Dortmund particularly likes to play on Fridays, Leverkusen’s Patrick Schick mutates into a death of chance, and Union Berlin’s “Iron” deserves a different nickname. Everything you need to know about the 5th Bundesliga matchday.
Borussia Dortmund – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (Friday, 8.30 p.m.)
Borussia Dortmund’s winning streak on Friday is a bit scary. BVB haven’t lost in their last 32 Bundesliga home games on a Friday night, winning 24 and drawing eight. For the last time there was a home defeat on this day of the week in January 2004, when they were defeated by arch-rivals Schalke 04. Hoffenheim also felt the good mood on Friday. The most recent visit to Dortmund was a 2:3 defeat.
It is interesting that both teams are currently considered unpredictable. Borussia have scored ten competitive goals this season and there have been ten different shooters! This is mainly due to the fact that Erling Haaland is now scoring for Manchester City power. It’s similar in Hoffenheim. The Kraichgauers have scored eight goals in the Bundesliga so far, and they came from seven different players.
Hoffenheim’s Traner André Breitenreiter will not like to remember his most recent visit to Dortmund, as he got badly 1: 5 under the wheels with Hanover in January 2019 and was released. His BVB colleague Edin Terzic, on the other hand, celebrated his Bundesliga premiere against Hoffenheim as a replacement for the then ill boss Lucien Favre in February 2019 – final score 3: 3.
1. FC Union Berlin – Bayern Munich (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
Urs Fischer’s favorite word is “compact” – in all variants. “Stand compact”, “stay compact”, sometimes he also says “compactness”. Perhaps the “iron” from Union Berlin should therefore be renamed the “compact”. In any case, this compactness often results in quick counterattacks and then in goals, which has catapulted the Berliners to second place in the league. Union has been unbeaten in eleven Bundesliga games across the seasons, longer than any other team.
That’s why one can also speak of a real top game when the Fischer team expects the table leaders from Munich. After all, the Köpenickers have the second-best offensive in the Bundesliga behind FC Bayern (16). The record champions already lost their teeth at Borussia Mönchengladbach last weekend – or rather at their goalkeeper Yann Sommer. It was also very compact.
Bayer Leverkusen – SC Freiburg (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
Leverkusen scored the first three of the season last matchday and calmed the nerves of everyone involved under the Bayer Cross a bit. With SC Freiburg, however, a top team is coming to the Rhineland – nine points, two away wins, third in the table before the match day. Leverkusen also paid dearly for the victory in Mainz, because in Piero Hincapie and Mitchel Bakker two players were sent off with yellow and red.
Vincenzo Grifo is particularly good at Freiburg. Not only is he currently Freiburg’s best goalscorer, he can now also call himself the Italian record goalscorer in Bundesliga history. Most recently, he caught up with former Bayern striker Luca Toni in the rankings.
At Leverkusen, Patrick Schick – who is actually also a top scorer – has meanwhile mutated into Chanent’s death. He has already left four crystal clear chances, no Bundesliga player missed more. Maybe it will work better now in interaction with Callun Hudson-Odoi. The winger came on loan from FC during the week Chelsea.
VfB Stuttgart – FC Schalke 04 (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
FC Schalke managed to get promoted directly back to the Bundesliga last season, and VfB Stuttgart accomplished the same feat in the 2019/20 season. After that, the Swabians played a great season as a promoted team and survived the darn second year with a bang. Above all, Schalke can take an example from the fact that VfB kept calm even in difficult times and stuck to coach Pellegrino Matarazzo.
Stuttgart and Schalke are among the five Bundesliga sides who have yet to win a game this season. That should change now. Curious for statisticians: For both clubs it is against their respective favorite opponents. Stuttgart celebrated the most Bundesliga victories against Schalke (43 times), but vice versa Schalke have not won more often against VfB than against VfB (38 times). And there was only a draw in 17 of the previous 98 duels. So the chances are good that one of the two teams will score the first threesome of the season in a direct duel.
VfL Bochum – Werder Bremen (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
VfL Bochum is the only team in the Bundesliga without a point after four matchdays. That should change against Werder Bremen, preferably with a win. After all, such a climber at home is a godsend, isn’t it?
Rather not. Because the green-whites are a real enrichment for the league and delivered a decent spectacle in the 3: 2 in Dortmund and in the 3: 4 against Frankfurt. They have already scored ten goals, but swallowed ten as well. That’s why quite a few observers are now wondering whether the Hanseatic League will survive the season well with this hitherto holey defense.
For statistics lovers, the matter is crystal clear. The green-whites have been unbeaten away from home since March 12th. The 1:2 in Heidenheim is so far the only away defeat under coach Ole Werner. VfL Bochum, on the other hand, lost all of the last five Bundesliga games across the season. And the house blessing is crooked. Coach Thomas Reis is said to have negotiated a change with FC Schalke in the summer.
VfL Wolfsburg – 1. FC Cologne (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
Statistics don’t lie, they say. Somehow, the Cologne team was always a tiny bit better than the Wolfsburg team this season. VfL had 55 percent possession this season, Cologne 56 percent, Wolfsburg made 82 percent of their passes to teammates, Cologne 83 percent. Wolfsburg won 49 percent of its duels, Cologne 50 percent. Wolfsburg ran 448 kilometers, Cologne 465. Wolfsburg had 45 shots on goal, Cologne 55. That makes the difference between an unbeaten team and a team that is still without a win.
The Wolfsburg are still without a win. Everything should go better under the new coach Niko Kovac. But the team is still struggling with the new game system, which is primarily designed for control. The “wolves” forget about scoring goals, there have only been two goals so far. If the home game against Cologne is not won either, things could get uncomfortable. There was no victory from the first three home games in the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons, at the end of which VfL Wolfsburg only managed to stay up in the relegation.
Eintracht Frankfurt – RB Leipzig (Saturday, 6.30 p.m.)
The teams, yes in the spring with the triumph in Europe league and the victory in the DFB Cup caused a sensation, only celebrated their first win of the season on the last matchday. It’s as clear as day that both want to add more now. The direct duel is a draw, however. In the previous twelve games there were seven draws, including the last four meetings in the Bundesliga ended without a winner.
In terms of paper, Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner also plays a major role. He has met RB Leipzig six times in the Bundesliga and all six games ended in draws (four with Wolfsburg and two with Frankfurt). Draw number seven would be a new Bundesliga record. If a team ever came out victorious in this pairing, it’s always been the home team.
Even after Timo Werner’s return, almost everything at Leipzig is about Christopher Nkunku. The French made the most shots on goal at RB, scored two-thirds of Leipzig’s Bundesliga goals (four out of six) and is currently joint top scorer with Union’s Sheraldo Becker. But maybe draw king Glasner will think of something on the subject.
FC Augsburg – Hertha BSC (Sunday, 3.30 p.m.)
It is the duel of two problem children. Augsburg have only scored three points after four matchdays, Hertha is still without a win after five competitive games under new coach Sandro Schwarz. Pal Dardai last made such a false start as a Hertha coach in his second term. Dardai was then able to win his sixth game with the Berliners – against FC Augsburg.
The Bavarian Swabians are the favorite opponents of the Berliners anyway. Hertha has not been more successful against any Bundesliga club than against FCA, and the Berliners have a better record against any other current first division club than against Augsburg. In order to expand that, however, things have to get better on the offensive. Hertha have not scored a goal for 267 minutes after three 0-1 defeats in a row.
There is a reunion for Marco Richter. The Hertha player returned to the Bundesliga pitch against Dortmund just a few weeks after the shock diagnosis of cancer, and now he’s coming home. At FCA, Richter made it from the youth department to the second team to a Bundesliga player and U-21 international.
Borussia Mönchengladbach – 1. FSV Mainz 05 (Sunday, 5.30 p.m.)
Borussia Mönchengladbach is still undefeated under new coach Daniel Farke. Eight points after four rounds is the best result in 35 years. Even for FC Bayern Munich it was only enough for a 1:1, which the “colts” owe above all to their goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
Mainz were also undefeated for a long time – more than four months. But then came Leverkusen and won 3-0. But now the 05ers are allowed to play away again, where they have been more successful so far and scored six of their eight points. A threesome in Gladbach and Mainz would have set their club record. Victories against Gladbach are rare for Mainz. The 05ers could only win one of the last twelve games.
The development of Marcus Thuram is remarkable in Gladbach. The left winger is consistently brought in as a center forward by Daniel Farke. The Frenchman has scored in three of the four Bundesliga games this season and has now matched his haul from the entire previous season with three goals.