Dortmund slumps to 10th defeat in Bundesliga

BERLIN (AP) — Borussia Dortmund's miserable Bundesliga season was extended by a 2-1 loss at last-place Werder Bremen on Saturday in the 10th defeat for the 2011 and 2012 champions.

Davie Selke scored one goal and set up another for Bremen to climb off the bottom and leave Dortmund provisionally second-to-last after 17 games.

Freiburg, the new bottom side, plays on Sunday — the last day of play before the Bundesliga's six-week winter break.

Brazilian defender Naldo's 78th-minute header from a corner gave Wolfsburg a 2-1 win over Cologne in the late game on Saturday.

Wolfsburg consolidated its second place behind Bayern Munich, which has set a record for points before the winter break. Bayern has 45 points, 11 ahead of Wolfsburg on 34.

Whatever happens Sunday, Dortmund will occupy a direct relegation place at the season's midway stage for the first time.

"I wouldn't write us off. We made too many mistakes and now we're there like idiots in the relegation zone. But we're not as bad as that. We have time now to recharge the batteries. We'll correct what we've messed up," Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp told Sky television.

After being wished a happy Christmas and a better New Year, Klopp replied, "Thank you, it couldn't get much worse."

The 19-year-old Selke opened the scoring with a fine finish in the third minute and easily eluded Mats Hummels before crossing for Fin Bartels to make it 2-0 in the 62nd.

Hummels partly atoned with a flying header to Ilkay Gundogan's corner in the 69th.

"It was phenomenal," Selke said of his side's win.

Elsewhere, Augsburg surprised Borussia Moenchengladbach with a 2-1 win, Bayer Leverkusen drew 1-1 with Eintracht Frankfurt, while Stuttgart vs. Paderborn and Schalke vs. Hamburger SV finished scoreless.

"Perhaps a draw is a fair result," said Schalke coach Roberto di Matteo after his side's fifth game in 15 days. "You could see in the second half that we hadn't the power to impose ourselves anymore."

Dominic Maroh fired Cologne into an 11th-minute lead over Wolfsburg after he controlled the ball brilliantly with his first touch, only for Bas Dost to equalize with a header five minutes later.

Naldo scored the winner after salvaging a 2-2 draw at Dortmund in similar fashion on Wednesday.

"You can't defend everything against such a well-stocked attacking team," Maroh said.

Dortmund got off to a terrible start when Selke finished in style after Santiago Garcia played him through.

The visitors were poor in the first half, appearing unsettled by Bremen's well-organized defense and quick breaks. Dortmund had to wait 30 minutes for the side's first effort on goal, and really only threatened through Oliver Kirch just before the break.

Klopp introduced Shinji Kagawa for the second half, but the Japan midfielder was unable to change the game.

After setting up Bartels for Bremen's second, Selke should have made it 3-0 before Hummels pulled one back.

Kagawa missed a good chance to equalize in the 79th, while Bartels struck the post and Clemens Fritz fired over at the other end in a frenetic finale.

"We're all been thinking about it: 'What's the problem? Where's the issue?' We were better at home in the last weeks, but away, not at all," Hummels said.

In Augsburg, Max Kruse put Moenchengladbach ahead with a penalty in the second minute, only for Markus Feulner to equalize in off the post in the 20th.

A mistake from 'Gladbach defender Tony Jantschke allowed Alexander Esswein to cross for Raul Bobadilla to claim the winner against his former club in the 51st.

"It was a sensational year for Augsburg. I'm proud of the team," coach Markus Weinzierl said after the club's best ever opening half to the season.

Augsburg is sixth, level on 27 points with Moenchengladbach and Schalke.

In Leverkusen, Alexander Meier brought his league-leading tally to 13 with a penalty in the 37th to give Frankfurt a deserved halftime lead.

However, Karim Bellarabi salvaged a point for his side by scoring in the 83rd to move Leverkusen above 'Gladbach and into third.

Arjen Robben's late winner gave Bayern a 2-1 win at Mainz on Friday.