THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FRANKFURT, Germany — Cacau scored his seventh goal in eight days by hitting both in Stuttgart’s 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
The Brazil-born striker, who is hoping to make Germany’s World Cup squad, struck twice late in the first half. He also scored Tuesday in the 1-1 home draw against Barcelona in the Champions League, and picked up four last Saturday in a 5-1 win at Cologne.
In other matches, Werder Bremen won 2-1 at 10-man Mainz, Hoffenheim won 2-0 at Hertha Berlin, Borussia Moenchengladbach drew 1-1 with Freiburg and Bochum was held to a 0-0 draw by Nuremberg.
Leader Bayer Leverkusen played Cologne later. On Friday, Schalke beat Borussia Dortmund to remain third.
Stuttgart fell behind at home in the 39th minute, when Sami Khedira lost possession in Stuttgart’s area to Caio, whose low cross was tapped in from close range by Benjamin Koehler.
But Cacau struck two minutes later, heading home at the far post from a corner. He then rifled a shot from the edge of the penalty box in the final minute of the first half.
After missing a month due to a groin injury, Cacau returned in the previous round with four goals in a 5-1 win at Cologne. He then scored Stuttgart’s only goal in the 1-1 home draw against Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Cacau, a naturalized German citizen, has been selected in Germany’s squad for next week’s friendly against Argentina in Munich. He had previously been out for a month due to a groin injury, but could be in the starting lineup judging by his current form.
The win put Stuttgart within one point of sixth-place Frankfurt.
Bremen ended Mainz’s 11-game unbeaten home run despite resting several starters. The hosts lost midfielder Florian Heller to a red card in the 14th minute. Heller retaliated after a foul by Bremen’s Aaron Hunt.
The visiting team used the advantage to go ahead in the 32nd when Tim Borowski floated a free kick into the upper left corner.
Mainz levelled just before halftime, when Aristide Bance blasted in a right-foot shot from 18 metres into the roof of the net.
But five minutes into the second half, Bremen defender Sebastian Proedl scored an equally spectacular goal by burying a shot into the far upper corner.
Hoffenheim beat last-place Berlin with goals from Demba Ba in the first half and Vedad Ibisevic in stoppage time.
Moenchengladbach fell behind to a goal from Papiss Demba Cisse but Roel Brouwers headed in the equalizer.