Can sent off as Dortmund loses again and Leverkusen drops more points in Bundesliga

BERLIN (AP) — Borussia Dortmund captain Emre Can was sent off as his team slumped to its sixth straight away defeat by 3-1 at Mainz in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Dortmund had already made a lackluster start and Can did little to help when he lunged at Lee Jae-sung’s ankle with his studs up. The Dortmund midfielder was sent off with a red card in the 27th minute, followed by Nico Schlotterbeck earning a yellow for complaining.

Lee was able to continue, as he showed when he opened the scoring with a header in the 36th.

Lee remained the central figure, conceding a penalty for a foul on Serhou Guirassy three minutes later. Guirassy duly equalized from the spot.

But Jonathan Burkardt restored Mainz’s lead just before the break, and Paul Nebel made it 3-1 early in the second half.

Dortmund run of away defeats includes 5-1 at Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, at Real Madrid in the Champions League and at Wolfsburg in the German Cup.

Defending champion Bayer Leverkusen dropped more points as Koji Miyoshi scored late for last-placed Bochum to draw 1-1 in veteran coach Dieter Hecking’s first game in charge.

The visitors dominated from the start and took their first chance when Florian Wirtz sent Patrik Schick to score his first league goal of the season in the 18th.

But Bochum kept fighting and deservedly equalized in the 89th when Miyoshi scored from a narrow angle after eluding several defenders.

Leverkusen has drawn half of its 10 league games and is struggling to meet its standards from last season.

Jamal Musiala’s brilliant strike from distance was enough for Bayern Munich to win at St. Pauli, which has yet to score at home this season.

Leon Goretzka made a rare start for Bayern. The former Germany midfielder fell out of favor under Thomas Tuchel last season and many expected him to leave the club in the offseason. But Goretzka maintained his willingness to stay and fight for his place. Aleksandar Pavlović’s breakthrough and then the signing of João Palhinha complicated his prospects, but Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said the busy schedule meant he needs to make full use of his squad.

Musiala scored when he let fly from distance in off the underside of the crossbar in the 22nd.

Bayern has won its last five games across all competitions without conceding a goal.

Also, Scottish forward Oliver Burke scored his first goal in more than a year for Werder Bremen to beat Holstein Kiel 2-1 at home.

Borussia Mönchengladbach drew at Leipzig 0-0 in the late game, with Franck Honorat going closest for the visitors when he struck the crossbar.

Leipzig's draw left Bayern with a five-point lead after 10 games. Leverkusen was nine points behind, while Dortmund was already 10 points off the pace.

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

Munich's scorer Jamal Musiala, center, and his teammate Harry Kane, left, celebrate the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC St. Pauli and FC Bayern Munich in Hamburg, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (Christian Charisius/dpa via AP)

Munich's scorer Jamal Musiala, left, and his teammate Alphonso Davies, right, celebrate the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC St. Pauli and FC Bayern Munich in Hamburg, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (Christian Charisius/dpa via AP)

Leverkusen's Granit Xhaka stands dejected after the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfL Bochum and Bayer Leverkusen in Bochum, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Bochum's Koji Miyoshi celebrates after scoring during the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfL Bochum and Bayer Leverkusen in Bochum, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Bochum's Koji Miyoshi celebrates after scoring during the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfL Bochum and Bayer Leverkusen in Bochum, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Mainz's Stefan Bell and Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy, right, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FSV Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund in Mainz, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)

Mainz's scorer Paul Nebel, left, and his teammates celebrate their side's third goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FSV Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund in Mainz, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)

Dortmund head coach Nuri Sahin points during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FSV Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund in Mainz, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)

Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FSV Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund in Mainz, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump announced that he is nominating former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.

A former Republican congressman from Texas, Ratcliffe served as director of national intelligence for the final year and a half of Trump’s first term, leading the U.S. government’s spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation’s highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement. “He will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans, while ensuring the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.”

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel and longtime friend Steven Witkoff to be a special envoy to the Middle East, Trump announced Tuesday.

Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel, and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Witkoff is a Florida real estate investor who is serving as a chair of Trump’s inaugural committee. He also spent time in the world of New York real estate, where Trump first made his mark as a public figure.

On Tuesday, Trump also named Bill McGinley, his Cabinet Secretary in his first administration, as his White House counsel.

Trump is rolling out a steady stream of appointees and nominees for his upcoming administration, working thus far at a faster pace and without as much drama as his first transition following his 2016 victory.

“Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years,” Trump said in a statement. “He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”

Huckabee has led paid tour group visits to Israel for years, frequently advertising the trips on conservative-leaning news outlets.

David Friedman, who served as Trump's ambassador to Israel in his first term, said he was “thrilled” by Trump's selection of Huckabee.

Witkoff is also the president-elect’s golf partner and was with him when he was the target of a second assassination attempt at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September.

Trump's transition team did not offer details about the Middle East envoy role, but Trump, in a statement said, “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud.”

The selection of Witkoff follows a pattern for Trump in putting people close to him in pivotal roles on the Middle East portfolio. Eight years ago he appointed his former corporate attorney Jason Greenbaltt as his special representative for international negotiations and relied on his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as his personal envoy in talks in the region.

FILE - Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, testifies before a hearing April 18, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

FILE - Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., takes questions from the media, prior to laying a brick at a new housing complex in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, Aug. 1, 2018. President-elect Donald Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel. Trump said Tuesday that Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel’s interests as it wages wars against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.(AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File)

FILE - Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., takes questions from the media, prior to laying a brick at a new housing complex in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, Aug. 1, 2018. President-elect Donald Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel. Trump said Tuesday that Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel’s interests as it wages wars against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.(AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump talks with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee during a roundtable at the Drexelbrook Catering & Event Center, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in Drexel Hill, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)