Bayern is dealing with an injury list including midfielder Joshua Kimmich, who's spent the last month recovering from an ankle issue, and left back Alphonso Davies, back in training after illness. Defender Josip Stanisic is ruled out for the rest of January and forward Jamal Musiala's long-awaited comeback remains uncertain.

Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba will miss up to three weeks after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations with a muscle injury.

Forward Younes Ebnoutalib scored on his debut for Eintracht Frankfurt against Dortmund last week but was set to miss several weeks after damaging a knee ligament in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Stuttgart.

Postponed games are piling up in the Bundesliga after snowstorms caused chaos in northern Germany last week, causing three matches to be rescheduled. Hamburger SV is working on its stadium's roof ahead of Saturday's game against Borussia Moenchengladbach to avoid another postponement.

Frankfurt's six signings stand out in a quiet transfer window so far for Bundesliga clubs, especially since Ebnoutalib and fellow forward Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab have each scored on their debuts. Young Nigerian winger Suleman Sani has joined Leipzig from Slovakian club Trencin.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Leipzig's Romulo Cardoso, right, celebrates scoring with teammates Willi Orban, left, Castello Lukeba, second left, and Tidiam Gomis during the Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and SC Freiburg in Leipzig, Germany, Wednesday Jan. 14, 2026. (Jan Woitas/dpa via AP)

Leipzig's Romulo Cardoso, right, celebrates scoring with teammates Willi Orban, left, Castello Lukeba, second left, and Tidiam Gomis during the Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and SC Freiburg in Leipzig, Germany, Wednesday Jan. 14, 2026. (Jan Woitas/dpa via AP)

Bayern players greet fans at the end of the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FC Koeln and FC Bayern Munich in Cologne, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Bayern players greet fans at the end of the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FC Koeln and FC Bayern Munich in Cologne, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

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