When Argentine World Cup winner Alexis MacAllister scored a 99th minute penalty for Brighton on Thursday night, my thought was that must be the latest penalty winner we will see all season.
My forecast lasted just 24 hours.
For then an even more dramatic goal arrived and one which could prove crucial in the Bundesliga.
90 +12 was the time when Maris Bulter converted from 12 yards to give Schalke a last-gasp 3-2 win at Mainz to lift them out of the drop zone and a massive confidence boost.
It was a second successive win for Thomas Reis’ men.
His appointment at the end of October brought improved perseverance for the team, which was never more evident than when they twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with rivals Borussia Dortmund.
Friday night’s clash with Mainz appeared also destined for a draw when they were twice pegged back after taking the lead, but Bulter held his nerve deep into stoppage time to netted from the spot.
Their main concern now is that just one of their remaining three games are at home, with all three of them against teams pushing for Europe and the title.
It is in their hands though!
Fellow strugglers Hoffenheim also caused a surprise as a masterful first half display saw off Eintracht Frankfurt.
Christoph Baumgartner opened the scoring after just eight minutes and Andrej Kramaric and Ihlas Bebou then got in on the act at the end of an eventful half. Stanley Nsoki’s red card soon after the restart gave Frankfurt hope, with Mario Gotze duly reducing the arrears.
Yet Oliver Baumann kept Randal Kolo Muani and Rafael Borre at bay to seal the points for the 10-man hosts and leave Frankfurt, last season’s Europa League winners, five points adrift of the top six and the European spots.
There was more drama, and more Bundesliga highlights, in the Rhine Derby.
Bayer Leverkusen may well have had one eye on their forthcoming Europa League semi-final against Roma but that should not detract from
Cologne’s victory.
Unbeaten in 14 competitive matches at kick-off, Leverkusen enjoyed the better start and were very much on top when the visitors took a surprise lead as Selke ghosted into space behind Jonathan Tah to guide Florian Kainz’s cross into the net.
Unfazed, Xabi Alonso’s side continued on the front foot and equalised just before the half-hour mark when Amine Adli swept in Moussa Diaby’s pass to complete a lightning-fast counter-attack.
Parity did not last long, though, as Selke doubled his tally as he got ahead of a marker to covert a right-wing cross from Jan Thielmann.
The race for the top four is also heating up and is closer than ever after the weekend action.
Relegation-threatened Augsburg pulled off a fine success over Union Berlin after Dion Beljo scored the only goal of the game seven minutes after the restart.
Union do stay in the top four on goal difference, however, after Leipzig leapfrogged them and the fine achievers of Freiburg with a win over the latter.
Again it was tight, again there was just one goal in it.
This time it was substitute Kevin Kampl who broke the deadlock 17 minutes from time.
There was a stroke of fortune as his pass was intercepted and bounced back into his path before he showed great composure to lob goalkeeper Mark Flekken.
The Slovenia international went almost three years without a Bundesliga goal, but now has two in three weeks!
In a rematch of last season’s German Cup Final, and following Leipzig’s 5-1 thrashing of the same team in the cup semi-finals in midweek, how Freiburg (who knocked out Bayern Munich in the previous round) must be sick of the sight of the Red Bulls.
Interestingly, Union face Freiburg next week.
Saturday’s final game was a potential banana skin but the result showed just why one team is virtually always title favourites with the SBOTOP Bundesliga betting odds.
Second half goals from Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane saw Bayern beat Werder Bremen to move four points clear at the top of the standings.
Gnabry finished past Werder goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka from close range following a Jamal Musiala ball.
Noussair Mazraoui then set up Sane who slotted into the far corner.
Although Niklas Schmidt scored a late consolation for Werder, firing a long-range strike into the top corner, victory sees Bayern secure Champions League qualification with three games to spare.
Second place Dortmund can close the gap at the top to a point on Sunday.
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