In Wolfsburg, a bench press could become a match winner, in Bremen someone tries to repeat that. And Dortmund is afraid of the M word. Everything important for the 4th matchday.
SC Freiburg – VfL Bochum (Friday, 8.30 p.m.)
SC Freiburg started the season well with two wins from three games. The first three at home should now follow against Bochum – Kiliann Sildillia could play a decisive role again.
The 20-year-old French surprises as a right-back and assist. Sildillia has already racked up two assists. “He’s strong in tackles, has a good header game and is technically sound”, says coach Christian Streich about the youngster. But of course he had to “practice, practice, practice to get better”.
The mood of the coming guest from Bochum is completely different. 18th place and still without a point, plus the 0:7 swatter against FC Bayern. Around Castropper Strasse, hopes are now being felt for a similar effect to last season.
There, too, it started early in the season with a 7-0 loss to the record champions, but VfL climbed up to 12th place by the winter break. Bochum coach Reis said in retrospect: “In retrospect, the defeat was healing. We realized that we had to defend together.”
RB Leipzig – VfL Wolfsburg (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
When the ball rolls in Leipzig on Saturday afternoon, both teams will be under a lot of pressure early in the season. With only two points and still without a win, both Leipzig and Wolfsburg are in the bottom half of the table. For RB it is even the worst Bundesliga season start since promotion in 2016.
The shortcoming of both teams: missing goals. Leipzig creates plenty of chances, but the ball rarely lands in the net (4 out of 52). Wolfsburg, on the other hand, struggles when it comes to creating chances – 36 shots on goal in three games are below average, as are two goals scored.
It is all the more astonishing that Wolfsburg’s new coach Niko Kovac has so far largely dispensed with the services of Max Kruse. The third most successful active Bundesliga striker (97 goals) has been on the bench in the last three games, the last time that happened to him as an up-and-coming youth player at Werder Bremen. Kruse could play a decisive role against Leipzig’s not yet solid defensive line – whether in the starting XI or as a joker.
1. FSV Mainz 05 – Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
The fact that two Bayern players are at the top of the scorers list is not unexpected, despite Lewandowski’s departure. But nobody really expected Karim Onisiwo from Mainz. With his three goals after three games, the Austrian is representative of the good start to the season for the 05ers.
Patrick Schick is also a symbol for the emotional world in his club. However, he symbolizes Bayer 04’s completely messed-up start to the season. After scoring 24 goals last season, the Leverkusen center forward has already missed four big chances this season and hasn’t even been able to celebrate yet.
Overall, the Werkself have only scored one goal and are 17th in the table – but that’s only thanks to Bochum’s massive defeat on Matchday 3.
TSG Hoffenheim – FC Augsburg (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
Four games, three wins and the only defeat where they were outnumbered for more than 70 minutes: at TSG Hoffenheim they are quite satisfied with the start of the season under new coach André Breitenreiter. In Augsburg, the assessment is a bit more difficult. The surprise success in Leverkusen contrasts with two home defeats. But where does Enrico Maassen’s team really stand?
In any case, his team still owes something offensively. After the departures of Michael Gregoritsch and Alfred Finnbogason, there was a lack of offensive variability – the result: only 23 shots. After all, it is positive that Augsburg still has three goals scored.
In Hoffenheim, on the other hand, the new ones are currently shining. Grischa Prömel came from Union Berlin and was seeded right away and with 37 kilometers in three games he is the player with the most runs in the league. Behind him, Ozan Kabak (Schalke 04) is developing into a real reinforcement. The Turk is extremely strong in the air and won 62% of his tackles. Only Angelino was able to win more (64%) – also a newcomer to the Kraichgau.
Hertha BSC – Borussia Dortmund (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
Relegation place 16, only one point and two goals scored – in Berlin there is concern that a similar messed up season as last year could be pending. But on closer inspection, the people of the capital seem a little more solid. After setbacks and goals conceded, the team no longer falls apart and with 38 shots on goal, the old lady even aimed at the opponent’s box more often than the coming opponent.
At BVB they haven’t been able to hear the M word for years. And what is meant is not the mastery, but mentality. At least since Marco Reus burst his collar in an interview, the word alone is a red rag. After Bremen’s sensational race to catch up last weekend, in which Borussia gave up a 2-0 lead after the 89th minute, the M word threatens to haunt Dortmund again.
Irrespective of mentality issues, Edin Terzic’s team has not yet reached its playful maximum. The two Bundesliga victories against Leverkusen and Freiburg were not entirely convincing either. It’s a good thing that Hertha is one of the favorite opponents of new striker Anthony Modeste – he’s already scored seven times in ten games.
Schalke 04 – 1. FC Union Berlin (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)
Should Schalke 04 score a goal at home on Saturday afternoon, one of the reporter’s favorite words will certainly not be far away: of all things. Practically the entire attack department of the Royal Blues has already gone on a goal hunt for Union and would “of all things” score against the former club. Sebastian Polter played a total of 4.5 years in Köpenick, Simon Terodde played for Union from 2011-2014 and Marius Bülter also played for two more years.
In order to score goals, however, you need the ball – and both teams involved have relatively little in the league. Since the promotion to the Bundesliga, Union Berlin has specialized in making a lot out of little possession.
By the way, Union goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow brings an interesting statistic with him. In his 10 Bundesliga games for the Berliners he has never lost (7 wins, 3 draws). When the Dane was loaned to Schalke in 2020/21, the world looked different. He was never able to win in the Gelsenkirchen jersey (4 draws, 7 defeats).
Bayern Munich – Borussia M’Gladbach (Saturday, 6.30 p.m.)
No club has ever started the season as well as FC Bayern has in the current season. Nine points after three match days are less remarkable, but 15:1 goals are quite frightening. And the danger for the opposing team usually lurks everywhere. Nine different goal scorers were already able to celebrate – in the previous season, Munich had only achieved this after the 9th matchday.
With Borussia Mönchengladbach, the runner-up comes to Munich and is therefore a worthy guest for a top game on Saturday evening. Worthy also because no team in the last eleven years has made it as difficult for Bayern as Borussia. Gladbach scored 31 points in direct duels – Dortmund only 18. And Daniel Farke’s team should also be well-rehearsed – the coach recently offered the same starting eleven three times.
1. FC Cologne – VfB Stuttgart (Sunday, 3.30 p.m.)
1. FC Köln is also happy about many different goal scorers. After all, five different players have already scored for the billy goats, plus a Leipzig own goal. Last season Anthony Modeste alone was responsible for almost 40% of all goals. Cologne now plays more variably and is less predictable. Especially in the second half – five of Cologne’s six goals came after the break.
VfB Stuttgart is still waiting for its first win of the season, but has very positive and emotional memories of 1. FC Köln. On the 34th day of play, the pairing was Stuttgart versus Cologne and the Swabians were able to save themselves at the last second. It was Wataru Endo who scored the redeeming goal in the 92nd minute and thus saved VfB relegation. This time the knot should burst in Cologne.
Werder Bremen – Eintracht Frankfurt (Sunday, 5.30 p.m.)
Bremen’s three goals in Dortmund on Matchday 3 are historic. Never before has a two-goal deficit been turned so late in the game. The absolute specialist for late goals is obviously Oliver Burke, who scored both the late equalizer against Stuttgart (2nd match day) and the winning goal against BVB in the 95th minute.
The Scot came off the bench in each case – so far he has not been able to get past Marvin Duksch and Niclas Füllkrug, let’s see how many late goals he still has to score.
Bremen’s opponent early on Sunday evening is Eintracht Frankfurt – and the SBU has now been 11 Bundesliga games without a win. Only in the 1980s did Frankfurt have a longer negative series. In addition, there is a tactical change in the current phase. After Filip Kostic left, Oliver Glasner had a back four play for the first time since September 2021. Luca Pellegrini, who came in an exchange, played on the left, but he didn’t hit a single cross in the game against Cologne – probably the biggest difference to Kostic.