Previously flying Stuttgart resume season with loss at Gladbach

Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Robin Hack scored two superb first-half goals to clip VfB Stuttgart's wings with a 3-1 home win in the sleet on Sunday.

In their first Bundesliga game back after the mid-season break, third-placed Stuttgart were a shadow of the side which wowed the league in the first half of the campaign.

They did pull one back on 56 minutes as Josha Vagnoman rivalled Hack for goal of the match, but Jordan settled matters in stoppage time after Manu Koné's rocket came back off the bar.

At the halfway mark of the campaign, Stuttgart are seven points behind second-placed Bayern Munich and a point ahead of RB Leipzig in fourth. Stuttgart's buffer to fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund, outside the Champions League spots, is four points.

They were without forward Serhou Guirassy, who is injured but at the African Nations Cup with Guinea, but captain and defender Waldemar Anton gave them a boost by signing a new contract until 2027 before kick-off.

He could do nothing to stop a rampant Hack, however, who struck with aplomb after just a minute and then repeated the trick on 19 minutes.

It was the 25-year-old's first two league goals of the season having arrived in June from Arminia Bielefeld.

Gladbach have gone with youth this season after selling a number of stars and it has taken time to find a winning formula. But Gerardo Seoane's side are now up to 10th after their low block frustrated Stuttgart.

Earlier, Bochum midfielder Patrick Osterhage also scored a scorcher from 25 metres but a late equalizer sealed a 1-1 away draw for Werder Bremen.

The 64th-minute opener would have sent the hosts up to 11th in the Bundesliga but a deflected effort from Niklas Stark in stoppage time meant they stayed 14th and Bremen 13th.

Both sides have 17 points from 17 games. Bochum were upset the referee did not blow for a possible foul in the build-up to the equalizer.

After Saturday's late 1-0 win at Augsburg, Bayer Leverkusen top the pile to be crowned unofficial "winter champions" at the halfway point of the season. They lead champions Bayern by four points, although the Bavarians have a game in hand.